Third-sector discourses and the future of (un)employment : skilled labor, new technologies, and the meaning of work

In this paper we analyse a 600,000 word corpus comprised of policy statements produced within supranational, national, state and local legislatures about the nature and causes of(un)employment. We identify significant rhetorical and discursive features deployed by third sector (un)employment policy authors that function to extend their legislative grasp to encompass the most intimate aspects of human association.

Spaces of care in the third sector : Understanding the effects of professionalization

Increasingly the health and welfare needs of individuals and communities are being met by third sector, or not-for-profit, organizations. Since the 1980s third sector organizations have been subject to significant, sector-wide changes, such as the development of contractual funding and an increasing need to collaborate with governments and other sectors. In particular, the processes of ‘professionalization’ and ‘bureaucratization’ have received significant attention and are now well documented in third sector literature. These processes are often understood to create barriers between organizations and their community groups and neutralize alternative forms of service provision. In this article we provide a case study of an Australian third sector organization undergoing professionalization. The case study draws on ethnographic and qualitative interviews with staff and volunteers at a health-based third sector organization involved in service provision to marginalized community groups. We examine how professionalization alters organizational spaces and dynamics and conclude that professionalized third sector spaces may still be ‘community’ spaces where individuals may give and receive care and services. Moreover, we suggest that these community spaces hold potential for resisting the neutralizing effects of contracting.

Not-for-profits and risk accountability : insuring the third sector

Not for profit organisations face significant challenges in managing organisational risk. In this regard not-for-profits are not unique but they are distinguishable from their 'for-profit' counterparts in that they are less likely to have the resources to find sufficient risk management strategies and plans, are very vunerable to cyclical changes in the insurance market and are not usually in a position to pass on the costs of increased premiums to third parties such as consumers of their services. This article explores the nature and extent of risks faced by the not-for-profit sector; the appropriateness and scope of risk management to reduce and manage the likelihood and incidence of risk; and the types of insurance and options to cover risks that materialise. It concludes with a recommendation for a potential course of action.

Using a thimble to drink from a fire hydrant: information anxiety and the third sector

In the last 10 years, the third sector has seen an eruption of texts, websites, discussion forums, conferences, new journals, new research centres and sector-specific degrees. This growing abundance of information allows for hitherto impossible networking, collaboration and general awareness of what is happening in the sector. At the same time, however, like staff in many industries, nonprofit professionals can suffer from an increasingly common 21st century malaise known as ‘information anxiety’. It is worth examining the sector through the lens of Information Studies theory, to question what the information technology needs of nonprofits are and how their information management techniques may differ from those in the public and private sectors. There are implications of this both for those within the industry (in terms of governance, training and public relations) and those external to it (who may form relationships with nonprofits on the basis of access to information).

Managing an ageing third sector workforce: international and local perspectives

Australia, like all developed and most developing countries, is facing major contextual changes, one of which is an ageing population, largely through declining fertility and increasing longevity (WHO 2002). This will impact on most aspects of global, national, local, community, family and individual interactions and decision-making, including for the nonprofit sector. The sector should be aware that population ageing is increasingly being addressed in public finance and policy agendas within Australia (see, for example, Intergenerational Report 2002-3), as well as by governments in countries such as the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Economic Policy Committee (EEPC).

Third sector partnerships : opportunities and risks

The establishment by the Prime Minister of the Community Business Partnerships Board along with recent taxation reform has drawn attention to corporate philanthropy in Australia. Definitions and models are needed as each of the potential partners – government, corporations and nonprofit organisations – attempts to come to grips with opportunities. The intending partners will need to determine their responsibilities and desired outcomes so that they may work effectively towards mutually beneficial working relationships. Performance indicators need to be determined, benchmarks developed and best practice promoted. A dearth of research exists in this area (Burch, 1998; Industry Commission Report, 1995; Lyons & Hocking, 1998). More exhaustive research, collection and analysis of appropriate data will aid the process. This particular research indicates a lack of understanding between corporations and nonprofit organisations. There are risks inherent in the proposed partnerships, such as inability to reach agreement, potential for increased costs, and failure to deliver by one of the partners. This paper assesses opportunities and risks, suggests topics for high level debate, and indicates models for the development of partnerships.

Dimensions of the third sector : comparative perspectives on structure and change

Cross-nationally, the introduction of New Public Management coincides with a significant growth phase of the nonprofit or third sector. This growth has disproportionately been an expansion of the economic dimensions (employment, turnover) and basically involved the greater use of third sector organisations as service providers. Such provision uses complex contract regimes, and typically takes place in some form of public-private partnership with either public or private funding agencies. Other parts of the third sector such as membership, volunteering and giving have generally grown less. The paper suggests that the sector is becoming qualitatively different, although the nature and strength of this change depends on the nonprofit regime type in a given country. Generally, however, third sector growth has led to differentiation processes that involve new organisational forms, and changes in activities and overall composition. The paper explores the measurement aspects of the quantitative-qualitative jump in third sector development by trying to "map" changes in core facts or dimensions over time. In closing, the paper suggests to examine recombination and refunctionality processes in the third sector.

Career paths in the third sector : implications for human resource management

My interest in career paths in the third sector came from three early observations. First, the majority of workers appear to be women, in fact 77% of community sector community services in NSW (O'Donnell, 1985). Second, when asked about their career, most workers express the opinion that they have none. Third, when I examined the individual career paths of community sector workers I was struck by the stop and start nature of their paid work. Even, or perhaps especially, well qualified workers would move out of a position after about two years often to a more difficult position in a new area, with little or no salary increase and little prospect of future promotion. Indeed, there appears to be little career path available. These observations raise a number of important questions, some of which will be explored in this paper. What is the structure of the third sector labour market? What is the staff structure of third sector organisations? Is it true that career paths are unavailable, either within organisations or within the sector? If none exists, why do workers stay in the field? What motivates them? If there is a high turnover of staff, is this the reason? What are the implications of all this? If some sort of career path does exist, why do workers deny having a career? What do we mean by `career' anyway?

The informed manager : exploring absorptive capacity in the non-profit sector

Being across new knowledge is critical to the survival of individual businesses. This study explored the way in which managers of small social services in Queensland identified important new knowledge and brought this into their organisations. New knowledge was found to be highly valued by managers with key resources allocated to knowledge seeking processes particularly in response to regulatory change. Knowledge absorption involved accessing multiple sources, and external professional networks were found to be critical to understanding and integrating new knowledge. The research highlighted the challenges in securing new knowledge and the importance of managers professional links.

The Not for Profit Sector in Australia : Fact Sheet

This fact sheet outlines aspects of the nonprofit sector in Australia, under the following headings: size; economic contribution; employment; volunteering; income; expenses; and philanthropy; and provides international comparisons on aspects including size, growth, economic contribution, giving, and workforce.