Bureaucratization, Professionalization, and Advocacy Engagement in Nonprofit Human Service Organizations

Abstract

Nonprofit human service organizations (NHSOs) engage in policy advocacy to shape government policy and practice. As NHSOs become increasingly bureaucratized and professionalized in their operations, how these two organizational changes affect NHSOs’ advocacy engagement becomes a significant question. Using survey data from 129 NHSOs in Maryland, this study finds that the negative effect of one factor on advocacy engagement is offset by the other. A mismatch between the development levels of bureaucratization and professionalization would considerably suppress NHSOs’ advocacy engagement. If NHSOs want to be more involved in advocacy activities, they may need to proportionately bureaucratize and professionalize their operations.