Adam Smith Business School

Professor John Child, University of Birmingham
Dr Rose Narooz, University of Glasgow
Dr Nora Ramadan, University of Stirling

"Third Sector Organizations: The Relationship of Scaling up with their Contribution to Associative Democracy."
Wednesday, 17 May. 11:00
Room 305, Main Building

Abstract

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.

Bios

Professor John Child, MA, PhD, ScD, FBA, is an Emeritus Professor at the Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. John’s degrees were awarded by the University of Cambridge. In 2006, he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy [FBA]. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of International Business, the Academy of Management and the British Academy of Management. He has served as Editor-in-Chief of Organization Studies and Senior Editor of Management and Organization Review.

Dr Rose Narooz, MSc, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in the Adam Smith School of Business, University of Glasgow.  Rose was awarded her Masters and Doctoral degrees by the University of Birmingham. She joined Glasgow University in 2018. Rose has conducted several internationally comparative studies on the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises, development of ecosystems and on the scaling of social enterprises in the UK and internationally. Her recent research has focused on social organizations in the Scottish health sector.

Dr Nora Ramadan, MSc, PhD, is a Lecturer in the University of Stirling Management School. Nora was awarded her Masters and Doctoral degrees by the University of Birmingham. Nora joined the University of Stirling in 2021. Nora has conducted research on multinationals’ diversification and environmental strategies. Her recent research focuses on social organisations and their scaling-up endeavours in Scotland and internationally.

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For further information, please get in touch with business-school-research@glasgow.ac.uk. 

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First published: 21 April 2023