The Role of Social Capital in the Start-Up of Non-profit Organisations: The Case of Fondazione Welfare Ambrosiano

This article investigates how a start-up foundation can build its organisational social capital, meaning a network of strategic partnerships with other organisations based on trust relationships, in order to fulfil its mission. Based on a case study analysis of Fondazione Welfare Ambrosiano—an Italian foundation created in partnership with private organisations and local public institutions—we explored whether and how some characteristics of the social capital of the foundation’s members contributed to the organisational social capital. By applying Nahapiet and Ghoshal’s (Acad Manag Rev 23(2):242–266, 1998) social capital framework, we discovered that the social capital configuration of the founders and staff, linked to some characteristics of the foundation, had driven the development of the organisational social capital. Our paper contributes to an understanding of what constitutes the best configuration of social capital to allow a start-up foundation to take off.     

Doing Well by Returning to the Origin. Mission Drift,Outreach and Financial Performance of Microfinance Institutions

The majority of studies discussed the existence of a trade-off between financial performance and outreach, pointing out those MFIs that look for higher profits lead to lower outreach. Another stream of research discussed the phenomena of mission drift, which see MFIs leave from their social mission, which is to provide micro financial services to break the cycle of poverty by reducing financial exclusion and move away from the traditional microcredit business model by three different ways. The paper contribute to the debate focussing the impact of mission drift phenomena on both financial performance and outreach of MFIs. This paper uses a dataset of 194 microfinance institutions (MFIs), 788 annual ratings from 2001 to 2010, collected by MicroFinanza Rating, an international MFIs’ rating agency, to study and test three hypotheses on the relationship between mission drift, financial performance and outreach of MFIs. Data analysed with mixed effect regressions shows that a trade-off exist between financial performance and outreach. Results show that mission drift positively impacts on financial performance but it reduces outreach. MFIs should be encouraged to clearly define if their main aim is to assure remuneration of shareholders or if they want to contribute to the outreach of poor.     

Family 'Decline' and the Subjective Well-being of Adolescents

The goal of the present study was to determine to what extent an adolescent's subjective well-being is affected when changes in family structure reach a breaking point and the child can no longer stay with his family, but must be institutionalized. The participants were one hundred male and female adolescents, 12 to 19 years of age, 50 of which lived in children's homes, but were originally from 50 different families, and 50 of which lived at home with their parents. Two questionnaires were administered: (a) the French adaptation of the Life Satisfaction Scale (Blais et al., 1989) and (b) a questionnaire containing statements related to level of satisfaction in several areas, notably family relationships, body image, work and schooling, and leisure acitivites. The difference between the two groups was considerable, with more than one point separating the mean levels of satisfaction of the two groups (20% of the total length of the scale employed). A structural analysis of the results showed the direct or indirect influence of three factors related to placement in a children's home on life satisfaction: a direct effect of placement in a children's home, an indirect effect passing through the satisfaction with family life, and an indirect effect passing through the personal growth.     

Nullified equal loss property and equal division values

We provide characterizations of the equal division values and their convex mixtures, using a new axiom on a fixed player set based on player nullification which requires that if a player becomes null, then any two other players are equally affected. Two economic applications are also introduced concerning bargaining under risk and common-pool resource appropriation.     

The Clinical Correlates of Reported Childhood Sexual Abuse: An Association Between Age at Trauma Onset and Severity of Depression and PTSD in Adults

This study investigated the relationship between the age of -self‐reported sexual abuse occurrence and the development of post-traumatic stress disorder and/or depressive symptoms in adulthood. Subjects were evaluated for the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder and/or depressive symptoms as well as for a self-reported history of sexual abuse before the age of 18. Results found that relative risk of having severe post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms was 10 times higher in patients reporting sexual abuse after age 12 than in those reporting sexual abuse before age 12. Relative risk of having severe depressive symptoms was higher for those abused before the age of 12 than for those abused after the age of 12. Findings suggest that the impact of reported sexual abuse at different stages of development may lead to distinct psychiatric symptoms in adulthood.     

Illegal immigration booms and welfare in the host country

We assess the effects of an important influx of illegal immigration on production and welfare, applied to the Spanish economy during the nineties, through a calibrated general equilibrium model. Immigrants are perfect substitutes of unskilled native workers, according to their productivity, but they are unevenly rewarded. In a first simulation we analyse the effects of an exogenous increase of illegal workers equal to the estimates for the period. In another simulation an equivalent expansion in unskilled legal immigrants is then considered. Finally, a comparison of both simulations provides the scenario of illegal immigrants being legalised. The outcome suggests that the amount of remittances and the role of labour market mechanisms (e.g. trade unions) play an important role in overall results.     

The conflict within: resistance to inclusion and other paradoxes in special education

In the 30 years since the passage of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (PL. 94-142) in 1975 (subsequently the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) special education in the USA as an institutionalized practice has become solidified. Over the years, however, the practice of segregating students because of disability has come under increased scrutiny. Beginning in the late 1980s, an increasing number of parents advocated that their children with disabilities be put in mainstream general education classes. Emotionally charged debates over the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms ensued. In this paper we look at the public debates over inclusion and expose some of the paradoxes within special education that serve to hinder the integration of individuals with disabilities into general classes and, by extension, society at large.     

Partnerships for heritage conservation: evidence from the archeological site of Herculaneum

In the present paper, we investigate the Herculaneum Conservation Project (HCP), a partnership agreement between one public and two non-profit actors aimed at improving the conservation of the archeological site of Herculaneum. The study is motivated by different elements of interests. First, although HCP has been defined by UNESCO as a significant case study for private–public partnership (PPP) in the cultural heritage sector, its financial and organizational aspects are still under-investigated. Second, and quite paradoxically, an analysis of HCP through the lenses of PPP literature reveals its distinctive nature—i.e. more a borderline case than a typical example of PPP. Third, the presence of a similar archeological site nearby Herculaneum—i.e. Pompeii, also defined as a Herculaneum sister city—allows a thorough assessment of the benefit of the partnership scheme in a counterfactual logic. Through the study, we complement the current debate on partnerships in the heritage field, we report on an atypical experience of partnership, and we problematize the rationale of this governance solution within the Italian public sector.     

From communism to market: business models and governance in heritage conservation in Poland

The paper focuses on the effect of business model and governance changes on conservation and access outcomes in three heritage sites in Poland: Ksiaz Castle, the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace Abbey and the Jelenia Gora Valley historic palaces. It argues that the interplay between business model and governance led by relevant political, administrative and economic changes has an impact on which historic buildings are conserved for future generations, in what form, and with which functions. Findings from the case studies allow us to design three ideal business models for the management of heritage sites. The paper also explores implications for management research regarding business model and public sector change.