Isabel Maria Macedo

The relationship between resource dependence and market orientation

Purpose – This article sets out to examine the market orientation construct within the context of the non‐profit sector. Given the specificity of non‐profit organisations and the increasingly demanding resource environments in which these organisations operate, the adoption of the concept of marketing is viewed as an adaptive strategy for ensuring that organisations receive the necessary resources for accomplishing their missions and carrying out their activities. In line with this, the present article aims to investigate the extent to which the type of revenue strategy is related to the organisations market orientation, towards donors and/or users.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from a resource dependence conceptual framework, the article reports findings from a quantitative study of a representative sample of Portuguese non‐profit organisations (NPOs). This approach was complemented by qualitative research methods. Combining these two approaches has given access to different levels of reality and...

The Benefits and Barriers Associated with the Use of the Internet Within the Non-Profit Sector

ABSTRACT In the last few decades, advances in new information technologies in general and the adoption of the Internet in particular have attracted the attention of many academics and practitioners alike. Much of current research, however, is focused on for-profit organizations, and less emphasis has been placed on other organizational contexts, such as the non-profit sector. The purpose of this article is to analyze the attitude of NPO managers towards the Internet, the extent to which non-profit organizations are adopting this information technology and the perceived benefits and obstacles associated with its use. A sample of three hundred and ninety two non-profit organizations in Portugal was examined. The statistical analysis indicated that the existence of a favorable attitude towards the Internet was positively correlated with the perception of Internet benefit dimensions. Conversely, the study found no empirical evidence linking perceived Internet benefits with the various NPO fields of activity. The article concludes with a series of limitations and implications for both theory and practice.

Examining the antecedents and consequences of online satisfaction within the public sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the antecedents and consequences of online satisfaction within the context of e‐government, which increasingly play an important role in modern public administrative management. Specifically, this paper examines the taxation services offered through the web‐based electronic declaration system.Design/methodology/approach – Following a quantitative methodological approach, a survey was applied to a sample of 351 certified accountants to empirically test the conceptual model. Structural equation modelling was used to test the conceptual model.Findings – The results of this empirical study validate four out of five hypotheses. It was found that convenience is an important antecedent of both satisfaction and online service quality. Additionally, findings suggest that both the degree of satisfaction and online service quality impacts on the intention of using the taxation website. Overall, results indicate that most of the relationships examined in the private s...

The impact of online SERVQUAL dimensions on certified accountant satisfaction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the adequacy of SERVQUAL within the context of public online services, more specifically those provided by the Department of Taxation through its web‐based electronic declaration system.Design/methodology/approach – Following a quantitative methodological approach, a survey was applied to a sample of 351 certified accountants to empirically test the conceptual model. A first order confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the validity of different SERVQUAL online dimensions while multiple regression analysis was used to test the proposed hypotheses.Findings – Overall, the study finds that Certified Accountants revealed a low perceived quality with regard to empathy and responsiveness. Instead, tangibility, reliability and security were the SERVQUAL dimensions which were favourably evaluated by Certified Accountants. The study also revealed that empathy, tangibility and convenience were those dimensions that better contributed towards satisfaction.Practica...

The effect of online service quality factors on internet usage: the web delivery system of the taxation department

– This study aims to examine online service quality factors as main driving forces in the degree of intention of using the Taxation Department web site expressed by certified accountants., – Drawing on a quantitative methodological approach, a survey was undertaken among a sample of 351 certified accountants to empirically test the proposed model. The paper used an ordered logit model to estimate the effects of several online service quality factors on the certified accountants degree of intention of using the Portuguese governments tax services web site., – The results identify a number of key aspects of online service quality that contribute to the increase of the use of the taxation web site by certified accountants. This is particularly evident for web site characteristics such as convenience, research facilities, privacy and security, speed and ease of access., – This study offers the opportunity to rethink existing policies and to set forth specific measures that can be implemented to establish rigorous quality standards., – The paper provides an empirical analysis regarding the online service quality factors that determine the degree of use of a taxation web site. The methodological framework followed in this study has not, as far as is known, been used previously within the literature in this context.

The driving forces of internet adoption

Purpose – This study aims to analyse the driving forces that either favour or inhibit internet adoption by organisations operating in the non‐profit sector.Design/methodology/approach – Following a quantitative methodological approach, a national survey was applied to a sample of 392 Portuguese non‐profit organisations to empirically test the proposed conceptual model. Logistic regression, which enables to test models to predict categorical outcomes with two categories was used to analyse the data.Findings – Findings drawn from this study identify key factors that facilitate or inhibit internet adoption by non‐profit organisations. The internet is perceived as a potential tool for the dissemination of social values and programs of action, the improvement of public image, the enhancement of customer satisfaction, and the improvement of service delivery. By contrast, lack of expertise and start‐up costs have been identified as the most significant inhibitors. In addition, size, age and international affilia...

Modeling Quality Orientation and Organisational Performance in Public Healthcare Organisations

Healthcare organisations in most developed countries are facing tremendous pressures to maximize efficiencies and to improve organisational performance while enhancing service quality. This paper aims at developing an integrative model to examine the mediating effect of market orientation and innovation on the quality-organisational performance relationship. Findings drawn from a sample of public health care organisations in Portugal demonstrate that the relationship between quality orientation and organisational performance is better understood if taken into account the influence of market orientation which acts as a mediator construct in the aforementioned relationship. The paper concludes with theoretical and practical implications.

Mission Statements and Performance in Non-Profit Health Care Organisations: An Exploratory Study

The interest among both academics and practitioners in the mission statement has given rise to a large body of research that has attempted to determine the core elements that a successful mission statement need to incorporate in order to produce sounding outcomes. Such efforts have however, resulted in contradictory evidence regarding the link between mission statement and organisational performance. Against this backdrop, the present study examines the role of organisational commitment in explaining and clarifying the mission-performance link. The study provides evidence that the relationship between mission statement and organisational performance is better understood if taken into account the influence of organisational commitment which proved to act as a mediator variable in the aforementioned relationship. The article concludes by suggesting several avenues to further research.