New organising in Swedish third sector organisations

•  This article reports on an investigation among Swedish third sector organisations. Secretaries general or the equivalent have been interviewed concerning their views on challenges and developments in organising. The most prominent feature is the movement towards forms that complement a traditional hierarchy, the traditional form of most of the organisations. Different forms of networking, increased transparency, decentralisation and the use of modern information and communication technology are under way in many of the organisations. On the one hand, this may seem natural in light of developments in other parts of society. On the other hand, it represents a shift in the organisation of third sector organisations - away from the organised, controllable and providing a clear overview, towards the amorphous, the fuzzy and the difficult to define and overview. If it works, it can result in more productive activity in the organisations, in greater community spirit, and in a greater sharing of the workload in the organisation. However, there is a risk of unclear division of responsibility, of -unauthorised- ventures and greater diversity in goals pursued, and in a greater turnover of active members, threatening the continuity of operations and ventures.

Keyword

Third sector

Organisational learning

Organising

Not-for-profits

Volunteers

TECHNOLOGY

TEKNIKVETENSKAP

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)