Disentangling the Myth of Nonprofit–Government Relations in China

Zhang, Zhibin; Guo, Chao

doi:10.1177/0095399720965555

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Consequently, scholarly attention has turned from grand conceptualization with one single concept to detailed accounts of the specific actions of Chinese nonprofits vis‐à‐vis the government (Zhang & Guo, 2021a, 2021b). In particular, based on theories such as institutionalism, resource dependency, democracy development, and pluralism, many scholars have looked into nonprofit advocacy activities to uncover nonprofit–government interactions in China (e.g., Zhang & Guo, 2012).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

No advocacy without representation? Nonprofit representational mix and nonprofit advocacy

Zhang

Guo

2021

Nonprofit Mgmnt & Ldrshp

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Nonprofit representation as a multidimensional notion is inherently interrelated with nonprofit advocacy. This multidimensional nature of representation, however, was largely overlooked in prior empirical literature that predominantly focused on the independent effect of individual representational dimensions on advocacy. This article addresses this limitation by identifying the “representational mixes”—combinations of multiple representational dimensions—that bring about specific outcomes of nonprofit advocacy. Drawing on data from nonprofit organizations in three provinces of China and applying a corresponding configurational approach of fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, the findings confirm three propositions, namely the conjunctural, equifinal, and asymmetric causation underneath the complex relationship between nonprofit representation and nonprofit advocacy. This study thus contributes a fresh configurational perspective to understanding nonprofit representation in relation to nonprofit advocacy.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

No advocacy without representation? Nonprofit representational mix and nonprofit advocacy

Zhang

Guo

2021

Nonprofit Mgmnt & Ldrshp

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“…A unique feature of government-nonprofit relations in China is the decisive role of government in the development of the nonprofit sector (Frolic, 1997; Spires, 2011; Zhang & Guo, 2021). On the one hand, the Chinese regime is concerned about the power of nonprofits and thus seeks to maintain control over its development.…”

Section: Empirical Setting: Government-nonprofit Contracting In Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

To Have Versus To Have Not: A Cross-City Configurational Analysis of Social Service Contracting

Chen

Dong

2021

The American Review of Public Administration

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This study employs a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to explore how combinations of demand- and supply-side factors jointly shape the scale of government-nonprofit contracting in social services across 38 Chinese cities. Our analysis reveals a huge disparity by identifying two pathways to large-scale government contracting for “to-have” (well-resourced cities with low service needs but a well-developed nonprofit sector) versus the other two pathways to small-scale government contracting for “to-have-not” (poorly-resourced cities with an underdeveloped nonprofit sector struggling with meeting high service needs). The study contributes to the literature by highlighting how different demand- and supply-side factors can complement each other to form different combinations in shaping the scale of government contracting with new empirical evidence from an authoritarian context. The rise of government-nonprofit contracting in China is more supply-driven, reflecting the government's active role in cultivating the nonprofit sector development. The findings also raise an important policy issue of accessibility and equity in social service provision.

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Relational Work and its Pitfalls: Nonprofits’ Participation in Government-Sponsored Voluntary Accreditation

Luo

Zheng

Yan

2022

Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory

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Around the world, voluntary programs are an increasingly prevalent regulatory instrument in governing nonprofit organizations. But accounts of mechanisms driving nonprofits’ participation in those programs are underdeveloped. This article combines and expands insights from voluntary regulation and institutional work theories to examine the impact of government’s informal relational work on nonprofits’ regulatory participation. Drawing on interviews and survey data from a random sample of 203 nonprofits in Shenzhen, China, the authors study the country’s pioneering government-sponsored voluntary accreditation program and its varying receptions among nonprofits. The empirical analysis shows that politically embedded nonprofits, those with closer organizational connections with the local government, are more likely to participate in accreditation. Since government agencies rely on existing regulatory networks to conduct relational work at both organizational and personal levels to persuade or cajole nonprofits to participate, they tend to direct their recruitment efforts towards more politically embedded nonprofits. However, these targeted recruitment practices may generate reactions much more complicated than the dichotomy of acceptance versus resistance, which ultimately facilitates some nonprofits seeking accreditation while deterring others.

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Disentangling the Myth of Nonprofit–Government Relations in China

Cited by 4 publications

References 32 publications

No advocacy without representation? Nonprofit representational mix and nonprofit advocacy

No advocacy without representation? Nonprofit representational mix and nonprofit advocacy

To Have Versus To Have Not: A Cross-City Configurational Analysis of Social Service Contracting

Relational Work and its Pitfalls: Nonprofits’ Participation in Government-Sponsored Voluntary Accreditation

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