Scale development research in nonprofit management & marketing: a content analysis and recommendation for best practices (original) (raw)

Nonprofit marketing research: developing ideas for new studies

SN Business & Economics, 2021

The field of nonprofit marketing has progressed considerably. However, the field has often been discordant and fragmented. Progressive streams of research in nonprofit marketing, in which connected incremental increases in our knowledge have been lacking. To provide a unifying framework which researchers can use when planning a research program, this paper presents a holistic model of research knowledge development. The purpose of this paper is to help researchers find useful research topics and to develop research programs that will make meaningful contributions to the field. Developing a nomological net is presented as a foundational means of establishing the proposed study's contribution to the extant literature. It is key in depicting the inter-construct influences acting on the focal outcome variables. The goal is to develop research that has greater theoretical significance and practical implications.

Nonprofit Marketing: Theory Triangulation

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

Concept of nonprofit marketing has emerged from discussions of applying the philosophy and techniques of marketing to the public and nonprofit sectors in the marketing literature. However, many of these marketing ideas emerged originally from social science disciplines. Almost all social science can be classified into the two general categories of «individualistic" and "collectivistic" perspectives . This study attempts to accommodate a pluralistic stance toward diversity of social science perspectives in context of nonprofit marketing theory. Thus, it is not limited to discussion of individualistic or collectivist references. The study attempts to consider different social science perspectives to validate nonprofit marketing theory.

Developing and validating a multidimensional nonprofit brand orientation scale

Journal of Business Research, 2005

Operating in a progressively more competitive and turbulent environment, nonprofit organizations are beginning to recognize the need to become more ''businesslike'' and of the value of marketing in achieving a competitive advantage. Whilst marketing alone is not purported to be a ''quick-fix'' elixir in this regard, it does have the potential to make a useful and ongoing contribution to organizational performance in the nonprofit sector. Indeed, marketing scholars have for some time now been examining the role, function, relevance and transferability of various marketing principles and practices to nonprofit organizations. Surprisingly, the concept of brand management has been largely overlooked in this process. Using Keller's [Harv. Bus. Rev. 78 (2000) 147] brand report card (BRC) as a point of departure, this article describes the development of a reliable, valid and generalizable multidimensional scale to assess nonprofit brand orientation (NBO). Findings from two empirical surveys are presented, conclusions drawn and future research directions outlined. D

SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

This encyclopedia chapter gives an overview of the sociological and more general social science study of nonprofit organizations (NPOs). NPOs are also termed nongovernmental organizations, NGOs, nonprofits, not-for-profits, non-profits, non-profit organizations, civil society organizations, CSOs, third sector organizations, voluntary organizations, charities, charitable organizations, tax-exempt organizations, and/or philanthropic organizations. Three main types or structural forms of NPOs are distinguished, defined, and discussed: voluntary associations (i.e., membership nonprofit associations), nonprofit agencies (or voluntary agencies), and foundations. The chapter discusses the growth of research on NPOs, giving examples of recent major handbooks in the field. Other topics discussed are the global history of these types of NPOs, their global numbers and prevalence, and their special or distinctive characteristics, including their respective degrees and types of impact on members/staff and on the larger community and world. The chapter also notes that research demonstrates the “Dark Side” (dysfunctions, misconduct, deviance) of certain NPOs, especially of associations. But associations have in the last ten millennia clearly had by far the most impact on world history, ethical evolution, sociocultural change, and societal progress.

Improving the quality of empirical nonprofit research: The focal constructs and their measures

International Review on Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 2017

This paper discusses how researchers can improve the quality of their work, clarify the theoretical contributions of their work, and reduce the probability of having their journals submissions rejected. The main emphasis in this paper is on improving the quality of the theory construction (the theoretical contribution) of studies and the measurement of focal constructs.

Qualities before Quantities: A Framework to Develop Dynamic Assessment of the Nonprofit Sector

Nonprofit Policy Forum

Metrics are essential for assessing performance and guiding course corrections. However, selecting the wrong metrics can damage organizations and communities by promoting resource investment in activities that don’t lead to envisioned impacts. Therefore, it is essential to reflect on what qualities an effective set of metrics should possess before insisting on quantification. This concept paper articulates design principles for developing an index of the nonprofit sector. Drawing from complexity theory and axiology (philosophy of values), the paper explains fundamental questions and values considerations to assist index developers in creating effective measures. It argues for the use of a capabilities approach, operationalized as multiple capitals, as the design architecture. It suggests the social accounting framework of Integrated Reporting as a way to track these capitals over multiple levels and time horizons.

Challenges in Managing Nonprofit Organizations: A Research Overview

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 2000

The topic of "management" and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) continues to fascinate scholars. This paper draws on varying theoretical perspectives to explore their respective contributions to our knowledge of NPOs. The two longstanding and contrasting disciplines of economics and sociology have contributed most, traditionally, to the study of NPOs. However, neither of these disciplines has resolved all the dilemmas associated with NPOs. The standard economic model does not apply well to the distinctive non-market situation of NPOs. The sociological perspectives offer interesting insight, but fail to develop plans of action for NPOs. However, both of these traditional perspectives are starting to be eclipsed by the focus on marketing research.

Nonprofit Brand Strength: What Is It? How Is It Measured? What Are Its Outcomes?

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 2015

Nonprofit brand strength is conceptualized as the degree to which a nonprofit brand is well known to a target group, is perceived favorably by a target group, and is perceived to be remarkable by a target group. Hence, the authors conceptualize nonprofit brand strength as a priori having three dimensions: familiarity, remarkability, and attitude. The authors report the development of a nonprofit brand strength scale, using a series of charity brands, in three separate studies, supporting the scale's reliability and validity. The scale's ability to differentiate charities based on their respective nonprofit brand strength levels is demonstrated. Moreover, nonprofit brand strength is shown to be antecedent to a target group's affective dispositions and behavioral intentions toward the nonprofit brand. Résumé La force de la marque d'une organisation à but non lucratif est considérée comme le degré de reconnaissance de cette marque par un groupe cible, le degré de perception favorable et le degré de perception comme étant remarquable par ce Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

An evaluation of nonprofit brand image: Towards a better conceptualization and measurement

Journal of Business Research, 2015

Nonprofit brand image plays an important role in shaping consumers' charitable donations and therefore nonprofit organizations must be aware of how consumers perceive them. This research examines nonprofit brand image and reports findings from three empirical studies, which aim to offer a better conceptualization and measurement of the concept. Study 1 investigates the psychometric properties of the Michel and Rieunier's (2012) nonprofit brand image scales with a sample from the UK, and reports key methodological limitations. Specifically, discriminant and convergent validity tests highlight the need for further research into the dimensionality of the nonprofit brand image measures. Subsequently, studies 2 and 3 offer an improved conceptualization and measurement of nonprofit brand image and validate the scales via the use of 2 separate data sets. The new measures consists of 6 dimensions namely, usefulness, efficiency, affect, dynamism, reliability and ethicality which are significantly related to intentions to donate money and time.