Social Enterprise
Cooperation and Hierarchy
Organizational hierarchy can make or break cooperatives, depending on its effect on the collective psychological ownership of members.
Marilyn Harris
Philanthropy & Funding
Donor Recognition and Its Discontents
The reward of public recognition can motivate or inhibit donors, depending on their prior motives.
Philanthropy & Funding
The Supply and Demand of Charitable Giving
The relationship between donors and nonprofits is built on a complex interplay of motivations, activities, and circumstances. A research article in the Summer 2020 issue.
Nonprofits & NGOs
The Varieties of Volunteer Experience
To understand the complexity of volunteering, researchers should focus on the social goods volunteers pursue and the functions they serve. A research article in the Summer 2020 issue.
Health
Ineffective Workplace Wellness
A University of Illinois workplace wellness program reveals the central role of self-selection by participants. A Research article from the Spring 2020 issue.
Advocacy
The Limits of Anger
New research explores why the anger that energizes social movements dissuades sympathizers within companies from taking action. A Research article from the Spring 2020 issue.
Philanthropy & Funding
When White Philanthropy Funded Black Power
A 1970s partnership between wealthy white liberals and black activists illustrates the tensions of race and power in philanthropy. A Research article from the Fall 2019 issue.
Cities
Urban Renewal?
The Fairmount Corridor project revealed a central tension in community development: Community-based organizations both enhance and undermine democracy. A Research article from the Fall 2019 issue.
Business
The Roots of Workplace Gender Inequality
Executives who cite work-family conflict to explain lack of female advancement in firms embrace a myth to preserve the status quo. A research report from the Summer 2019 issue.
Civic Engagement
Coming Together Amid Difference
Racial and economic segregation hampers local civic action, but public schools can serve as a facilitator. A research report from the Summer 2019 issue.
Social Services
Empathy Through Service
Programs like Teach for America can help participants take on the perspectives of those they seek to help.
Nonprofits & NGOs
Poorer Neighborhood, Fewer Charities
Lower-income communities have stronger need for nonprofits but struggle to attract and sustain them.
Business
Misremembering to Feel Better
Consumers say they want to purchase ethically, but selective memory gets in the way of their decisions.
Organizational Development
The Private Benefits of Corporate Social Incentives
Employees are willing to make sacrifices to participate in social-impact projects, partly because they see them as opportunities for career advancement.
Foundations
Foundations as Interest Groups
While old foundations typically support traditional public-school institutions, new foundations are seeking to reshape or bypass them.
Nonprofits & NGOs
When NGOs Confront Bureaucracy
An educational collaboration between a literacy program for public schools and the government of Punjab, India, struggles with accountability and political support.
Organizational Development
Bottom-Up Corporate Social Responsibility
Employee-driven corporate social initiatives promise greater success than standard programs.
Collaboration
Collaborating Is Hard Work
Cross-sector collaborations can break down when the interests, expectations, and power dynamics of the participants conflict.
Business
Workplace Volunteering Culture
Companies that create a climate of volunteering can see benefits even among non-volunteers.
Social Enterprise
Gender and Social Ventures
Presence of female business leaders in community can bolster launching female-led social enterprises.
Organizational Development
Hacking the Hierarchy
Securing commitment from managers is crucial for organizational change.
Philanthropy & Funding
Passion is Infectious
Showing enthusiasm is essential for securing crowdfunding dollars.
Environment
Making Green Less Pink
Men find environmentally friendly products threatening to their masculinity.
Social Enterprise
Microfinancing Teamwork
People are more likely to stick with crowdfunding efforts if they join teams.