Institutional Competing Logics: Local Context vs. National Identity in United Way Systems

在这个项目中，主要研究者将研究在高度制度化的国家系统中自上而下努力的一部分所发生的地方变化。制度理论表明，地方组织将采用新的国家做法，在其更大的活动领域保持合法性，导致组织同质化;然而，人们越来越感兴趣的是地方机构在塑造替代性地方反应方面的作用。因此，地方组织可能仍然只是松散地参与更广泛的变革努力。调查人员将探讨在过去十年中，作为向社区影响转变的一部分，当地联合劝募系统发生了多大程度的变化，以及这种变化如何与不断变化的社区逻辑和资源环境相关联。就更广泛的影响而言，这项研究在当前的持续衰退中尤为重要，因为面对严峻的经济挑战，各组织可能面临更大的压力，需要解决国家合法性与地方资源需求之间的紧张关系。这项研究的结果将有可能促进对体制化制度变化的实际理解。此外，研究团队将创建一个公开可用的分层数据库，该数据库将与联合劝募会系统内的所有当地联合劝募会以及他们所资助的非营利组织所处的社区环境相匹配。这一资产对其他研究人员来说将是有价值的。

In this project the Principal Investigators will examine the local variation that occurs as part of a top-down effort within a highly institutionalized national system. Institutional theory suggests that local organizations will adopt new national practices to remain legitimate in their larger field of activity, leading to organizational homogeneity; however there is growing interest in the role of local institutions in shaping alternative local responses. As a result local organizations may remain only loosely coupled to broader change efforts. The investigators will explore to what extent change has occurred in local United Way systems over the last decade as part of the move to Community Impact and how such change is associated with shifting community logics and resource environments. In terms of broader impacts, this research is particularly important during the current sustained recession because in the face of severe economic challenges organizations may face increased pressures to resolve the tensions between national legitimacy and local resource demands. The results of the study will potentially advance practical understanding about change in institutionalized systems. Also, the research team will create a publicly available hierarchical database that matches all local United Ways within the United Way system and the community contexts in which they are embedded to the nonprofits that they fund. This asset will be of value to other researchers.