Cross-Sector Social Partnerships for Social Change: The Roles of Non-Governmental Organizations

Abstract

Abstract:Complex social and environmental issues call for broader collaboration across different sectors so as to instigate transformative social change. While previous scholars have emphasized the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in facilitating social change, they have not provided a nuanced assessment of NGOs' different roles. We use the Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario (PEPSO) research partnership as a study case and explore NGO partners' different roles in a large cross-sector social partnership (CSSP). By interviewing 12 NGO partners and 4 non-NGO partners involved in the PEPSO research partnership, our research results show that NGOs primarily have 10 roles in a CSSP. They include enabling roles such as consultant, capacity builder, analyst, and funder; coordinating roles such as broker and communicator; and facilitating roles such as initiator, leader, advocate, and monitor. These roles allow NGOs to fulfil their duties to make substantial contributions to a CSSP.

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“…A range of CSPfS have emerged to address the evolving nature of social problems [44], the extent [45,46] and complexity of social and environmental issues [46,47], and the failure of actions from isolated governments [6][7][8] and social sector organizations [8]. In fact, CSPfS have been promoted as "social problem-solving mechanism among organizations" [48] (p. 79).…”

“…On one side, governments find an alternative way to produce public goods-a typically governmental prerogative-by involving firms [57] and social sector organizations [58]. On other side, firms-especially large corporations-find a way to generate a "long-term competitive advantage" [43] (p.2), while social sector organizations gain ways to finance social issues [46]. In fact, Kolk et al [59] found that CSPfS produced effects at three different levels: macro level, meso level, and micro level.…”

“…Specifically, social sector organizations, because of the wide knowledge of social problems, may play a relevant role in market and beneficiary identification or may support the legitimacy in a civil society [60]. More in depth, Yan et al [46] reviewed the role of NGOs in CSPfS and grouped them into three main classes: enabling roles (service provider, capacity builder, and consultant), coordinating roles (bridge and mediator), and change-facilitating roles (initiator, convener, advocate, leader, and innovator).…”

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“…As such, the role of NPOs has changed, and increasingly, these organizations are initiating CSPs together with business actors, in which they can play a variety of important roles, such as convener or facilitator [46]. Working in CSPs implies that businesses have to develop a broader perspective of a more inclusive supply chain that also includes competitors and 'non-traditional' supply chain actors such as NPOs [40], inevitably leading to multi-actor CSPs and 'cross-level dynamics' among its stakeholders [16].…”

Antecedents of Relationship Learning in Business-Non-Profit Organization Collaboration Agreements

“…In this sense, the Cross-Sector Social Partnerships, and in particular, the collaborative relationships between corporations and non-profit organizations (NPOs) in the development of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies, have become widely accepted by both types of organizations to work together [3][4][5] in order to confront difficult problems [6,7]. An example of a collaboration agreement created to deal with this type of problem was the social cooperation between the business Unilever and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), aimed at the creation of an ecologically sensitive brand with the objective of helping guarantee the sustainability and integrity of the marine ecosystem.…”