Browsing by Subject "Social impact"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
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    Experiencing Nonprofits in Vietnam: What Matters Most to the People Nonprofits Aim to Serve
    (2024-07) Doan, Dana R. H.; Benjamin, Lehn M.; Wiepking, Pamala; Dwyer, Patrick C.; Pasic, Dean Amir; Merritt, Cullen C.; Sidel, Mark
    To better understand nonprofit performance and impact, this study set out to identify the salient viewpoints of the individuals and communities a nonprofit human service provider sets out to serve, i.e., the nonprofit’s constituents. Focusing on the first encounter with a nonprofit, which the service management, public encounters, and help-seeking literatures all identify as important to understanding experiences of and engagement with service organizations, I ask: How does a constituent’s first encounter with a nonprofit influence their experience and decision to engage with the organization? To address this question, I implemented a community-engaged, multi-phased, Q methodology study with 56 women in Vietnam. I utilized a focus group discussion, in-depth interviews, participant reflections on a first visit to a nonprofit, a Q sort, and debrief interviews. My research revealed three viewpoints and four dimensions of effectiveness. The three viewpoints include: Mutuality - I am looking for signs we can work together as equal partners to address my problem; Caring - I am looking for signs you are personally motivated towards helping me; and Efficiency - I am looking for signs I can get what I need in a timely manner. The four dimensions of effectiveness include: relational, technical, accessibility, and other dimensions of effectiveness. Regardless of the viewpoint, the relational dimension of an encounter is central to constituent decisions to engage with a nonprofit, a dimension that is undertheorized in social impact measurement. That said, all three viewpoints bring the four dimensions of effectiveness together in distinct ways. In this way, a Q study reminds us that constituents are not all the same and exposes some of the differences. These findings offer implications for research and practice on nonprofit management and measurement.
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    Mind the Gap: Expectations and Experiences of Clients Utilizing Job-Training Services in a Social Enterprise
    (Wiley, 2015-06-01) Walk, Marlene; Greenspan, Itay; Crossley, Honey; Handy, Femida; School of Public and Environmental Affairs, IUPUI
    This paper offers an underexplored perspective of social impact assessment by integrating clients’ evaluation of the impact of job-training and skills-building programs. Drawing on the literature of ‘met expectations’, we investigate the personal and social impact, beyond job placement, of job-training and skills-building programs provided by a Canadian social enterprise from the perspective of the clients. Utilizing data from a pre-test/post-test quasi-experiment, we assess the differences, between program participants as compared to a control group of nonparticipants, on several measures. Findings illuminate the gap between expectations and actual experiences, and point to the importance of integrating the clients’ perspective. Such measures enable leaders of social enterprises to account for the often neglected intangibles of their social missions.