Resource Dependence and Government-ngo Relationship in China
In: The China Nonprofit ReviewSearch for other papers by Qun Wang in
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Search for other papers by Yanran Yao in
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As the civil society and corporatism theories have been frequently challenged recently, alternative theories emerged to investigate the government-ngo relationship in China. Some new theories are largely related to resource dependence or share core ideas with it. This paper conducts a comprehensive review of the resource dependence theory. It identifies four groups of variables (organizational characteristics, board of directors, attitude and value, and external environment), finds support for their relevance from both Western and China scholarship, and applies them to the Chinese context. The resource dependence theory has the potential of empirically examining the relationship without over-focusing on the state or society. It is capable of explaining the dynamic and diverse relationships between the government and various ngos in China.
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1
Lester M. Salamon, “The Rise of the Nonprofit Sector,” Foreign Affairs, 73.4 (1994): 109-122.
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Jessica C. Teets, “Let Many Civil Societies Bloom: The Rise of Consultative Authoritarianism in China,” The China Quarterly, 213 (2013): 19-38.
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Carolyn L. Hsu and Yuzhou Jiang, “An Institutional Approach to Chinese NGOs: State Alliance versus State Avoidance Resource Strategies,” The China Quarterly, 221 (2015): 100-122.
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Ibid., Carolyn L. Hsu and Yuzhou Jiang (2015).
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Carolyn L. Hsu, “Beyond Civil Society: An Organizational Perspective on State–NGO Relations in the People’s Republic of China,” Journal of Civil Society, 6.3 (2010): 259-277.
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Yiyi Lu, Non-Governmental Organizations in China (New York: Routledge, 2009).
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Anthony J. Spires, “Contingent Symbiosis and Civil Society in an Authoritarian State: Understanding the Survival of China’s Grassroots NGOs,” American Journal of Sociology, 117.1 (2011): 1-45.
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9
Ibid. Christopher Earle Nevitt, “Private Business Associations in China: Evidence of Civil Society or Local State Power?” The China Journal, 36 (1996): 25-43. Ibid., Jessica C. Teets (2013).
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E.g. Anita Chan, “Revolution or Corporatism? Workers and Trade Union in Post-Mao China,” The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs, 29 (1993): 31-61. Margaret Pearson, “The Janus Face of Business Association in China: Socialist Corporatism in Foreign Enterprises,” The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs, 31 (1994): 25-46. Jonathan Unger and Anita Chan, “China, Corporatism and the East Asian Model,” The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs, 33 (1995): 29-53.
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Ibid., Jessica C. Teets (2013).
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Ibid., Anthony J. Spires (2011).
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Ibid., Yiyi Lu (2009). Ibid., Jessica C. Teets (2013). Ibid., Carolyn L. Hsu and Yuzhou Jiang (2015).
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Tony Saich, “Negotiating the State: The Development of Social organizations in China,” The China Quarterly, 161 (2000): 124-141.
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Guosheng Deng, “The Hidden Rules Governing China’s Unregistered NGOs: Management and Consequences,” China Review, 10.1 (2010): 183-206.
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Elizabeth J. Perry, “Trends in the Study of Chinese Politics: State-Society Relations,” The China Quarterly, 139 (1994): 704-713.
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Ibid., Anthony J. Spires (2011).
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Ibid., Yiyi Lu (2009).
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Ibid., Jessica C. Teets (2013).
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Ibid., Carolyn L. Hsu (2010). Ibid., Carolyn L. Hsu and Yuzhou Jiang (2015).
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Howard E. Aldrich and Jeffrey Pfeffer, “Environments of Organizations,” Annual Review of Sociology, 2 (1976): 79-105.
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Jeffrey Pfeffer and Gerald R. Salancik, The External Control of Organizations: A Resource Dependence Perspective (New York: Harper and Row, 1978).
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Deanna Malatesta and Craig R. Smith, “Lessons from Resource Dependence Theory for Contemporary Public and Nonprofit Management,” Public Administration Review, 74.1. (2014): 14-25.
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Karen Froelich, “Diversification of Revenue Strategies: Evolving Resource Dependence in Nonprofit Organizations,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 28.3 (1999): 246-268.
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Sungsook Cho and David F. Gillespie, “A Conceptual Model Exploring the Dynamics of Government-Nonprofit Service Delivery,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 35.3 (2006): 493-509.
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Judith R. Saidel, “Dimensions of Interdependence: The State and Voluntary-Sector Relationship,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 18.4 (1989): 335-347.
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E.g. Beth Gazley and Jeffry L. Brudney, “The Purpose (and Perils) of Government-Nonprofit Partnership,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 36.3 (2007): 389-415. Beth Gazley, “Why Not Partner With Local Government? Nonprofit Managerial Perceptions of Collaborative Disadvantage,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 39.1 (2010): 51-76.
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Mary K. Foster and Agnes G. Meinhard, “A Regression Model Explaining Predisposition to Collaborate” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 31.4 (2002a): 549-564.
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Ibid., Beth Gazley (2010).
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Wolfgang Bielefeld, “What Affects Nonprofit Survival?” Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 5.1 (1994): 19-36.
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Reza Hasmath and Jennifer Y.J. Hsu, “Isomorphic Pressures, Epistemic Communities and State-NGO Collaboration in China,” The China Quarterly, 220 (2014): 936-954.
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Soonhee Kim and Hyangsoo Lee, “The Impact of Organizational Context and Information Technology on Employee Knowledge-Sharing Capabilities,” Public Administration Review, 663. (2006): 370-385.
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Ibid., Beth Gazley (2010).
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Ibid., Judith R. Saidel (1989).
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Ibid., Carolyn L. Hsu (2010). Ibid., Carolyn L. Hsu and Yuzhou Jiang (2015).
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Changdong Zhang, “Non-Governmental Organisations’ Policy Advocacy in China: Resources, Government Intention and Network,” China: An International Journal, 13.1 (2015): 181-199.
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49
Ibid., Carolyn L. Hsu (2010). Ibid., Carolyn L. Hsu and Yuzhou Jiang (2015).
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Ibid., Guobin Yang (2005).
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Ibid., Carolyn L. Hsu and Yuzhou Jiang (2015).
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Arthur C. Brooks, “Is There a Dark Side to Government Support for Nonprofits?” Public Administration Review, 60.3 (2000): 211-218. Chao Guo and Muhittin Acar, “Understanding Collaboration Among Nonprofit Organizations: Combining Resource Dependency, Institutional, and Network Perspectives,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 34.3 (2005): 340-361. Chao Guo, “When Government Becomes the Principal Philanthropist: The Effects of Public Funding on Patterns of Nonprofit Governance,” Public Administration Review, 67.3 (2007): 458-473.
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55
Ibid., Chao Guo and Muhittin Acar (2005).
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57
Ibid., Anthony J. Spires (2011).
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59
Christine Oliver, “Determinants of Interorganizational Relationships: Integration and Future Directions,” The Academy of Management Review, 15.2 (1990): 241-265.
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Ying Xu and Ngan-Pun Ngai, “Moral Resources and Political Capital: Theorizing the Relationship between Voluntary Service Organizations and the Development of Civil Society in China,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 40.2 (2009): 247-269.
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61
Ibid., Guosheng Deng (2010). Xiaoguang Kang, and Han Heng, “Graduated Controls: The State-Society Relationship in Contemporary China,” Modern China, 34.1 (2008): 36-55.
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Yushan Xu, “Unsymmetrical Dependence: Study on the Relationship between Foundations and Government in China,” Journal of Public Management, 5(1) (2008): 33-40. (Originally in Chinese: 徐宇珊, “非对称性依赖: 中国基金会与政府关系研究,” 公共管理学报). Wanqiang Xu, “Government and Charitable Organizations Relationship from the Resource Dependence Perspective,” Journal of Huazhong Normal University (Humanities and Social Sciences), 51.3 (2012): 14-19. (Originally in Chinese: 徐顽强, “资源依赖视域下政府与慈善组织关系研究,” 华中师范大学学报: 人文社会科学版). Shizong Wang, Chengcheng Song and Lu Xu, “Institutional Analysis of the Multi-Layered Character of Chinese Social Organizations,” Social Sciences in China, 12 (2014): 42-59. (Originally in Chinese: 王诗宗, 宋程成, 许鹿, “中国社会组织多重特征的机制性分析,” 中国社会科学).
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65
Ibid., Wolfgang Bielefeld (1994).
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Fred C. White, “Trade-off in Growth and Stability in State Taxes,” National Tax Journal, 36.1 (1983): 103-114.
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Jeffrey Pfeffer and Anthony Leong, “Resource Allocation in United Funds: Examination of Power and Dependence,” Social Forces, 55 (1977): 775-790.
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Mary K. Foster and Agnes G. Meinhard, “A Contingency View of the Responses of Voluntary Social Service Organizations in Ontario to Government Cutbacks,” Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 19.1 (2002b): 27-41.
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Xin Zhang and Richard Baum, “Civil Society and the Anatomy of a Rural NGO,” The China Quarterly, 52 (2004): 97-107.
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Xuenan Li, “The Political Behavior, Influence and Resource Dependence of Industrial Associations: An Empirical Research Based in Shanghai,” Journal of Tianjin Administration Institute, 16.2 (2014): 43-49. (Originally in Chinese: 李学楠, “行业协会的政治行为方式、影响力与资源依赖—基于上海市的实证分析,” 天津行政学院学报).
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Jeffery Pfeffer, “Mergers as a Response to Organizational Interdependence,” Administrative Science Quarterly, 17.3 (1972): 382-294.
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Noel Hyndman and Paul McDonnell, “Governance and Charities: An Exploration of Key Themes and the Development of a Research Agenda,” Financial Accountability and Management, 25.1 (2009): 5-31.
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David E. Olson, “Agency Theory in the Not-for-Profit Sector: Its Role at Independent Colleges,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 29.2 (2000): 280-296.
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84
Ibid., Chao Guo (2007).
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86
Sharon L. Harlan and Judith R. Saidel, “Board Members’ Influence on the Government-Nonprofit Relationship,” Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 5.2 (1994): 173-196.
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88
Robert D. Herman and F. Peter Tulipana, “Board-Staff Relations and Perceived Effectiveness in Nonprofit Organizations,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 14.4 (1985): 48-59.
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89
Ibid., Chao Guo (2007).
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91
Ibid., Chao Guo (2007).
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100
Kegao Yan, “An Empirical Study on Relations Between Organizational Characteristics, Environment and Board Size: The Case of Chinese Foundations,” Journal of Hunan University (Social Sciences), 28.2 (2014): 64-69. (Originally in Chinese: 颜克高, “组织特征, 资源环境与理事会规模: 来自我国基金会的经验证据,” 湖南大学学报: 社会科学版).
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102
Sherrie Human and Keith G. Provan, “An Emergent Theory of Structure and Outcomes in Small-Firm Strategic Manufacturing Networks,” Academy of Management Journal, 40.2 (1997): 368-403.
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103
Ibid., Chao Guo and Muhittin Acar (2005).
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106
Celine Buchs and Fabrizio Butera, “Is a Partner’s Competence Threatening during Dyadic Cooperative Work? It Depends on Resource Dependence,” European Journal of Psychology of Education, 24.2 (2009): 145-154.
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107
Dale. E. Zand, “Trust And Managerial Problem Solving,” Administrative Science Quarterly, 17.2 (1972): 229-239. Akbar Zaheer and N. Venkat Venkatraman, “Relational Governance as an Interorganizational Strategy: An Empirical Test of the Role of Trust in Economic Exchange,” Strategic Management Journal, 16.5 (1995): 373-392.
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109
Ibid., Yuanzhu Ding (2008).
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112
Lester M. Salamon, “Of Market Failure, Voluntary Failure, and Third-Party Government: Toward a Theory of Government-Nonprofit Relations in the Modern Welfare State,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 16.1-2 (1987): 29-49. Derick W. Brinkerhoff, “Exploring State–Civil Society Collaboration: Policy Partnerships in Developing Countries,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 28.4 Supplement (1999): 59-86.
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113
Ibid., Chao Guo and Muhittin Acar (2005).
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115
Taieb Hafsi and Howard Thomas, “Strategic Management and Change in High Dependency Environments: The Case of a Philanthropic Organization,” Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 16.4 (2005): 329-351.
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116
Ibid., Beth Gazley and Jeffry L. Brudney (2007).
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119
Shizong Wang and Chengcheng Song, “Independence or Autonomy: A Reflection on the Characteristics of Chinese Social Organizations,” Social Sciences in China, 5 (2013): 50-66. (Originally in Chinese: 王诗宗, 宋程成, “独立抑或自主: 中国社会组织特征问题重思,” 中国社会科学).
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120
Ibid., Yiyi Lu (2009). Ibid., Jessica C. Teets (2013).
-
123
Ibid., Taieb Hafsi and Howard Thomas (2005).
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125
Robert D. Putnam, Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1993).
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126
Gregory D. Saxton and Michelle A. Benson, “Social Capital and the Growth of the Nonprofit Sector,” Social Science Quarterly, 86.1 (2005): 16-35.
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128
Ibid., Christopher Earle Nevitt (1996).
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129
Julia Kwong, “Educating Migrant Children: Negotiations between the State and Civil Society,” The China Quarterly, 180 (2004): 1073-1088.
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132
Jessica C. Teets, “The Evolution of Civil Society in Yunnan Province: Contending Models of Civil Society Management in China,” Journal of Contemporary China, 24.91 (2015): 158-175.
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135
David Ulrich and Jay B. Barney, “Perspectives in Organizations: Resource Dependence, Efficiency, and Population,” The Academy of Management Review, 9.3 (1984): 471-481.
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137
Ibid., Chao Guo and Muhittin Acar (2005).
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Resource Dependence and Government-ngo Relationship in China
In: The China Nonprofit ReviewSearch for other papers by Qun Wang in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yanran Yao in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
As the civil society and corporatism theories have been frequently challenged recently, alternative theories emerged to investigate the government-ngo relationship in China. Some new theories are largely related to resource dependence or share core ideas with it. This paper conducts a comprehensive review of the resource dependence theory. It identifies four groups of variables (organizational characteristics, board of directors, attitude and value, and external environment), finds support for their relevance from both Western and China scholarship, and applies them to the Chinese context. The resource dependence theory has the potential of empirically examining the relationship without over-focusing on the state or society. It is capable of explaining the dynamic and diverse relationships between the government and various ngos in China.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1766 | 480 | 36 |
| Full Text Views | 277 | 18 | 5 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 172 | 27 | 6 |
