In the late 1990s the idea of cross-sector collaborations was relatively new in Europe. The term 'partnership' was employed primarily to refer to partnerships between government and businesses, usually termed PPP (Public Private Partnerships). On the other hand 'strategic alliances' was the term employed for business-to-business partnerships. Until then 'sponsorship' was the most practised associational form between nonprofit organisations (NPOs) and businesses (BUSs), which was included within the broad area of corporate community involvement. The relations between NPOs and BUSs witnessed a gradual intensification over the last 200 years (Gray 1989; Young 1999; Austin 2000; Googins and Rochlin 2000) resulting in increased interactions within both the philanthropic and trans- tional types of relationships (Seitanidi and Ryan 2007). However, the more recent gradual prominence of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within all sectors of society elicited an intensification of the debate with regard to the responsibilities of each sector in addressing environmental and social issues. In effect, CSR contributed to the increase of the interactions across the sectors and propelled NPO-BUS Partnerships (a type of social partnership) as a key mechanism for corporations to delve into a process of engaging with NPOs in order to improve their business practices by contributing their resources to address social issues (Heap 1998; Mohiddin 1998; Fowler 2000; Googins and Rochlin 2000; Mancuso Brehm 2001; Drew 2003; Hemphill and Vonortas 2003).
Rezensionen / Stimmen
From the reviews:
"Based on an extensive literature study of partnerships, she particularly analyses partnerships between nonprofit organisations (NPOs) and businesses (BUSs) . . The rich in-depth case studies, well-framed in the strands of literature on partnerships, combined with the proposition of a holistic framework, reveal a lot of the complexities of partnerships. The book provides much food for thought on businesses improving their corporate social responsibility through cooperation with nongovernmental organistions and the organisational consequences for the partners." (Pieter Glasbergen, Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences, Vol. 8 (2), June, 2011)
"A book that provides an excellent overview of the nonprofit-business partnership phenomenon. . a valuable asset for the leaders of businesses and NGOs . . it provides scholars and students a way to understand the underlying dynamics of nonprofit-business partnerships . . anyone who wants to be well informedabout nonprofit-business collaborations should read this important book. . It is a book that is written in a clear and appealing style to guide any reader to the different stages and overarching themes of social partnerships." (Silke Boenigk, Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Monitoring, Vol. 23, February, 2011)
"This book is a valuable contribution to this lively and increasingly debated field of practice and research. . this book critically examines the chronological stages of nonprofit-business partnerships. . The book . prompts a rethinking and redefinition of current partnership approaches and the responsibilities of sectors more broadly, and is therefore highly recommended to both the partnership research community and practitioners." (Marlene Vock, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 94 (1), July, 2010)
"A densely packed and dispassionate piece of scholarship that will be of interest to those in business, in nonprofits, and in partnerships between the two. . Thebook is ideal for use as source material at the graduate level and can be applied to management issues of the nonprofit sector in the United States. It will be helpful to scholars performing research in the area of cross-sector collaboration and partnerships involving nonprofits and businesses . and the development of civil society in emerging democracies." (Stuart C. Mendel, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 41 (3), 2012)
