A theory of power and language across the two levels of individual and organisational experience in a given institutional context will encompass a broad band of literature. Three areas of literature are particularly important to research questions here: the historical context of philanthropy and nonprofits in Australia; inter-organisational and inter-sectoral collaboration and power and philanthropy. This chapter focuses more specifically on the context in which the relationships occur; more detailed analysis of the theoretical literature is in Chapter 2. As constructs that are central to the theoretical frame of the research, issues of organisational capacity, social agency, language and power are dealt with there. The next sections outline literature concerns.
Almost 20 years ago, Lansbury and Spillane published an organisational behaviour text detailing the context in which Australian organisations operate. Although some of the work is outdated, many of the characteristics they identified are instructive to a study of nonprofit organisations in the 21st century in Australia. They argued that institutions were bound by bureaucratic ideals that contrasted with the idea of the ‘rugged individual’, and that this dependence on government has increased over time. The view of government that complemented this reliance on public services was one of entitlement (Lansbury & Spillane 1983).
The ‘third sector’ in Australia, which encompasses nonprofit organisations, co-operatives and other mutual forms of organisations, is made up of groups that fit into neither the ‘government’ nor ‘for-profit’ arenas. The third sector grew out of a particular environment in a specific era. Broadly, the third sector in Australia has several unique features. Unlike its counterparts in the United States or the United Kingdom, nonprofits in Australia tend to be equitably distributed in areas as diverse as sporting, social clubs, religious affiliations, human service organisations and arts institutions (Lyons 2001). In line with much of Lyons’ earlier work, this most current exploration takes a historical perspective on the birth, adaptation and context of third sector.
In his historical overview, Lyons (1993) divided third sector development into four separate periods, culminating in the 1980s. A summary of the developments during those years is provided in Table 1. The 1990s have been added to this earlier timeline to update the historical situation in Australia.
Table 1: Historical
Overview of Nonprofit Development in Australia
|
Period |
Predominant institutions |
Significant events |
|
1788-1860s |
Religious organisations and members of social elite |
European settlement Discovery of gold and rapid urbanisation Population growth and increased wealth |
|
1860-1914 |
Mutual organisations: Friendly societies Trade unions Professional associations political parties Recreation clubs |
Highest per capita income in the world Peak of nonprofit creation in terms of variety of organisations developing |
|
1920s-1950s |
Creation of regional counterparts to urban progress associations and recreation clubs Transformation of clubs into gaming venues |
30% unemployment in the 1930s Social devastation of WWI Gambling generating revenues for clubs and government |
|
1960s |
Mutuals declining except for building societies Parent-run organisations |
Commonwealth government became major source of funding for health/community services and education |