Building Of Faith-based NPOs' Organizational Identity

The role of religious circles in social commonweal enterprises is now increasingly recognized. But the organizations with religious passion and motivation which enter into social commonweal field will inevitably be faced with the dilemmas of organizational identity generally. Organizational identity is what is central, distinctive, and enduring about an organization, collectively comprehended and identified by the members, presented outward by organizational symbols, structure, and activities etc., perceived by actors outside and is used to estimate the value and significance of the organization. Then organizational identity guides and constrains organizations. This capacity roots in the character of organizational identity that it relates to the established institutionalized action field. This thesis investigates the dynamic, consequence and condition of organizational identity building of Shanghai YMCA in different periods, reveals that the organizations with religious background which engage in social commonweal enterprises are under the pressure arising from the difference of the legitimacy requirememts in different fields; organizations build identity to change the origins and forms of legitimacy, which integrants different requirements effectively and relieves the pressure of legitimacy; pluralistic and institutionalized action field is the condition that organizational identity building can progress and be successful. A new type of nonprofit organization i.e.faith-based NPO which is different from the religious organization and traditional religious charitable organization is created from this progress. Faith-based NPO offers a effective organizational frame relying on which religious factors exist in the secular social commonweal field. Being Constrained and guided by organizational identity based on clear institutional norms, faith-based NPOs can collect plentiful of social resources including religious resources, and contribute to social commonweal enterprise together with the religious organizations which are now engaging in social services mainly in religious field.This thesis consists of six chapters. The first chapter derives the topic from analyzing those confused descriptions of Shanghai YMCA's organizational identity. A common phenomenon revealed by the studies of participation of religion in commonweal field is summarized in the literature review: the fact that different organizational forms of religion under the pressure of legitimacy in different countries and regions is one of the important factors which influence their participational effect. In this chapter a primary analytical framework is offered based on the theories of organizational identity and organizational legitimacy. Chapter Two,Three,Four and Five are the main parts of this thesis. In historic dimension the dynamic, consequence and condition of Shanghai YMCA's organizational identity building under the pressure of legitimacy in different periods are investigated respectively in these chapters. The last chapter is the conclusion and farther discussion. After summarizes the organizational identity building of Shanghai YMCA,the organizational forms of modern religion adopting which to participate in Chinese social commonweal enterprises are discussed.