| This is a study of nonprofit board culture. It is an analysis of how individual board members understand, interpret, and enact their various roles and responsibilities. The dissertation addresses a gap in the literature by advancing a comprehensive empirical understanding of the kinds of activities nonprofit boards actually perform. Grounded in three organizational theories that have historically dominated the study of corporate board behavior (agency, resource dependence, and institutional), the dissertation is an in-depth qualitative research project that empirically linked normative expectations, theory, and practice. An ethnographic research methodology was used to ground theory and description in the subjective experiences of individuals who voluntarily serve as members of nonprofit boards of directors.; Data for this project came from twelve nonprofit boards of directors in Connecticut and New York. In all, 53 board meetings were observed, 58 interviews with board members were conducted, and countless archival documents were analyzed to yield the interpretations of board behavior discussed in this dissertation. Interestingly three organizational theories used as a foundation for this research painted an incomplete picture of nonprofit board governance. The concept of “dual ownership” and the nonprofit sector's lack of a commonly accepted indicator of performance suggests that the mission-driven board of a nonprofit organization monitors differently, co-opts different elements from the operating environment, and embraces different norms, values, beliefs, and expectations than their profit-driven private sector counterparts. Most importantly, this research empirically demonstrates that a culture of commitment and service describes the very essence of nonprofit board culture. No other board role or responsibility is believed to add value more than a “passion” for the mission or a desire to “help” the constituency served. The data support what we have implicitly known, normatively espoused, and taken-for-granted all along—nonprofit board members mobilize action around a commitment to mission. |
