A Globalized Task Environment (Un contesto di lavoro globalizzato)

Abstract

The main challenge today's civil society organizations face is adaptation to a rapidly changing task environment. We currently witness a globalization of both problems and solutions. Why? Basically, this is the consequence of the intensification of worldwide social relations, linking distant localities evermore tightly. Much of this interdependence is asymmetric. Among other things, interconnectedness and rapid information flows also lead to the emergence of a global consciousness and new mental models that serve to organize groups of actors through shared concepts such as social entrepreneurship, the bottom-of-the-pyramid or microfinance. This paper analyzes four organizational adaptation strategies to a changing task environment: focus on core competence, single-issue integration, functional integration, and concentration on interface management. The closing section outlines the implications of these trends for donors.

Note: Downloadable document is in Italian.

Keywords: Non-profit organizations, globalization, philanthropy

JEL Classification: G20, L31, M13