Abstract
Non-profit organizations (NPOs) occupy a crucial place in society. This article studies the determinants of their managerial adaptations in relation to societal orientation, such as a focus on partners, an adaptation of relationships with volunteers, preventing neglect of the beneficiaries and members, and finally a redesign of internal organization. The survey of French NPOs 1 year after Covid-19 shows that boards have often lost their collective effectiveness and that the four adaptations associated with societal orientation were specifically explained by the access to key resources. The results demonstrate the importance of human resource dependency management and inform the decision-making process during the crisis. The contributions focus on the determinants of societal orientation, on the necessary individual and collective mobilization of human resources in non-profit governance and on the importance of a complex and paradoxical approach to decision-making. The original theoretical approach (the stakeholder resource-based theory) also offers perspectives for NPOs, in times of crisis but also in more stable circumstances.
Résumé
Les organisations à but non lucratif (OBNL) occupent une place cruciale dans la société. Cet article étudie les déterminants de leurs adaptations managériales en lien avec l'orientation sociétale, telles que la focalisation sur les partenaires, l'adaptation des relations avec les bénévoles, la prévention de la négligence à l'égard des bénéficiaires et des membres, et enfin la refonte de l'organisation interne. L'enquête menée auprès des associations françaises un an après la Covid-19 montre que les conseils d'administration ont souvent perdu leur caractère collectif et que les quatre adaptations liées à l'orientation sociétale s'expliquent spécifiquement par l'accès à des ressources clés. Les résultats démontrent l'importance de la gestion de la dépendance des ressources humaines et éclairent le processus de prise de décision pendant la crise. Les contributions portent sur les déterminants de l'orientation sociétale, sur la nécessaire mobilisation individuelle et collective des ressources humaines dans la gouvernance non lucrative et sur l'importance d'une approche complexe et paradoxale de la prise de décision. L'approche théorique originale offre également des perspectives pour les organisations à but non lucratif, en temps de crise mais aussi dans des circonstances plus stables.
Resumen
Las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro desempeñan un papel crucial en la sociedad. Este artículo estudia los factores determinantes de sus adaptaciones de gestión en relación con la orientación societal, como la focalización en los socios, la adaptación de las relaciones con los voluntarios, la prevención de la desatención a los beneficiarios y miembros y, por último, el rediseño de la organización interna. La encuesta realizada en las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro francesas un año después de Covid-19 muestra que los consejos de administración han perdido a menudo su eficacia colectiva y que las cuatro adaptaciones relacionadas con la orientación societal se explicaban específicamente por el acceso a los recursos clave. Los resultados demuestran la importancia de la gestión de la dependencia de los recursos humanos e informan del proceso decisorio durante la crisis. Las contribuciones se centran en los factores determinantes de la orientación societal, en la necesaria movilización individual y colectiva de los recursos humanos en la gobernanza sin ánimo de lucro y en la importancia de un enfoque complejo y paradójico de la toma de decisiones. El enfoque teórico original también ofrece perspectivas para las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro, tanto en tiempos de crisis como en circunstancias más estables.
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Data availability statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from Recherches & Solidarités.
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Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank Jacques Malet, Cécile Bazin and Marie Duros of Recherches & Solidarités for their kind provision of the Covid-19 survey database and their support in the research process undertaken on the basis of this survey.
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This research was supported by the Institut Français du Monde Associatif which funded the translation services associated with this article.
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Plaisance, G. Nonprofit Organizations 1 Year After the Covid-19 Crisis: Understanding How the French Voluntary Sector is Opening up to Adaptations Related to Societal Orientation. Voluntas (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-023-00618-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-023-00618-3