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theses

Though there are many nonprofit organizations that have multiple sites, there has been limited work exploring this type of agency (Young & Faulk, 2010). There have been studies that have looked at International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs), one type of Multisite Nonprofit Organization (MNO), but there has been significantly less research exploring national MNOs. To better understand national MNOs, this study examines what makes these nonprofits unique, what conflicts exist within MNOs, and the relationships between those in the affiliate office and those in the central office. Dual organizational identification (Vora & Kostova, 2007), which looks at identification with multiple levels of an organization and cooperation theory (Deutsch, 1949a, b), which explores what leads to cooperation and competition within an organization, are used as theoretical frameworks in understanding MNOs. This study looks at 9 disease-specific US-based MNOs, using a mixed-methods approach. To start, a survey was sent out to those in the affiliate and the central office, asking about organizational identification at multiple levels, cooperation, distance, and perceived organizational support (POS). One hundred and three people took part in this survey, including 82 people from the affiliate. Furthermore, 26 people took part in interviews following this survey. During these interviews, organizational structure and intraorganizational relationships were discussed. This study finds that there are several conflicts that occur specifically in MNOs between those in the central office and those in the affiliate office. This includes centralization versus decentralization, the perception of the central office, the requirements of the affiliates, fees and fee structures, the direction of the organization, and personality/individual issues. The lack of trust acted as a mediator to those conflicts. Lastly, outcomes of these conflicts include the affiliate leaving the organization, individuals in the affiliate leadership leaving the organization, no changes at all, or changes in the central office. The structure and the lifecycle of the affiliate are aspects of MNOs that differentiate them from organizations with single sites. Within MNOs, some organizations have their affiliates obtain their own 501(c)(3) status, while others do not. Organizations sometimes also use a mixed structure, where some of the affiliates operate under their own 501(c)(3) status while other affiliates within the same agency are under the central office’s 501(c)(3) certification. Furthermore, some organizations have their affiliates as staff-run, some are volunteer-run, and some organizations are mixed. A 3x3 table exploring these two variables presents one way to better understand MNO structure. MNOs are not monolithic organizations; rather, they are diverse in the ways affiliates are structured and managed. Furthermore, the affiliate lifecycle is examined, which includes affiliate birth, and growth, stasis, and decline. Affiliates can go through these three stages circularly or linearly, possibly leading to the death of an affiliate. Affiliate death can happen due to loss of interest, financial reasons, loss of leadership, or conflicts. An affiliate may be reborn at a later time. Lastly, this study looks at organizational identification toward the central office. Using fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), this study provides a better understanding of the intraorganizational relationships which exist within MNOs. Specifically, to have organizational identification toward the central office, one must first have organizational identification toward the affiliate office. Being physically closer to the central office, lack of conflict, and a high level of POS also help build organizational identification toward the central office. Based on this study, recommendations for MNOs are discussed.

ETD_8711

Ph.D.

Includes bibliographical references

by Seth J. Meyer

doi:10.7282/T3DZ0CQF

ETD doctoral

The author owns the copyright to this work.