Dependence and effectiveness in the nonprofit-corporate alliance: The mediating effect of objectives achievement

This study advances research on the link between dependence and perceived effectiveness in nonprofit-corporate alliances from the perspective of NPOs. Drawing on resource dependence theory and specialized nonprofit literature, the authors develop a theoretical framework that allows examination of factors that contribute to alliance effectiveness. The developed framework specifies a relationship between dependence and effectiveness accounting for the mediating effect of social and organizational objectives. Further, the article assesses the moderating effect of market conditions on these relationships. Results from a sample of 269 managers of Australian NPOs suggest that dependence does not influence effectiveness directly but that social and organizational objectives mediate this link. Furthermore, during periods of market volatility, social objectives are a stronger mediator than organizational objectives.