Thesis (MBus) -- Auckland University of Technology, 2003. / Also held in print (75 leaves, 30cm.) in Wellesley Theses Collection (T 658.800993 HAR)

Thesis (M.A.)--Baylor University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-96).

Social enterprises (SEs) are playing an increasingly important role in fostering a more sustainable and equitable society around the world. Previous studies have suggested that developing capabilities to manage knowledge is a key driver of an SE's success (Domenico et al., 2010; Guclu et al., 2002; Tracey et al., 2011). An SE operates much like a business, but manages operations and directs its surpluses towards the pursuit of social goals (Austin et al., 2006; Dart, 2004; Dees, 2001; Granados et al., 2011; Mair & Marti, 2006; Nicholls, 2006) in an unstable or unpredictable market (Jaworski & Kohli, 1993; Mair & Marti, 2009; Nicholls, 2010; Sharir & Lerner, 2006). When the market is highly turbulent, customers' product expectations and preferences change over time. In such a situation, an SE has to pay more attention to the development of high-quality new innovative products and solutions that satisfy the social needs of specific customer segments, including underprivileged groups and socially responsible consumers, thereby more effectively addressing societal problems in a sustainable way. Indeed, the question of how absorptive capacity contributes to an SE's financial and social return is largely under-researched (Dacin et al., 2011; Granados et al., 2011; Haugh, 2005). Drawing on the dynamic capabilities perspective, this study proposes a research model in which absorptive capacity affects an SE's firm performance in both financial and social terms via marketing capabilities. It advances the existing SE-related literature by investigating the mediating role of marketing capabilities in the relationship between absorptive capacity and firm performance in the context of SEs. Also, market turbulence is theorized to moderate the relationship between marketing capabilities and performance. To perform this study, I collected data using questionnaires based on a list generated randomly from the database of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service SE Directory, and the contacts obtained from other sources such as Fullness Social Enterprises Society and the Workforce Development Agency, Ministry of Labour Taiwan. The data collection was performed over an eight-month period, with 109 valid responses being collected for this study. Multiple regression and a bootstrapping approach were used to test the hypotheses. The results provide support for most of the proposed hypotheses. Specifically, an SE's absorptive capacity is positively related to its marketing capabilities. Likewise, an SE's marketing capabilities are positively linked to its financial performance. In addition, an SE's marketing capabilities mediate the relationship between its absorptive capacity and its financial performance. Furthermore, the results show a positive moderating role of market turbulence in an SE's marketing capabilities-financial performance relationship. In summary, this study lends support to previous studies that show dynamic capabilities do not necessarily result in better financial performance directly in the context of SEs. It contributes to unpacking the black box of the absorptive capacity-financial performance relationship, and it shows that an SE's marketing capabilities play an important role as an underlying mediation mechanism. It also extends and contributes to the social enterprises literature by revealing the mediating role of marketing capabilities between absorptive capacity and financial performance, and the moderating effect of market turbulence on the relationship between marketing capabilities and financial performance in the context of SEs.

The goal of this work is to design principles of implementation and operation of the social network for a particular non-profit organization. The structure of this work is divided into several steps. The first part is applied to the theory of social network I focus on social network which are used in the Czech Republic and users of social networks. In the next part I describe the nongovernmental organizations, their environment and the ways of getting resources. The most important part is the analysis of the technological environment, where are mentioned the reasons for the implementation of the social networks for the nongovernmental organizations. Other important parts are the principles of fundraising, a principle that nongovernmental organizations should follow when contacting potentional donors. Another part is applied to the analysis of the activities of five selected nongovernmental organizations or their program on social networks. It also includes evaluation of communication nongovernmental organization on social networks with a potentional donor or volunteer. In the following section I analyze in detail the work program of the Hestia and their activities on the social network. In the chapter is also analysis of the main account on the social network Facebook. The last part is the design of social network for program of the non-profit organization. This part is very inspired by the work of the previous chapters.

No description available.

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the welfare field play a significant role in the national economy. They provide not only care, but also employment to a large component of the population. Therefore, their existence and well-being serve a social as well as an economic purpose. Various changes globally as well as in South Africa, affect the world in which NPOs function. They have to assess the impact of these changes on their operations and implement new strategies to survive and flourish. One of the challenges faced by NPOs is how to differentiate and promote themselves in such a way that it allows them to compete effectively for scarce resources but at the same time remain true to their core mission and values. The concept of branding, to create a lasting and positive impression in the consumer's mind, is one strategy NPOs can pursue to create distinction and competitive advantage. This study was undertaken to determine whether a specific re-branding exercise undertaken by Rand Aid Association during 2005/2006 has had a positive effect on its services and the financial viability of the organization. The results show that the. re-branding exercise has had a significant positive impact on the way the organization implemented and achieved a critical strategic objective, namely the development and sale of a new retirement village. It also made staff more aware of the brand and assisted the organization in obtaining greater clarity on the different businesses it pursues. However, the study also shows that the implementation of a brand orientation holds particular challenges. Many of the challenges are tied to the particular nature of the organization, such as a lack of human and financial resources and the difficulty in justifying expenditure on marketing above allocating these resources to meeting customer needs. Time, knowledge and money constraints also impacted on the process that was followed and on involving staff at all levels. In addition, the diversity of the services and target groups in the organization's portfolio made it very difficult to reach agreement on the true values and essence of the organization. This affected a clear and common understanding of the identity and meaning of the RAA brand. It is recommended that NPOs begin the brand orientation process by developing a clear focus on what the organization stands for and what it aims to deliver. An in-depth examination of the vision, purpose, values and underlying philosophies of the organization is essential. These must be clearly identified and internalized by all staff in order to develop a shared understanding of the brand and work towards consistency in delivering the brand promise. NPOs should realize that staff is one of the most important audiences for branding efforts as they determine the image and ultimately the reputation and continued existence of the organization. Internalization starts with recruiting employees whose values will support the brand, training them to understand and deliver the brand promise and fostering a culture that reinforces positive brand behaviour. NPOs can enhance their brands by utilizing their unique opportunities to develop close and warm relationships with consumers. One of the best ways to differentiate their services is through the relationships they offer and through their responsiveness to changing needs. Many NPOs also depend on word-of-mouth communication to promote their services and build their reputation, therefore conscious and concerted efforts to enhance relationships with existing customers should receive a high priority. Finally, it was evident that NPOs should be aware of and plan for the time, money and effort it will take to develop a brand orientation. Branding cannot be practiced as a once-off event nor do shortcuts pay in the long term. In particular, NPOs should remember that the development of a logo, corporate colours and brochures are the output of the process and not the starting point. The ultimate aim should be to achieve consistency across all points of contact with customers and to ensure that these are in line with the brand promise. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / M.B.L.

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the welfare field play a significant role in the national economy. They provide not only care, but also employment to a large component of the population. Therefore, their existence and well-being serve a social as well as an economic purpose. Various changes globally as well as in South Africa, affect the world in which NPOs function. They have to assess the impact of these changes on their operations and implement new strategies to survive and flourish. One of the challenges faced by NPOs is how to differentiate and promote themselves in such a way that it allows them to compete effectively for scarce resources but at the same time remain true to their core mission and values. The concept of branding, to create a lasting and positive impression in the consumer's mind, is one strategy NPOs can pursue to create distinction and competitive advantage. This study was undertaken to determine whether a specific re-branding exercise undertaken by Rand Aid Association during 2005/2006 has had a positive effect on its services and the financial viability of the organization. The results show that the. re-branding exercise has had a significant positive impact on the way the organization implemented and achieved a critical strategic objective, namely the development and sale of a new retirement village. It also made staff more aware of the brand and assisted the organization in obtaining greater clarity on the different businesses it pursues. However, the study also shows that the implementation of a brand orientation holds particular challenges. Many of the challenges are tied to the particular nature of the organization, such as a lack of human and financial resources and the difficulty in justifying expenditure on marketing above allocating these resources to meeting customer needs. Time, knowledge and money constraints also impacted on the process that was followed and on involving staff at all levels. In addition, the diversity of the services and target groups in the organization's portfolio made it very difficult to reach agreement on the true values and essence of the organization. This affected a clear and common understanding of the identity and meaning of the RAA brand. It is recommended that NPOs begin the brand orientation process by developing a clear focus on what the organization stands for and what it aims to deliver. An in-depth examination of the vision, purpose, values and underlying philosophies of the organization is essential. These must be clearly identified and internalized by all staff in order to develop a shared understanding of the brand and work towards consistency in delivering the brand promise. NPOs should realize that staff is one of the most important audiences for branding efforts as they determine the image and ultimately the reputation and continued existence of the organization. Internalization starts with recruiting employees whose values will support the brand, training them to understand and deliver the brand promise and fostering a culture that reinforces positive brand behaviour. NPOs can enhance their brands by utilizing their unique opportunities to develop close and warm relationships with consumers. One of the best ways to differentiate their services is through the relationships they offer and through their responsiveness to changing needs. Many NPOs also depend on word-of-mouth communication to promote their services and build their reputation, therefore conscious and concerted efforts to enhance relationships with existing customers should receive a high priority. Finally, it was evident that NPOs should be aware of and plan for the time, money and effort it will take to develop a brand orientation. Branding cannot be practiced as a once-off event nor do shortcuts pay in the long term. In particular, NPOs should remember that the development of a logo, corporate colours and brochures are the output of the process and not the starting point. The ultimate aim should be to achieve consistency across all points of contact with customers and to ensure that these are in line with the brand promise. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / M.B.L.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed May 28, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-59)

In its first part, the thesis theoretically discusses the issue of planning the establishment of an organisation, by presenting the successive steps of business planning as reflected in the literature. The organisation's strategic planning process is presented first, and then the marketing, personnel, financial and legislative planning processes. The practical part of the work then practically applies these expert recommendations when planning the creation of a specific organization in the form of a strategic and business plan for the establishment of a non-profit patient organization supporting people with migraine and their loved ones bearing the name Migraine-help, z.s. Key words Business plan, patient organisation, nonprofit organisation, planning, strategy, marketing, PR, financial management, migraine.

This thesis deals with the internal HR marketing strategy in the Salesian Youth Center - Center for Children and Youth in České Budějovice. The theoretical part deals with topics like volunteers, volunteer motivation, personal marketing and personal marketing strategies in non-profit organizations. It provides personal marketing strategy in the certain organization and tries to make possible improvements to the current strategy by the qualitative research. The qualitative research was conducted by using semi-structured interviews with volunteers.