Citizens as aid agents: the overlooked outsiders in development assitance? Situating small voluntary-led development organisations in Denmark through an institutional work perspective
(2023) SGEM08 20231Department of Human Geography
- Abstract
- Contemporary global challenges require collective action that exceeds national borders. This thesis explores a group of active citizens who take the initiative to contribute to combat some of these challenges through small voluntary-led development organisations (SVDOs). Specifically looking at the role of engaged citizens in Denmark, these SVDOs form an unconventional actor in international development activities. This thesis attempts to illuminate the mechanisms underlying SVDOs' actions by situating them within the broader institutional context of international development sector. By employing an institutional lens, this thesis looks at how SVDOs access resources, build legitimacy and enhance transformative capacity. Anchored in... (More)
- Contemporary global challenges require collective action that exceeds national borders. This thesis explores a group of active citizens who take the initiative to contribute to combat some of these challenges through small voluntary-led development organisations (SVDOs). Specifically looking at the role of engaged citizens in Denmark, these SVDOs form an unconventional actor in international development activities. This thesis attempts to illuminate the mechanisms underlying SVDOs' actions by situating them within the broader institutional context of international development sector. By employing an institutional lens, this thesis looks at how SVDOs access resources, build legitimacy and enhance transformative capacity. Anchored in institutional theory, this research seeks to bridge the gap between international development literature and lessons from organisational studies. The study adopts a qualitative approach through a multiple-case study design, analysing four Danish SVDOs through interviews, document analysis and a complementary survey. The findings unravel multifaceted strategies employed by SVDOs to enhance their capacity. SVDOs' double embeddedness, within both the international development as well as other sectors in Danish society, plays an important role in shaping their activities. Therefore, this study contributes to the empirical understanding of SVDOs as distinctive actors in international development. It illuminates how SVDOs navigate institutional environments, offering new insights into the decision-making dynamics of such organisations. Furthermore, this research methodologically contributes to equipping international development literature with an analytical framework that is sensitive for incorporating a historically, geographically and institutionally informed understanding of SVDOs. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9134783
- author
- Timmers, Rosa LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SGEM08 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- small voluntary-led development organisations, institutional work, institutional embeddedness, international development, civil society
- language
- English
- id
- 9134783
- date added to LUP
- 2023-08-22 10:08:47
- date last changed
- 2023-08-22 10:08:47
@misc{9134783,
abstract = {{Contemporary global challenges require collective action that exceeds national borders. This thesis explores a group of active citizens who take the initiative to contribute to combat some of these challenges through small voluntary-led development organisations (SVDOs). Specifically looking at the role of engaged citizens in Denmark, these SVDOs form an unconventional actor in international development activities. This thesis attempts to illuminate the mechanisms underlying SVDOs' actions by situating them within the broader institutional context of international development sector. By employing an institutional lens, this thesis looks at how SVDOs access resources, build legitimacy and enhance transformative capacity. Anchored in institutional theory, this research seeks to bridge the gap between international development literature and lessons from organisational studies. The study adopts a qualitative approach through a multiple-case study design, analysing four Danish SVDOs through interviews, document analysis and a complementary survey. The findings unravel multifaceted strategies employed by SVDOs to enhance their capacity. SVDOs' double embeddedness, within both the international development as well as other sectors in Danish society, plays an important role in shaping their activities. Therefore, this study contributes to the empirical understanding of SVDOs as distinctive actors in international development. It illuminates how SVDOs navigate institutional environments, offering new insights into the decision-making dynamics of such organisations. Furthermore, this research methodologically contributes to equipping international development literature with an analytical framework that is sensitive for incorporating a historically, geographically and institutionally informed understanding of SVDOs.}},
author = {{Timmers, Rosa}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Citizens as aid agents: the overlooked outsiders in development assitance? Situating small voluntary-led development organisations in Denmark through an institutional work perspective}},
year = {{2023}},
}