Nonprofit Comparative Research: Recent Agendas and Future Trends

• DOI: 10.1007/s11266-017-9877-6
• Publication Date: 2017-05-08T15:32:43Z
• Authors: Georg von Schnurbein; Marybel Perez; Theresa Gehringer
• Keywords: Comparative research; Nonprofit Sector; Cohesion (chemistry); Civil Society; Comparative case

Comparative research on nonprofit organizations (NPOs) has been a prominent approach for advancing our understanding of these organizations. This article identifies the primary drivers that shape the NPO comparative research agenda and explores new research trends. Based on a systematic literature review, nine definitional aspects and ten impulses are identified as drivers of NPO research. This article conducts a correspondence analysis to study the relationships between the definitional aspects and impulses that are discussed in 111 articles that were published in philanthropic and third-sector journals in the period January 2001–January 2015. Based on our results, we suggest three new clusters for future comparative research: investment and growth, participation and social impact, and social cohesion and civil society.