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Latest issue of the ERNOP Research Notes

The research notes are published quarterly. Previous editions can be found at the Member Portal.

Issue VI: March 2024

A particular type of intervention

Author(s): Georg Mildenberger –  Heidelberg University, Center for Social Investment | Gudrun-Christine Schimpf – Heidelberg University, Center for Social Investment  |Jürgen Streicher  – Joanneum Research, Institute for Economic, Social and Innovation Research 

Provided by: Alina Porumb from the Association for the Practice of Transformation – Inspire Change.

The problems we are facing today, such as climate degradation, energy shortages, increasing inequality, and demographic change, require new approaches and far-reaching changes. Technology innovation can help address them, but we cannot rely on technology alone, we also need social innovation (SI) – new ideas, paths, and measures for dealing with society challenges – as a driver of society change. In comparison to technology assessments, research about the SI impacts is in its early stages. New concepts are needed to better record and evaluate SI effects, especially on the systemic and society level, and to develop standards for the assessment process.

Author(s): Caroline Graf, VU Amsterdam & Sanquin Research| Bianca Suanet, VU Amsterdam | Pamala Wiepking, VU Amsterdam & Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis | Eva-Maria Merz, VU Amsterdam & Sanquin Research

Provided by: Zeryihun Kassa from Kingston University.

This research paper explores the determinants of prosocial behaviour and the role of incentives and social norms for individuals’ willingness to contribute to public goods. Traditional economic theories suggest that offering incentives can effectively motivate prosocial actions. However, empirical studies reveal a paradoxical pattern where incentives sometimes fail to influence or even diminish prosocial behaviour. The paper introduces a novel approach to understanding these inconsistent effects of incentives by integrating social norms into a formal model of prosocial behaviour. The authors propose a comprehensive model that retains the signalling aspects of image-based theories while accounting for contextual variation in behaviour.

Author(s): Beth Breeze – University of Kent | Pamala Wiepking – Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Provided by: Elisabetta Gazzola

This research presents a qualitative study of shop floor employees’ experience with, and involvement in, CP decision-making related to fundraising in the workplace. The authors focus on the following questions: How are lower level employees involved in decisions related to CP? What are the criteria involved when lower level employees make CP decisions, in particular in relation to the selection of charitable beneficiaries? And which CP decisions and activities are most likely to improve employee morale and foster other corporate and social goals?

Author(s): Georg von Schnurbein – University of Basel | Oto Potluka – University of Basel | Anne Mayer – University of Basel
Provided by: Caroline Broadhurst from The Rank Foundation

The success factors that create effective social innovation in an urban context is contested with two different schools of thought and approaches; the systemic approach, which accounts for the social practices and subsequent changes as a result of the innovation; and the pragmatic approach, which follows a well-trodden planning process, which focuses on creating solutions to a defined social problem. What conditions enable successful social innovations to emerge from collaborative processes in urban development?

Author(s): Roger Bennett – Kingston University | Rohini Vijaygopal – Open University | Rita Kottasz – Kingston University
Provided by: Vuk Vukovic from KU Leuven

This study helps us understand why some people donate to food banks and why others do not. It is valuable for food bank managers who want to create effective promotional campaigns. The authors suggested that people’s own beliefs and their perception of food bank users are the key factors in deciding whether to donate.

Author(s): Jamie Levine Daniel – Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University | Galia Feit –  Institute for Law and Philanthropy, Tel Aviv University | Osnat Hazan – Institute for Law and Philanthropy, Tel Aviv University
Provided by: Jonathan Gunson

An understudied aspect of research surrounding cross-border philanthropy regards the transfers between organizations in one country to those in a second in a way demonstrating scope but which also provides details about the characteristics of the flow. Big data may be one such way to help track this information. The authors design a study that aims to capture flows of cross-border philanthropy focusing on remittances from the US to Israel.

Author(s): Janis Petzinger – University of St. Andrews| Tobias Jung – University of St. Andrews  | Kevin Orr – University of St. Andrews
Provided by: Raquel Campos Franco from Universidade Católica Portuguesa

This article offers a critical examination of how foundations shape global policy and introduces a theoretical framework to analyse their influence in this domain. The key question can be expressed as follows: ‘How do philanthropic foundations influence the global policy arena?’ The authors conclude that the work of foundations in the global policy arena, which is fluid but influential, dampens the influence of external. This should remind scholars of the relevance of exploring the potential promises and problems of philanthropy’s role in policy shaping.

Author(s): Isabel de Bruin Cardoso – Erasmus University | Allison R. Russell – The University of Texas at Dallas | Muel Kaptein – Erasmus University | Lucas Meijs – Erasmus University
Provided by: Anna-Leah Gebühr from UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe e.V.

The objective of this article is to understand – through generating empirical evidence – how the NGO halo effect, i.e. the inflation of moral goodness in NGOs, can explain unethical behaviour. The key question of this article is whether people in NGOs glorify their mission, morals, and people, and if so, how this glorification can explain NGO unethical behaviour. The authors conclude that the NGO halo effect exists, that there are three mechanisms that can explain unethical behaviour.

Author(s): Arthur Gautier – ESSEC Business School | Anne-Claire Pache –  ESSEC Business School| Filipe Santos, Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Provided by: Martin Löfman from The Association of Finnish Foundations

The articles’ aim is to uncover how individuals respond to the hybrid practice of Impact Investing based on their prior experiences with the logics of philanthropy and finance. The article unveils important information for practitioners in a time when philanthropic actors seek to increase the impact of their funding, while Impact Investing has emerged as a possible alternative to traditional giving by blending financial mechanisms and philanthropic purpose.

About the ERNOP Research Notes
Most academic research on philanthropy is underutilised, while on the other hand, there is a need for practitioners to learn from academics. Given limited resources within the academic and philanthropy community, academic insights should be used as much as possible. However, practitioners rarely have time and access to the work published in academic journals. Besides, not all content of academic papers is relevant for practitioners. At the same time, academics often do not have time and/or skills to make their work accessible for practitioners and, what’s more, they get little rewards for doing so as the number of individual publications is often too limited to build a constituency. Therefore the European Research Network On Philanthropy (ERNOP) –  the academic network of philanthropy researchers in Europe – develops the ERNOP Research Notes. The Research Notes are an initiative by ERNOP and endorsed by the European Fundraising Association (EFA), Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea), the Centre for European Volunteering (CEV) and the European Venture Philanthropy Association  (EVPA).

More information about the Research Notes can be found here.