Existential Angst and Identity Rethink: The Complexities of Competition for the Nonprofit

Ziva Sharp

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article explores the concept of competition as perceived by the nonprofit organization (NPO). Based on a series of case studies, the article examines the NPO’s response to competitive analysis within a strategic planning process. The findings suggest that despite behaving competitively, both for funding and in the marketplace, the NPO’s direct, mindful encounter with a distinctly market orientation engenders a reinterpretation of the concept of competition, aligning it with a nonprofit, value-centric mindset. In parallel, the imposition of competitive demands on the NPO may trigger a counterreaction in which the nonprofit launches a reexamination of its organizational identity. This process, in which the NPO may question the justification of its very existence, can generate significant emotional turmoil. The case study findings suggest that the outcome of this process may be the reinforcement and amplification of the organization’s social orientation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)767-788
Number of pages22
JournalNonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
Volume47
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Aug 2018

Keywords

  • competition
  • identity
  • nonmarket
  • nonprofit
  • strategic planning

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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