A Theoretical Perspective to Discern Culture Specifics of NGOs

NGOs are many a times referred to as "Poor man's Private sector". The efficiency attributed to private sector; the non profit motive attributed to public sectors seem to have been juxtaposed in this "Third Sector", i.e. NGO sector.

NGOs too have changed their role over a period of time. In its earliest role, the motto was "Helping others"- thereby assuming "Service provider orientation". In their second role, they started addressing the questions of empowerment. The third role was to "Help grass ischolar_main level NGOs". Later from 1980 onwards there emerged the role of "Networking of NGOs"- as was the trend in other types of business organizations.

A suitable theoretical framework, is suggested in this article, to study the specifics of organizational culture, by categorizing few elements of Mc Kinsey 7S Model viz. I) Skill, Staff and Style and II) Structure and System. It is also argued that for a NGO Skill, Staff and Style are the predominant causes of organizational culture; whereas Structure and System, whenever are created or changed, will create and change organizational culture accordingly.