Differentiated Government Control for Conformity: Government-NGO Relations in China

Abstract

This study examines differentiated government control over foundations in China. The distinct patterns of “Harmonious Society” and “obeying the law” in foundation mission statements indicate a two-dimensional control mechanism in which the government intends to seek functional conformity and behavioral conformity from foundations. Using the multinomial logistic regression method on the mission statement of 2,498 foundations from 2004 to 2013, this article finds that foundations’ funding-sufficiency leads to the government’s strong intention for functional conformity and weak intention for behavioral conformity. The article implies that the Chinese government has eased some institutional constraints on foundations for the purpose of seeking financial contributions from foundations. It suggests that the Chinese government can adapt to the socioeconomic conditions and calculate its relations with nongovernmental organizations.

Keywords: government-NGO relations, foundation, funding-sufficiency, resource dependence, institutional theory