Relational Work and its Pitfalls: Nonprofits’ Participation in Government-Sponsored Voluntary Accreditation
Abstract
Why do nonprofits voluntarily participate in government-sponsored accreditation? This article examines how government agencies use informal relational work to encourage regulatory participation. Interviews and survey data from a random sample of 203 nonprofits in Shenzhen show that politically embedded organizations are more likely to participate. Agencies recruit through existing regulatory networks and use organizational and personal relationships to persuade or cajole nonprofits. This targeted approach facilitates participation among some organizations while discouraging others, producing responses more complex than simple acceptance or resistance and making the participating pool less representative of the nonprofit sector.
Summary
Research Question
How does government relational work influence nonprofits’ decisions to participate in a formally voluntary accreditation program?
Main Argument and Findings
Political embeddedness strongly shapes participation. Government agencies recruit through existing regulatory ties and personal relationships, so outreach is concentrated among nonprofits already connected to the state. Persuasion and cajoling can encourage some organizations while deterring others.
Data and Methods
A mixed-method study combining interviews with survey data from a random sample of 203 nonprofit organizations in Shenzhen.
Contribution
The article shows that implementation of voluntary regulation depends on informal relationships as well as formal program design. It also identifies a central pitfall: relational recruitment can increase participation while narrowing which organizations are represented.
Keywords
relational work · nonprofit organizations · voluntary accreditation · regulatory participation · political embeddedness · government–nonprofit relations · Shenzhen · public administration