The value of technology affordances to improve the management of nonprofit organizations

Bobsin, Debora; Petrini, Maira; Pozzebon, Marlei

doi:10.1108/RAUSP-07-2018-0045

Debora Bobsin

Departamento de Ciências Administrativas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil

Maira Petrini

PUCRS Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul – Escola de Negócios, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

Marlei Pozzebon ^**Corresponding author Marlei Pozzebon can be contacted at: marlei.pozzebon@hec.caAssociate editor: Maria Sylvia Macchione Saes

International Business, HEC Montreal, Montreal, Canada and Fundacao Getulio Vargas Escola de Administracao de Empresas de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

*Corresponding author Marlei Pozzebon can be contacted at: marlei.pozzebon@hec.caAssociate editor: Maria Sylvia Macchione Saes

28 references that address the relationship between technology and nonprofit organizations

17 references that mentioned technology and nonprofit organizations, but do not focus on the relationship between these themes

Popjoy (1992)Popjoy, O. (1992), “Information systems developed for nonprofits for profit”, Journal of Systems Management, Vol. 43 No. 10, pp. 25-29., Elliott et al. (1998)Elliott, B., Katsioloudes, M. and Weldon, R. (1998), “Nonprofit organizations and the internet”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 297-303.; McNutt and Boland (1999)McNutt, J.G. and Boland, K.M. (1999), “Electronic advocacy by nonprofit organizations in social welfare policy”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 432-451.; Berlinger and Te’eni (1999)Berlinger, L.R. and Te’eni, D. (1999), “Leaders’ attitudes and computer use in religious congregations”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 399-412.; Alexander (2000)Alexander, J. (2000), “Adaptive strategies of nonprofit human service organizations in an era of devolution and new public management”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 287-303., Burt and Taylor (2000)Burt, E. and Taylor, J. (2000), “Information and communication technologies reshaping voluntary organizations?”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 131-143.; Ebrahim (2002)Ebrahim, A. (2002), “Information struggles: the role of information in the reproduction of NGO-Funder relationships”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 84-114.; Zorn (2002)Zorn, T.E. (2002), “The emotionality of information and communication technology implementation”, Journal of Communication Management, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 160-171.; Burt and Taylor (2003)Burt, E. and Taylor, J. (2003), “New technologies, embedded values, and strategic change: evidence from the U.K. Voluntary sector”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 115-127., Saidel and Cour (2003)Saidel, J.R. and Cour, S. (2003), “Information technology and the voluntary sector workplace”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 5-24.; Te’eni and Young (2003)Te’eni, D. and Young, D.R. (2003), “The changing role of nonprofits in the network economy”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 397-414.; Schneider (2003)Schneider, J.A. (2003), “Small, minority-based nonprofits in the information age”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 383-399., Brainard and Brinkerhoff (2004)Brainard, L.A. and Brinkerhoff, J.M. (2004), “Lost in cyberspace: shedding light on the dark matter of grassroots organizations”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 32S-53S.; Finn et al. (2006)Finn, S., Maher, J.K. and Forster, J. (2006), “Indicators of information and communication technology adoption in the nonprofit sector: changes between 2000 and 2004”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 16 No. 3, p. 2770295., Fryer and Granger (2008)Fryer, D. and Granger, M.J. (2008), “Closing to the digital divide: the role of community based nonprofit organizations”, Journal of Global Information Technology Management, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 1-5.; Vaccaro and Madsen (2009)Vaccaro, A. and Madsen, E.P. (2009), “ICT and an NGO: difficulties in attempting to be extremely transparent”, Ethics and Information Technology, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 221-231., Ashta (2009)Ashta, A. (2009), “Corporate social responsibility in the dynamic information age of Inter-Systems connectivity”, Journal of Electronic Commerce in Organizations, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 18-34.; Melitski et al. (2010)Melitski, J., Gavin, D. and Gavin J. (2010), “Technology adoption and organizational culture in public organizations”, International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior 13, No. 4, pp. 546-568.; Lee (2010)Lee, T. (2010), “The rise of international nongovernmental organizations: a top-down or bottom-up explanation?”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 393-416.; Zorn et al. (2011)Zorn, T.E., Flanagin, A.J. and Shoham, M.D. (2011), “Institutional and non-institutional influences on information and communication technology adoption and use among nonprofit organizations”, Human Communication Research 37, pp. 1-33.; Meijer (2012)Meijer, A. (2012), “Co-production in an information age: individual and community engagement supported by new media”, Voluntas 23, pp. 1156-1172.; Rodríguez et al. (2012)Rodríguez, M.M.G., Pérez, M.C.C. and Godoy, M.L. (2012), “Determining factors in online transparency of NGOs: a spanish case study”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 23 No. 3, pp. 661-683.; Saab et al. (2013)Saab, D.J., Tapia, A., Maitland, C., Maldonado, C. and Tchouakeu, L.M.N. (2013), “Inter-organizational coordination in the wild: Trust building and collaboration among Field-Level ICT workers in humanitarian relief organizations”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 194-213., Zort et al. (2013)Zort, T.E., Grant, S. and Henderson, A. (2013), “Strengthening resource mobilization chains: developing the social media competencies of community and voluntary organizations in New Zealand”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 666-687.; Al-Busaidi (2014)Al-Busaidi, K.A. (2014), “SWOT of social networking sites for group work in government organizations: an exploratory Delphi study from IT managers’ perspective”, The Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems 44 No. 1, pp. 121-139.; Crump and Peter (2014)Crump, B. and Peter, R. (2014), “A case for non-profit organisations to engage in the use of shared computing services”, The Electronic Journal Information Systems Evaluation, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 15-22.; Eimhjellen et al. (2014)Eimhjellen, I., Wollebæk, D. and Strømsnes, K. (2014), “Associations online: barriers for using Web-Based communication in voluntary associations”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 730-753., Tremblay-Boire and Prakash (2015)Tremblay-Boire, J. and Prakash, A. (2015), “Accountability.org: online disclosures by US nonprofits”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 693-719.

Bryer and Magrath (1999)Bryer, D. and Magrath, J. (1999), “New dimensions of global advocacy”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 168-177.; Kloss (1999)Kloss, L.L. (1999), “The suitability and application of scenario planning for national professional associations”, Nonprofit Management & Leadership 10, No. 1, pp. 71-83.; Golensky and DeRuiter (1999)Golensky, M. and DeRuiter, G.L. (1999), “Merger as a strategic response to government contracting pressures – a case study”, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 137-152.; Young (2001); Lindenberg (2001); Miller (2002)Miller, J.L. (2002), “The board as a monitor of organizational activity the applicability of agency theory to nonprofit boards”, Nonprofit Management & Leadership 12, No. 4, pp. 429-450.; Austin (2003)Austin, M.J. (2003). “The changing relationship between nonprofit organizations and public social service agencies in the era of welfare reform”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 97-114.; Chaskin (2003)Chaskin, R.J. (2003), “Fostering neighborhood democracy: legitimacy and accountability within loosely coupled systems”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 2, pp. 161-189.; Standley (2001)Standley, A.P. (2001), “Reinventing a large nonprofit lessons from four voluntary health associations”, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 305-320.; Sowa et al. (2004)Sowa, J.E., Selden, S.C. and Sandfort, J.R. (2004), “No Longer unmeasurable? A multidimensional integrated model of nonprofit organizational effectiveness”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 33 No. 4, pp. 711-728.; Haque (2005)Haque, A. (2005), “Implementation is a wired world: obstacles to facilitanting information-sharing procedures in North-Central Alabama”, Public Administration Quarterly, Vol. 29 Nos 1/2, pp. 110-125.; Chalasani et al. (2005)Chalasani, S., Baldwin, D. and Souderpandian, J. (2005), “Information system for a volunteer center: system design for not-for-profit organizations with limited resources”, Journal of Cases on Information Technology, Vol. 7 No. 4, pp. 80-105.; Alfirevic et al. (2008)Alfirevic, N., Udiljak Bugarinovski, Z. and Novosel, V. (2008), “IT-based innovation in the nonprofit environment: experiences from a croatian library case”, in Galetic, L. and Cavlek, N. (Eds), Proceedings of the 4 International Conference: An Enterprise Odyssey, Cavtat, Croatia, 11-14 June, pp. 45-46.; Becla (2012)Becla, A. (2012), “Information society and knowledge-based economy – development level and the main barriers – some remarks”, Economics & Sociology, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 125-132.; Ngamassi et al. (2014)Ngamassi, L., Maitland, C. and Tapia, A.H. (2014), “Humanitarian interorganizational information exchange network: how do clique structures impact network effectiveness?”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 25 No. 6, pp. 1483-1508.; Granjon (2014)Granjon, F. (2014), “Problematizing social uses of information and communication technology: a critical French perspective”, Canadian Journal of Communication 39, No. 1, pp. 111-125.; Jager and Schroer (2014)Jager, U.P. and Schroer, A. (2014), “Integrated organizational identity: a definition of hybrid organizations and a research agenda”, Voluntas 25, pp. 1281-1306.

Category of affordance	Sub-category of affordance	Main references
Coordination	Managing budgets and financial resources. Coordinating activities and the implementation of projects (agendas) Sharing information and communicating with the internal public Developing human capital - organizational learning Building a collaborative workspace - reconfiguration of internal relationships. Standardizing the quality of services Making the workspace flexible (team mobility through teleworking)	*Elliott et al.* (1998)Elliott, B., Katsioloudes, M. and Weldon, R. (1998), “Nonprofit organizations and the internet”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 297-303.; Berlinger and Te’eni (1999)Berlinger, L.R. and Te’eni, D. (1999), “Leaders’ attitudes and computer use in religious congregations”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 399-412.; Alexander (2000)Alexander, J. (2000), “Adaptive strategies of nonprofit human service organizations in an era of devolution and new public management”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 287-303., Burt and Taylor (2000)Burt, E. and Taylor, J. (2000), “Information and communication technologies reshaping voluntary organizations?”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 131-143.; Schneider (2003)Schneider, J.A. (2003), “Small, minority-based nonprofits in the information age”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 383-399.; Te’eni and Young (2003)Te’eni, D. and Young, D.R. (2003), “The changing role of nonprofits in the network economy”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 397-414.; Saidel and Cour (2003)Saidel, J.R. and Cour, S. (2003), “Information technology and the voluntary sector workplace”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 5-24., Burt and Taylor (2003)Burt, E. and Taylor, J. (2003), “New technologies, embedded values, and strategic change: evidence from the U.K. Voluntary sector”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 115-127.; Lee (2010)Lee, T. (2010), “The rise of international nongovernmental organizations: a top-down or bottom-up explanation?”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 393-416.; Zorn et al. (2011)Zorn, T.E., Flanagin, A.J. and Shoham, M.D. (2011), “Institutional and non-institutional influences on information and communication technology adoption and use among nonprofit organizations”, Human Communication Research 37, pp. 1-33.; Saab et al. (2013)**Saab, D.J., Tapia, A., Maitland, C., Maldonado, C. and Tchouakeu, L.M.N. (2013), “Inter-organizational coordination in the wild: Trust building and collaboration among Field-Level ICT workers in humanitarian relief organizations”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 194-213.
Networking formation	Promoting association with other organizations to constitute networks Reconfiguring relationships with external organizations promoting internationalization Sharing knowledge and experiences with other organizations Promoting political and economic association with other actors	*Elliott et al.* (1998)Elliott, B., Katsioloudes, M. and Weldon, R. (1998), “Nonprofit organizations and the internet”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 297-303., Burt and Taylor (2000)Burt, E. and Taylor, J. (2000), “Information and communication technologies reshaping voluntary organizations?”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 131-143.; Burt and Taylor (2003)Burt, E. and Taylor, J. (2003), “New technologies, embedded values, and strategic change: evidence from the U.K. Voluntary sector”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 115-127.; Te’eni and Young (2003)Te’eni, D. and Young, D.R. (2003), “The changing role of nonprofits in the network economy”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 397-414.; Lee (2010)Lee, T. (2010), “The rise of international nongovernmental organizations: a top-down or bottom-up explanation?”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 393-416., Zort et al. (2013)Zort, T.E., Grant, S. and Henderson, A. (2013), “Strengthening resource mobilization chains: developing the social media competencies of community and voluntary organizations in New Zealand”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 666-687.; Ngamassi et al. (2014)**Ngamassi, L., Maitland, C. and Tapia, A.H. (2014), “Humanitarian interorganizational information exchange network: how do clique structures impact network effectiveness?”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 25 No. 6, pp. 1483-1508.
Communication, mobilization and advocacy	Mobilizing and coordinating actors to participate in the actions developed Conducting campaigns that give visibility to the name and organization of the social role Influencing the actors in regards to the causes advocated as a way of impacting society and empowering groups and communities Defending collective objectives (lobby) for the resolution of a problem or the rights of an entity or group Influencing decision-making and gaining public opinion on an issue	*Elliott et al.* (1998)Elliott, B., Katsioloudes, M. and Weldon, R. (1998), “Nonprofit organizations and the internet”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 297-303., McNutt and Boland (1999)McNutt, J.G. and Boland, K.M. (1999), “Electronic advocacy by nonprofit organizations in social welfare policy”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 432-451.; Burt and Taylor (2000)Burt, E. and Taylor, J. (2000), “Information and communication technologies reshaping voluntary organizations?”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 131-143., Brainard and Brinkerhoff (2004)Brainard, L.A. and Brinkerhoff, J.M. (2004), “Lost in cyberspace: shedding light on the dark matter of grassroots organizations”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 32S-53S.; Fryer and Granger (2008)Fryer, D. and Granger, M.J. (2008), “Closing to the digital divide: the role of community based nonprofit organizations”, Journal of Global Information Technology Management, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 1-5., Lee (2010)Lee, T. (2010), “The rise of international nongovernmental organizations: a top-down or bottom-up explanation?”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 393-416.; Zort et al. (2013)Zort, T.E., Grant, S. and Henderson, A. (2013), “Strengthening resource mobilization chains: developing the social media competencies of community and voluntary organizations in New Zealand”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 666-687., Eimhjellen et al. (2014)Eimhjellen, I., Wollebæk, D. and Strømsnes, K. (2014), “Associations online: barriers for using Web-Based communication in voluntary associations”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 730-753.; Tremblay-Boire and Prakash (2015)**Tremblay-Boire, J. and Prakash, A. (2015), “Accountability.org: online disclosures by US nonprofits”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 693-719.
Access to resources and accountability	Conducting campaigns to obtain financial funds Accessing public notices and public and private funding programs Committing to transparency regarding the activities and use of resources (informational and accounting transparency - accountability) Assisting the funding agencies in monitoring fund use	Alexander (2000)Alexander, J. (2000), “Adaptive strategies of nonprofit human service organizations in an era of devolution and new public management”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 287-303., Ebrahim (2002)Ebrahim, A. (2002), “Information struggles: the role of information in the reproduction of NGO-Funder relationships”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 84-114.; Schneider (2003)Schneider, J.A. (2003), “Small, minority-based nonprofits in the information age”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 383-399., Saidel and Cour (2003)Saidel, J.R. and Cour, S. (2003), “Information technology and the voluntary sector workplace”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 5-24.; *Finn et al.* (2006)Finn, S., Maher, J.K. and Forster, J. (2006), “Indicators of information and communication technology adoption in the nonprofit sector: changes between 2000 and 2004”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 16 No. 3, p. 2770295., Vaccaro and Madsen (2009)Vaccaro, A. and Madsen, E.P. (2009), “ICT and an NGO: difficulties in attempting to be extremely transparent”, Ethics and Information Technology, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 221-231.; Lee (2010)Lee, T. (2010), “The rise of international nongovernmental organizations: a top-down or bottom-up explanation?”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 393-416.; Zorn et al. (2011)Zorn, T.E., Flanagin, A.J. and Shoham, M.D. (2011), “Institutional and non-institutional influences on information and communication technology adoption and use among nonprofit organizations”, Human Communication Research 37, pp. 1-33.; Rodríguez et al. (2012)Rodríguez, M.M.G., Pérez, M.C.C. and Godoy, M.L. (2012), “Determining factors in online transparency of NGOs: a spanish case study”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 23 No. 3, pp. 661-683.; Saab et al. (2013)Saab, D.J., Tapia, A., Maitland, C., Maldonado, C. and Tchouakeu, L.M.N. (2013), “Inter-organizational coordination in the wild: Trust building and collaboration among Field-Level ICT workers in humanitarian relief organizations”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 194-213., Zort et al. (2013)Zort, T.E., Grant, S. and Henderson, A. (2013), “Strengthening resource mobilization chains: developing the social media competencies of community and voluntary organizations in New Zealand”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 666-687.; Eimhjellen et al. (2014)Eimhjellen, I., Wollebæk, D. and Strømsnes, K. (2014), “Associations online: barriers for using Web-Based communication in voluntary associations”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 730-753., Tremblay-Boire and Prakash (2015)**Tremblay-Boire, J. and Prakash, A. (2015), “Accountability.org: online disclosures by US nonprofits”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 693-719.

Category of barrier	Sub-category of barrier	Main references
Lack of resources	Availability of financial resources and equipment. Equipment received from donations, which are often obsolete. Reduced budget to finance the actions and commitment of donor dependency - availability of financial and material resources. Lack of technology to meet the specific characteristics of nonprofit organizations. Few resources devoted to training for new technologies. Organizations with small teams in which, in some situations, make people accumulate functions (size of the organization)	Popjoy (1992)Popjoy, O. (1992), “Information systems developed for nonprofits for profit”, Journal of Systems Management, Vol. 43 No. 10, pp. 25-29., McNutt and Boland (1999)McNutt, J.G. and Boland, K.M. (1999), “Electronic advocacy by nonprofit organizations in social welfare policy”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 432-451.; Schneider (2003)Schneider, J.A. (2003), “Small, minority-based nonprofits in the information age”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 383-399., Saidel and Cour (2003)Saidel, J.R. and Cour, S. (2003), “Information technology and the voluntary sector workplace”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 5-24.; *Finn et al.* (2006)Finn, S., Maher, J.K. and Forster, J. (2006), “Indicators of information and communication technology adoption in the nonprofit sector: changes between 2000 and 2004”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 16 No. 3, p. 2770295.; Rodríguez et al. (2012)Rodríguez, M.M.G., Pérez, M.C.C. and Godoy, M.L. (2012), “Determining factors in online transparency of NGOs: a spanish case study”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 23 No. 3, pp. 661-683.; Zort et al. (2013)Zort, T.E., Grant, S. and Henderson, A. (2013), “Strengthening resource mobilization chains: developing the social media competencies of community and voluntary organizations in New Zealand”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 666-687., Eimhjellen et al. (2014)Eimhjellen, I., Wollebæk, D. and Strømsnes, K. (2014), “Associations online: barriers for using Web-Based communication in voluntary associations”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 730-753.; Tremblay-Boire and Prakash (2015)**Tremblay-Boire, J. and Prakash, A. (2015), “Accountability.org: online disclosures by US nonprofits”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 693-719.
Workforce profile	Team having employees and/or volunteers who do not always have experience or knowledge on how to handle and use the technology. Employee age and level of professionalism. Resistance of people in changing and adopting technologies Staff turnover. Manager profile. Difficulty in retaining talent	Popjoy (1992)Popjoy, O. (1992), “Information systems developed for nonprofits for profit”, Journal of Systems Management, Vol. 43 No. 10, pp. 25-29., McNutt and Boland (1999)McNutt, J.G. and Boland, K.M. (1999), “Electronic advocacy by nonprofit organizations in social welfare policy”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 432-451.; Berlinger and Te’eni (1999)Berlinger, L.R. and Te’eni, D. (1999), “Leaders’ attitudes and computer use in religious congregations”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 399-412.; Saidel and Cour (2003)Saidel, J.R. and Cour, S. (2003), “Information technology and the voluntary sector workplace”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 5-24., Schneider (2003)Schneider, J.A. (2003), “Small, minority-based nonprofits in the information age”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 383-399.; *Finn et al.* (2006)Finn, S., Maher, J.K. and Forster, J. (2006), “Indicators of information and communication technology adoption in the nonprofit sector: changes between 2000 and 2004”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 16 No. 3, p. 2770295., Zort et al. (2013)Zort, T.E., Grant, S. and Henderson, A. (2013), “Strengthening resource mobilization chains: developing the social media competencies of community and voluntary organizations in New Zealand”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 666-687.; Eimhjellen et al. (2014)**Eimhjellen, I., Wollebæk, D. and Strømsnes, K. (2014), “Associations online: barriers for using Web-Based communication in voluntary associations”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 730-753.
Organizational structure	Some organizations have a very hierarchical and formal structure, whereas others have a more organic and horizontalized structure (greater ease of adopting technology)	*Eimhjellen et al.* (2014)**Eimhjellen, I., Wollebæk, D. and Strømsnes, K. (2014), “Associations online: barriers for using Web-Based communication in voluntary associations”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 730-753.
Specificities of the organizational mission	The organizational orientation involves values, goals, actions and purposes, which may result in an organizational complexity different from traditional business Specificity of the organizational mission (humanitarian, religious, non-hierarchical values) often hampers the direct application of technology	Berlinger and Te’eni (1999)Berlinger, L.R. and Te’eni, D. (1999), “Leaders’ attitudes and computer use in religious congregations”, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 399-412.; Burt and Taylor (2003)Burt, E. and Taylor, J. (2003), “New technologies, embedded values, and strategic change: evidence from the U.K. Voluntary sector”, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 115-127., *Eimhjellen et al.* (2014)Eimhjellen, I., Wollebæk, D. and Strømsnes, K. (2014), “Associations online: barriers for using Web-Based communication in voluntary associations”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 730-753.; Tremblay-Boire and Prakash (2015)**Tremblay-Boire, J. and Prakash, A. (2015), “Accountability.org: online disclosures by US nonprofits”, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 693-719.

	ICT usage contribution considered positive (more complexity)		ICT usage contribution considered limited (less complex)
Southeastern region (São Paulo)	Law case – it has been working for 20 years on the issue of sexuality and religion	Gender case – it has been working for 18 years in combating racism and violence against women	Equality case – it has been working for 23 years on promoting racial equality, education, justice, labor and public policies
Northeastern region (Bahia)	Education case – it has been working for 17 years on children and adolescent rights regarding communication, education and use of technology	Childhood case– it has been working for 15 years in the areas of education and social mobilization focusing on children in early childhood	Culture case – it has been working for 34 years on the defense of children, adolescents, women and the fight against racism

Affordances	Law case	Gender case	Equality case	Education case	Childhood case	Culture case
Category: Ccoordination
Coordinating activities and the implementation of projects (agendas)		X	X	X	X	X
Versatility of the workspace (mobility team)		X		X	X
Developing human capital					X
Managing budgets and financial resources – control	X			X	X	X
[NEW] Integrating the organization and democratizing information and access to it	X		X	X	X	X
[NEW] Building the organizational memory	X	X		X	X	X
[NEW] Speeding up work performance – practicality and dynamism	X				X
Category: networking formation
Promoting association with other organizations to constitute networks	X	X			X
Sharing knowledge and experiences with other organizations	X			X	X	X
Reconfiguring relationships with external organizations	X
Category: communication, mobilization and advocacy
Mobilizing and coordinating the actors to participate in the actions developed	X	X	X			X
Conducting campaigns that give visibility to the name and social function of the organization – comprehensive communication	X	X	X	X	X	X
[NEW] Communicating and obtaining answers more quickly	X	X		X	X	X
[NEW] Interacting and producing information collectively		X		X
[NEW] Drawing the organization closer to its target audience – more direct communication	X			X
Category: access to resources and accountability
Conducting campaigns to obtain financial funds	X		X			X
Committing to transparency regarding the activities and use of resources (informational and accounting transparency – accountability)			X		X	X
Renegotiating budgets and expenditures forecasts					X
[NEW] Reducing costs	X	X		X

Barriers	Law case	Gender case	Equality case	Education case	Childhood case	Culture case
Lack of resources
Lack of financial resources to invest in infrastructure and training	X	X	X	X	X	X
Lack of technological resources focused on nonprofit management	X			X	X	X
Outdated equipment and technological artifacts	X		X	X		X
Lack of tools and equipment for specialized activities	X	X
Difficulty in inserting the heading “investment in technology” in the projects due to the official announcements rules	X	X	X	X	X	X
Workforce profile
Lack of trained and specialized staff to work with technology	X	X		X	X	X
High cost of skilled labor in technology and training	X		X			X
Difficulties in learning and dealing with new technologies	X			X	X
Profile managers – lack of knowledge of ICT use	X					X
Resistance of individuals with technology (fear and handling difficulties)	X				X
Organizational structure
Working team reduced compared to the volume of activities and actions				X	X
Specificity of the mission and organizational complexity
Lack of clear planning and strategies of organization activities		X	X		X

Category and sub-category of affordance	Technology features	Org. features – skills and abilities	Examples of affordances based on research evidence	Technology in practice – how technology is actually used	Organizational goals with technology	Barriers to the actualization of affordances
Coordination – Managing budgets and financial resources	Computer E-mail, Internet access	All users have basic knowledge on the use of technology. However, some indicated the need for learning some specific tools	“(Technology is used) for internal control even for access to information, [[…]] for payments, balance inquiries, finance controls. […] To open announcements for research”. (Interviewee 11)	Financial management from banking controls	Collection and management of financial resources	Lack of financial resources and management system that assists in administrative activities and accounting
Coordination – Integrating the organization and democratizing access to information	Server, database manager, software: Office, adobe acrobat	All users have basic knowledge of using technology	“We work integrated with the server […]. If the secretary needs the office, she knows where to find it on the server. […] All you have to do is share it and everyone has access to all the machines “. (Interviewee 11)	Centralization of data and files on the server so that everyone has access to the information	Streamline the access to information and integrate the activities carried out by different people	Outdated equipment and limitations in terms of financial resources. Difficulty in putting administrative lines in the projects, making it difficult to update the tools
Coordination – Implementing projects	Computer E-mail, Internet access	Users with basic knowledge of technology. Managers with difficulties in using the Internet, attaching files to emails and using text editors	“We operate in network, which mobilizes us with daily contacts and projects, which are sent by email. Coordinators can send and receive daily reports, enabling faster completion”. (Interviewee 13)	Contacts and exchange of information via email	Monitor the implementation of projects and budget execution	Lack of a management system that assists administrative activities and accounting
Coordination – Building organizational memory [NEW]	Website, social media, photo and video equipment, image editing software	One of the organization’s members has knowledge about social networks, digital files and photos	“It would give more speed and visibility because today the organization has a lot of work, but we still have little visibility.” [[…]] For example, since the beginning we should have filmed them and have the capacity to store the material “. (Interviewee 12)	Publication of images and videos of the actions of the organization on online platforms. Organization of the files of the institution and availability of this information online	Give visibility to the results of their work and produce some data on the organization’s actions	Obsolete equipment and lack of financial resources, Thus, limiting the possibility of upgrading tools
Communication and mobilization – Mobilizing and articulating actors to participate in the actions developed	Social Media (Facebook, etc.); image editing software and Office	Some managers are not trained in the use of social media and do not understand the usefulness of these tools	“Mobilizations and joints; the social network has paid off for us in this direction. Publicity of events and facts related to our work, or the theme that our work is related to”. (Interviewee 14)	Publication of actions and events on social networks	Disseminate the organization and its actions	Resistance of some leaders and lack of knowing the potential of technology. Lack of an expert to assist in communication strategies
Network formation – Sharing knowledge and expertise with other organizations	Social Media (Facebook, etc.); image editing software and Office	Some managers are not trained in the use of social media and do not understand the usefulness of these tools	“Besides exchanging information, there is the exchange of activities, knowledge, construction of common agendas and especially information and facts that help the strengthen joint work”. (Interviewee 14)	Exchanging information with partner organizations	To achieve the organizational mission and access to resources	Resistance of some leaders and lack of knowledge on the potential of technology. Reduced investment in the technological area
Access to resources and accountability – Conducting campaigns to obtain financial funds	The website of the organization, communication tools such as e-mail (internet), the federal government system for management agreements and notices (SICONV)	The government program requires specific knowledge that has been learned in practice and the exchange of experience	"(Technology) changes access to official announcements from the government [[…]], the search for resources, the search for partners and publicity of how people can donate”. (Interviewee 11)	Campaigns to obtain financial funds (donations) via e- mail or website. Use of a Government agreement system	To obtain resources to finance the organization’s activities, carry out its projects, and apply for official government announcements	High cost of maintaining the website and empowerment of people. Lack of skilled personnel

[1] *Corresponding author Marlei Pozzebon can be contacted at: marlei.pozzebon@hec.caAssociate editor: Maria Sylvia Macchione Saes

Brasil

Brasil

The value of technology affordances to improve the management of nonprofit organizations

Purpose

Design/methodology/approach

Findings

Originality/value