Assessing Risks and Benefits of Hybrid Organisations: A Sustainable Non-Profit: A Russian Case

Abstract

This study rests on the existing knowledge about the hybrid organisations. It adapts a case study approach designed to identify the major risks and benefits of hybrid organisation that combine features of third sector organisation with tools and mechanisms borrowed from the private sector. This thesis examines traditional and hybrid organisations, identifies their key features and discusses hybrid organisations, which combine feature of at least two different types of organisations. Subsequently, this thesis aims at identifying how adaptation of market mechanisms may impact NGOs overall sustainability. The case study presented in this work illustrates a case of an organisation, which carries out commercial activities in order to gain higher independence from the donations and finances coming from within, focusing, however, on its statutory activities. Findings presented in this work are based on the systematic combination of previous knowledge in the area of hybrids organisations, interviews and the author’s own observations. In order to evaluate overall sustainability of the case organisation a Balanced Scorecard approach is used. The findings suggest strengths and a weakness of the organisation based on the multi-dimensional BSC framework and suggests that in order to improve the overall sustainability indicators more attention shall be given to the operation management of the organisations as well an improvement of marketing and promotion techniques.