Bringing Nordic Slush to Asia: Entrepreneurial internationalization of an NGO as a social movement

We explore the internationalization of Slush, an entrepreneurship-promoting NGO from Finland that expanded to Japan, China, and Singapore. We incorporate the social movement theory that allows revealing special mechanisms of NGOs’ internationalization. We show, first, that international opportunity development of internationalizing NGOs is triggered by the shared dissatisfaction with societal conditions. Second, their collective resource mobilization enables networks and learning in foreign markets. Third, internationalizing NGOs overcome internationalization liabilities through building their social identities. We also offer a model of NGO internationalization that incorporates the social movement theory. Overall, our study broadens internationalization research by bringing a non-business theory into it.     

非政府组织参与WTO争端解决机制的制度构建

非政府组织以“法庭之友”身份参与WID争端解决是一种必然趋势。“法庭之友”问题的解决应在维护WTO成员国的主权和尊重司法独立间谋求平衡。对于“法庭之友”事项中的实质性问题的解决应采取契约的模式,各成员方通过谈判的方式协商各方的立场,对DSU规则进行修订,具体程序性的规则由上诉机构进行制定。     

民间组织介入日间照料站老年人服务的研究

社区老年日间照料是社区照顾的一种服务形式,是从机构式照顾转向社区照顾的重要中途站。通过运用问卷调查、访问调查法等方法,对沈阳市四个社区进行了实地调研,结果发现日间照站主要依赖于政府管理,经营主体单一,服务对象界定不清晰,经费来源单一,工作人员少且缺乏专业服务等问题。根据上海罗山市民会馆、沈阳市康利托老养护院等养老服务典型案例,论述了民间组织介入社区日间照料站提供服务的可行性,并从政府、高校、社工几个方面提出了介入的措施。     

社会转型中非政府组织与政府的和谐共进

在以现代化为基础的中国全方位的社会转型过程中,非政府组织因其独特的角色和功能,以及相对于政府的比较优势,理应在提供特定的公共服务、推进公民自治和参与意识、沟通公众与政府关系、激发创新精神以及推进民主化进程、孕育公民社会等各个方面发挥重要作用。但在我国政府主导政府与社会关系的权利分配格局中,非政府组织的功能受到局限,非政府组织和政府组织之间的良性互动与功能互补不足。实现非政府组织与政府的和谐共进,一方面需要政府放松管制,加强监督,为非政府组织开辟运作空间,提供制度支持;另一方面需要非政府组织提高治理水平、参政能力以及自身的公信力。     

Enhancing the role of accountability in promoting the rights of beneficiaries of development NGOs

This paper identifies and assesses the extent to which downward accountability mechanisms in nongovernmental development organisations (NGDOs) have had the potential in practice to contribute to the effectiveness of rights‐based approaches to development. The paper draws on evidence gathered from a detailed documentary analysis and a series of in‐depth interviews undertaken with senior individuals working in the Irish NGDO sector. The analysis indicates variations in practice with regard to the substantive implementation of key downward accountability mechanisms. The accountability‐in‐practice revealed suggests that challenges to substantive implementation have arisen due to: insufficient Irish NGDO attention to oversight of downward accountability within locally based partner NGDOs; a reluctance and/or inability to transfer influence to locally based partner NGDOs by allowing them some influence on Irish NGDO governance and strategy; the perceived control of locally based partner NGDOs by local elites who may be distant from, and unrepresentative of, local communities; and a perception that locally based partner NGDOs may not require downward accountability. Drawing on these findings, the paper makes some suggestions aimed at helping to transform the rhetorical NGDO commitment to downward accountability into real practices that can contribute substantively to the realisation of the key elements of the rights‐based approach to development.     

The Role of NGOs in CSR: Mutual Perceptions Among Stakeholders

This paper explores the role of NGOs in corporate social responsibility (CSR) through an analysis of various stakeholders’ perceptions and of NGOs’ self-perceptions. In the course of qualitative research based in Spain, we found that the perceptions of the role of NGOs fall into four categories: recognition of NGOs as drivers of CSR; concerns about their legitimacy; difficulties in the mutual understanding between NGOs and trade unions; the self-confidence of NGOs as important players in CSR. Each of these categories comprises the various elements analysed in the paper. We found some discrepancies between the perception of others and the self-perceptions of NGOs, which explains why their role is often controversial. The research confirms that secondary stakeholders, such as NGOs, are key players in CSR, but their role is still regarded as controversial and their legitimacy contested. Deep-seated misunderstandings and mistrust among various stakeholder groups (particularly between NGOs and trade unions) are a possible hurdle to the integration of social and environmental concerns in business activity and corporate governance in Spain. The study finds that business managers need to take a less firm-centric and a more contextual approach, and look more closely into the relationship with and among stakeholder groups. For NGO managers, the research shows that NGOs are not always aware of the stereotypes they generate and the problems caused mainly by what is seen as ambivalent roles: critic and counsellor, accuser and judge, idealist and fund raiser.

E‐corporate social responsibility in small non‐profit organisations: the case of Spanish ‘Non Government Organisations’

The image and the reputation of small NGOs have direct bearing on the capacity of these entities to retain and attract members, volunteers and donors. These attributes have been linked to the concept of Social Responsibility. Therefore, for NGOs to be socially responsible and to make this fact known is a key factor that will have a positive influence on their image and reputation and will contribute to their being recognised and to strengthening social confidence in them. This article analyses the e‐corporate social responsibility in Spanish NGOs. It shows the infra‐use that NGOs make of the Internet as an information medium to communicate their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices. In terms of transparency, this implies that the CSR transparency on their websites is very poor, although it grows as the size of the organisation increases.