The marketisation of charitable organisations in social development : a thesis submitted to Massey University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies
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Date
2015
DOI
Open Access Location
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Massey University
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Abstract
There has been significant change in charitable organisations in Aotearoa/ New
Zealand since 1984 when government introduced a form of neo-liberal “new public
management”. Research into the impact of these changes has focused on the broader
voluntary or third sector and on the specific impact of contracting on particular
aspects of change. This thesis explores the systemic marketising nature of neo-liberal
change on charitable organisations engaged in social development and argues that the
particular characteristics of charitable organisations are being changed by the
encroachment of values and operating practices of the market. The thesis uses critical
realist ontology to understand the holistic nature of these changes. The literature
review identifies characteristics of charitable organisations, markets and government
and the emergent, hybridising nature of the dependence of charitable organisations in
Aotearoa/New Zealand on government funding. The findings are drawn from case
studies of three charitable organisations which were very different in size, structure,
focus and stage of development. The case studies included interviews with leaders in
governance and management whose involvement collectively spanned the twenty five
years between 1985 and 2010 covered by the research.
The findings show significant change in charitable sector characteristics by 2010 and a
strong influence of the market on the changes in all three organisations. While at least
two of the organisations can be described as social enterprises, they lack some
characteristics of market organisations which would define them as businesses and they
continue to identify themselves as charitable organisations. However, the extent of
marketisation calls into question the ability of the three organisations to address some
needs of those with whom they work and to play an effective role as civil society
organisations. The research questions the existing concept of mission drift as simply the
inability of an organisation to meet its stated mission and suggests that the mission of
an organisation is not only captured in organisational goals but also in its characteristics
which define the organisation’s approach to its work.
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Keywords
Charities, New Zealand, Charitable organisations, Social development, Marketisation