The Governance of International Nongovernmental Organizations : How Funding and Volunteer Involvement Affect Board Nomination Modes and Stakeholder Representation in International Nongovernmental Organizations
Journal
VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations
ISSN
0957-8765
ISSN-Digital
1573-7888
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2011-12
Author(s)
Rehli, Florian
;
Jaeger, Urs
Abstract
The governance of civil society organizations (CSOs) is a crucial determinant of organizational legitimacy, accountability, and performance. International nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) are a subtype of CSOs and have received a lot of attention as actors in global governance. Research suggests that INGOs can follow a membership model, where the board is elected by the membership, or a board-managed model, where the board is appointed to represent major stakeholders. Following resource dependency theory, we argue that the choice between these two models depends on the INGOs different sources of funding and the degree of volunteer involvement: As donors and volunteers provide important resources, they are in turn granted the right to nominate board members or to sit on the board. In our quantitative study we show that individual members, regional member organizations, and governmental donors hold a stronger position in the governance of INGOs than philanthropists, foundations and volunteers. Our results inform research on CSO governance by highlighting the relevance of board nomination modes and by showing how CSOs can incorporate stakeholders into their governance mechanisms
Language
English
Keywords
Civil society organizations
CSO governance
international nongovernmental organizations
nonprofit boards
resource dependency theory
stakeholders
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Springer Science
Publisher place
Dordrecht
Volume
22
Number
4
Start page
587
End page
612
Pages
26
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
130251