Norwegian
Democratic Voluntary Organisations Between State and Market.
ISBN print: 82-7763-128-6
Pages: 98
In whatever field they operate voluntary organisations are increasingly confronted with a trend towards increased marketisation. This is associated with the fact that a growing proportionof voluntary organisations'incomes is derived from the sale of service in a competitive market. What are the main factors of the marketisation of voluntary organisations? As these organisations are more or less commercialised, the answere to this situation requires that the existence of different types of voluntary organisations be accounted for. Secondly, it is necessary to identify those factors likely to affect a voluntary over time. Economic theories of voluntary organisation tend to focus on one aspect of this organisational form and are thus not well suited to fulilling this task.This report advances a socio-economic theory of the voluntary organisation aiming at conceiving this organisational form in its complexity and at analysing it from both the viewpoints of its economical and political (democratic) dimensions. The first part of this report aims at accounting in general and theoretical terms for the trend towards commercialisation of voluntary organisations. It aims at giving the theoretical basis for further empirical analysis of the commercialisation of voluntary organisations. The second part of this report aims at analysing in theoretical terms the impact of the increasing role played by the market and the state on the democratic functioning of voluntary organisations.