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Purpose-oriented networks (PONs) are a crucial and prevalent forum for addressing complex public issues. Using a longitudinal bipartite dataset of 74 PONs nested in three different geographic areas, we test a series of hypotheses, based in population ecology theories, concerning the impact of domain-level dynamics on network-level outcomes. Findings offer substantial support for, and insight into, the relevance of population-level dynamics in explaining organizational, network, and domain-level changes over time. Findings further offer practical insight and a cautionary tale for public and philanthropic initiatives that incentivize or mandate the formation of new PONs in a network domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance measurement has gained increased importance in the nonprofit sector, and contemporary literature is populated with numerous performance measurement frameworks. In this article, we seek to accomplish two goals. First, we review contemporary models of nonprofit performance measurement to develop an integrated framework in order to identify directions for advancing the study of performance measurement. Our analysis of this literature illuminates seven focal perspectives on nonprofit performance, each associated with a different tradition in performance measurement. Second, we demonstrate the utility of this integrated framework for advancing theory and scholarship by leveraging these seven perspectives to develop testable propositions aimed at explaining variation across nonprofits in the adoption of different measurement approaches. By better understanding how performance measurement is conceptualized within sector, the field will be better positioned to both critique and expand upon normative approaches advanced in the literature as well as advance theory for predicting performance measurement decisions.

In this article, we respond to criticisms posed by McMillan (2011) of our recent paper, "Viewing Community as Responsibility as well as a Resource: Deconstructing the Theoretical Roots of Psychological Sense of Community." We clarify that the focus of our article was to explore the macro theoretical frameworks and second-order assumptions that have guided the measurement and study of the psychological sense of community (PSOC) construct to date. We then correct McMillan's mischaracterization of our work as a normative theory by clarifying that our thesis was not that PSOC is a value--but rather that (a) people have values and belief systems, and (b) these belief systems may interact with aspects of a community context to evoke a sense of responsibility for a community to which one belongs. We conclude by reviewing key areas of shared agreement concerning responsibility aspects of PSOC that may serve as a foundation for guiding future research. (Contains 1 footnote.)

The field of scholarship surrounding the construct of psychological sense of community (PSOC) has been dominated by first-order learning processes attending to issues of measurement and prediction of the four-dimensional framework proposed by McMillan and Chavis (1976). This article seeks to contribute to the conceptual development of PSOC by clarifying the second-order assumptions of PSOC as it is represented in prevailing conception and measurement. We introduce human needs theory as a macro framework for representing the definition and study of PSOC to date. Second, we illuminate the limitations of a purely needs theory perspective of PSOC and propose the value of exploring alternative theoretically grounded perspectives. Third, we offer an alternative theoretical base for PSOC--a sense of community as responsibility--and highlight how this alternative theoretical lens can suggest new models for understanding the dynamic between PSOC, psychological well-being, and community engagement. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)

Finding ways to productively manage conflict in a manner that protects parent-school relationships has become an issue of growing concern in special education. Special education mediation has been promoted as a valuable process, in part, because of its promise for resolving such conflicts in a way that prevents the escalation of adversarial relationships and fosters norms of collaboration among parents and schools. However, despite the growing interest in the impact of mediation on the continuing relationship between parents and schools, empirically, we know very little about the nature of its impact. This study begins to address this gap by qualitatively exploring how parents of special needs students perceive their participation in special education mediation to have affected their ongoing relationship with the school. The findings suggest that mediation has the ability to affect both the interpersonal relationship between parents and school personnel and parents' overall sense of efficacy in their ability to manage their relationship with the school. However, parents' stories indicate that this impact can be either positive or negative. Their stories also indicate that perceived follow-through on the mediation agreement has a significant influence on whether parent-school relationships are perceived to improve or deteriorate further after mediation. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Place-based approaches to community change have become increasingly popular strategies for addressing significant social problems. With their intentional focus on 'place,' most efforts have sought to gain greater understanding into how neighborhood contexts affect people. However, while both aggregate characteristics and social dynamics of neighborhoods have been subject to scrutiny in the literature, less attention has been paid to understanding how the environmental characteristics of neighborhoods and communities as places have meaning for residents. The present study used an innovative methodology called Photovoice to obtain a greater understanding of the meanings residents ascribe to the salient characteristics of their neighborhoods and communities. As part of a place-based initiative, 29 adult and youth residents in seven distressed urban neighborhoods photographed and dialogued about the meaningful physical attributes of their community. According to participants, place characteristics provided cues about their personal histories as members of the community; communicated messages about the value and character of the community and its residents; defined social norms and behavior within the community; and provided markers that could remind residents of who they are and inspire a sense of possibility for who they could become. Implications for practice are discussed. KEY WORDS: place; identity; comprehensive community initiatives; neighborhood conditions; photovoice.

While there has been increasing interest in understanding network performance in public and nonprofit sectors, the existing literature on network performance has primarily focused on the internal functioning of networks, paying less attention to the external environment. In this study, we address this gap by adopting a network domain perspective in combination with social network analysis technique to examine both internal and external stakeholder assessments of network's symbolic performance. Examining a case where multiple networks exist in one county who all focused on the health domain, the study aims to test competing hypotheses built upon institutional theory and strategic management literature on the relationship between network isomorphism and networks' symbolic performance. Our findings aim to contribute to both the public network literature as well as advance institutional theory within networked environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]