Description
“Third Sector Organizations: The Relationship of Scaling up with their contribution to associative democracy” Most third-sector organizations [TSOs] aim to deliver social and public services which are inadequately provided by the market or the state. Some advocate improvements in public policies or practices. The scaling up of their activities in terms of the number of clients served, and/or the range and quality of their contributions is generally assumed to be a desirable aim. At the same time, many TSOs are embedded in local communities and aware of the needs and priorities of such communities. This gives them the potential to act as a community voice. If this potential is realized and facilitated by appropriate gateways into the wider public governance system, TSOs could contribute importantly to associative democracy. The seminar will discuss the relevance of different routes to scale for the ability of TSOs to perform this democratic function, recognizing variation among distinct categories of TSO. It will conclude by outlining considerations for policy.The ground covered by the seminar provides the theoretical foundation for a new research project focusing on Scottish community-based TSO. The first stage of this project is due to be completed by the end of this summer and is supported by the Adam Smith Business School’s pump-priming fund. This research builds on previous projects conducted by the investigators into scaling opportunities for healthcare social organisations in Scotland and Egypt (Rose and Nora) and into the potential contributions of organizational participation in the post-Covid era (John). The results of the initial case-based study will inform the design of a subsequent larger comparative international study.
| Period | 17 May 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Seminar |
| Degree of Recognition | International |