Heterogeneous Roles and Heterogeneous Practices

Understanding the Adoption and Uses of Nonprofit Performance Evaluations

Bibliographic Data

ID12470655
AuthorsAdam Eckerd (0000-0003-0670-1804, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,, corresponding author), Stephanie Moulton (0000-0003-4102-0932, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA)
Year2010
Volume32
Issue1
Pages98-117
Publication date2010-09-07
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Evaluation (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1098-2140 • E-ISSN: 1557-0878
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1098214010381780
OpenAlexW2013838352
LanguageEN
Citations received23
References cited32

Evaluating the performance of nonprofit organizations has been of growing importance for the last several decades. Although there is much good that can come out of self-improvement, there is substantial heterogeneity within the sector that calls into question the usefulness of ‘‘across the board’’ evaluation tools. In this article, the authors assess nonprofit evaluation practices, at both the organizational and the programmatic levels. Through a multitheoretical framework, the authors explore the extent to which the adoption and uses of evaluation reflect strategic alignment with heterogeneous nonprofit roles or the institutionalization of the organizational environment. The authors find evidence that institutional perceptions are consistent predictors of whether nonprofit organizations adopt particular practices. Diverse roles are not consistently associated with the adoption of particular practices, but the uses of evaluation are diverse and specific to nonprofit organizations’ unique strategies and roles

Business · Institutionalisation · Knowledge management · Nonprofit organization · Nonprofit Sector · Perception · Political science · Public relations · Evaluation and Performance Assessment · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Psychology · Public Policy and Administration Research

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