Nonprofits and Community Resilience During a Pandemic: A France-Quebec Perspective

Laëtitia Lethielleux*, Caroline Demeyère, Amélie Artis, Martine Vézina, Jean-Pierre Girard

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

Abstract

Purpose
This article examines the links between nonprofits and communities’ resilience during the COVID-19 crisis. Previous research on resilience has overlooked nonprofits, with limited studies on their ongoing resilience processes. While nonprofits’ potential to lead their communities’ resilience has been highlighted, we know little about how this potential can be fully achieved.

Design/methodology/approach
Nonprofit’s potential to lead their communities’ resilience has been highlighted. Yet, nonprofits are also deeply affected by crises, and little is known about their organizational resilience. This study explores the interplay between nonprofits’ organizational resilience and community resilience in the face of crises. We draw from an international comparative case study based on two participatory research designs in France and Quebec during the Covid-19 crisis.

Findings
The results highlight similarities and differences in how nonprofits’ developed organizational resilience capabilities. These different organizational resilience processes affected in return the reactive and proactive roles the nonprofits could play in community resilience.

Research limitations/implications
Limitations of the research method include its time boundaries, the specificity of the Covid-19 crisis, which differs from natural hazards which are traditionally studied in the resilience literature (e.g.: Roberts et al., 2021). The unicity of the cases fits the comprehensive purpose of the study, and generalizations of the results are limited.

Practical implications
Empirically, we offer an original approach of nonprofits and community resilience as ongoing interdependent processes.

Originality/value
The article contributes to the organizational resilience literature in refining how nonprofits’ characteristics and embeddedness in their community affect their development of resilience capabilities. We theorize the dynamic reciprocal links between nonprofits and community resilience.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftManagement Decision
Antal sider19
ISSN0025-1747
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 29 jul. 2024

Bibliografisk note

Epub ahead of print. Published online: 29 July 2024.

Emneord

  • Organizational resilience
  • Community resilience
  • Nonprofits
  • Capabilities
  • Crisis

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