NURTURING INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS TO INCREASE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The study adopts a network perspective to develop a conceptual model that proposes several hypotheses to examine the role of inter-organizational relationships with different stakeholders (funders/donors, other social organizations, government institutions) in the process of resources’ mobilization for social organizations and the impacts on the social and economic performance.

The research uses primary data collected from the managers of social organisations and applies structural equation modelling, to test the hypotheses of the base model. The results indicate that the governance of inter-organizational relationships determines the process of resources’ mobilization and, consequently, enhances the social and economic performance of the social organizations.

The findings suggest that our understanding of the process of resources acquisition by social organizations could be enriched by integrating the network perspective into the specific context of social management.