Heterogeneous Roles and Heterogeneous Practices: Understanding the Adoption and Uses of Nonprofit Performance Evaluations
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| Title: | Heterogeneous Roles and Heterogeneous Practices: Understanding the Adoption and Uses of Nonprofit Performance Evaluations |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Eckerd, Adam, Moulton, Stephanie |
| Source: | American Journal of Evaluation. Mar 2011 32(1):98-117. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Physical Description: | |
| Page Count: | 20 |
| Publication Date: | 2011 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | Adult Education Higher Education |
| Descriptors: | Nonprofit Organizations, Evaluation Methods, Evidence, Role, Organizational Culture, Predictor Variables, Attitudes, Institutional Environment, Selection, Program Evaluation, Self Evaluation (Groups) |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1098214010381780 |
| ISSN: | 1098-2140 |
| Abstract: | 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. (Contains 2 figures and 6 tables.) |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Number of References: | 47 |
| Entry Date: | 2012 |
| Accession Number: | EJ950810 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | 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. (Contains 2 figures and 6 tables.) |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1098-2140 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1098214010381780 |
