Bridging the Gap: How do EU-Based Civil Society Organisations Acquire Their Internal Representation?

Johansson, Håkan; Lindellee, Jayeon

doi:10.1007/s11266-012-9343-4

Cited by 30 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…This also explains why groups with political capacities are able to provide a combination of both types of information, which, ultimately, may allow more efficient lobbying through the provision of different types of information. A potential explanation is that groups do not only learn about preferences when they interact with their members and supporters but also gather policy relevant expert information (Wright, 1996;Johansson and Lee, 2014;Albareda, 2018). Hence, close interactions with citizens and knowledge on public preferences seem to be valuable resources for an interest group that can be used for providing information to policymakers.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The costs of interest representation – a resource perspective on informational lobbying

Flöthe

2019

Eur. Pol. Sci. Rev.

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While expert information and information on public preferences are seen as key resources that interest groups provide to policymakers, little is known about the resources that are necessary to acquire such information. Existing scholarship argues that financial resources enhance a group’s ability to supply information, which could be problematic as it suggests that resource poor groups are disadvantaged when lobbying policymakers. Applying a resource perspective to informational lobbying, this paper argues that different information types require different resources and that financial means are less important than assumed. The predictions are tested using a new dataset and survey of 383 advocates active on 50 specific policy issues in five West European countries. The results show that while economic resources are indeed associated with a higher amount of expert information, political capacities allow a group to provide both expert information and information on public preferences. This suggests that groups can rely on other than economic resources for information provision.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The costs of interest representation – a resource perspective on informational lobbying

Flöthe

2019

Eur. Pol. Sci. Rev.

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“…Despite these inducements to actively involve members, previous work has demonstrated that CSOs engage with members to different degrees and that organizations have different representation strategies (Johansson and Lee 2014). Some CSOs are structured to actively involve their members, gather their opinions and preferences, and act accordingly.…”

Section: Member Involvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connecting Society and Policymakers? Conceptualizing and Measuring the Capacity of Civil Society Organizations to Act as Transmission Belts

Albareda

2018

Voluntas

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Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are considered important intermediaries between citizens and policymakers. They are assumed to function as transmission belts that filter societal preferences and channel them to policymakers. Although the ability of CSOs to connect civil society with policymakers has been put into question, it has rarely been theoretically specified and empirically tested. This paper develops a conceptualization of CSOs that examines their capacity to function as transmission belts. It does so by distinguishing two organizational dimensions related to member involvement and organizational capacity. The paper draws on a large survey of CSOs active at the EU to empirically assess these organizational dimensions and relate them to basic CSOs' characteristics. The findings indicate that one out of three organizations approximates the ideal-type transmission belt. The findings contribute to a better understanding and assessment of CSO's potential contribution to policy-making in representative democracies.

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“…Hence, they may trust the organization staff to be competent and not need their volunteering related to approving documents. With higher member expectations associated with higher fees, a managerial priority may be to reduce volunteer burdens on members, especially if the executive director is experienced (Dym and Hutson ; Johansson and Lee ).…”

Section: Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Locations of Decision Makers in Membership Organizations

AbouAssi

Tschirhart

Makhlouf

2017

Nonprofit Mgmnt & Ldrshp

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Few studies have theorized and empirically tested variation in location of decision making in NGOs and relationship of decision location choices to accountability dimensions. Using a sample of Lebanese NGOs legally registered as membership organizations, we examine if their budget size and level of member dues, along with dependence on donors interested in democratic governance, predict who participates in their decision-making process through involvement in preparing and formally approving the annual budget, financial records, and work plan. Our study reveals the reality of shared leadership in these organizations and suggests the value of considering the location of decision making for NGO leaders and the government regulators and funders who wish to encourage democratic processes within membership organizations.

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Bridging the Gap: How do EU-Based Civil Society Organisations Acquire Their Internal Representation?

Cited by 30 publications

References 17 publications

The costs of interest representation – a resource perspective on informational lobbying

The costs of interest representation – a resource perspective on informational lobbying

Connecting Society and Policymakers? Conceptualizing and Measuring the Capacity of Civil Society Organizations to Act as Transmission Belts

Locations of Decision Makers in Membership Organizations

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