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In the field of civil society and democracy promotion, the relevance and effectiveness of donor strategies is often linked to their ability to adjust to local contextual factors. Despite the importance attached to tailor-made approaches, donor-sponsored democracy promoting NGOs in such different parts of the world as Ghana and Indonesia have very similar organizational characteristics. This paper explores the question of why they are so similar. We draw on institutional theory and use the concept of organizational isomorphism to illustrate how different pressures result in the homogenization of organizational characteristics. We find that besides the more commonly identified unequal power relation between donor and recipient, homogenization also stems from the NGOs themselves and from the relation between their various organizational characteristics (i.e., mission, staff, strategy, and structure). Furthermore, we argue that the process of homogenization can be seen as the institutionalization of trust between donor and recipient. In our discussion, we reflect on the limitations of our findings and on what they mean for donor support to NGOs and democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural similarity or isomorphism is expected among organizations in the same organizational field. Such a field matures with increasing interaction among the organizations in it. Using a random sample of Australian organizations, this paper compares isomorphism among nonprofit organizations regardless of industry with that among organizations in the same industry regardless of legal form. The results point to isomorphism especially in the healthcare industry, regardless of legal form. This finding adds weight to earlier research that questioned the operation of the nonprofit sector as an organizational field with enough interaction to produce isomorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To what extent can conventional organizational theories help us understand changes in local voluntary associations? Using unique data from all associations in a Norwegian county, the article explores hypotheses concerning how size and age affect change behaviour. The results show that high organizational age increases the probability of core change, but decreases the occurrence of peripheral change. The average age of the field in which the organization is active is negatively related to both types of change. The findings suggest that old voluntary organizations are more tenacious than for-profit actors; they choose to attempt change rather than disband if becoming obsolete or pressured by the environment. The degrees of freedom are greater in new, non-institutionalized fields than within fields with a long history. Size has a weakly positive effect on both change indicators. Stronger data and theory-building efforts are needed if we are to extend our knowledge of this under-researched, but immensely important, organization type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the organizational structures of nonprofit organizations in Australia and the United States. Using random samples of nonprofits drawn from the two organizational populations, the analysis compares the extent of structural resemblance or isomorphism in each. It detects similar levels of isomorphism for several structural characteristics. The paper interprets this finding as reflecting expectations for nonprofit organizations that stretch worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A simple graph admits a cycle-covering if every edge in E belongs at least to one subgraph of G isomorphic to a given cycle C. Then the graph G is C-magic if there exists a total labelling such that, for every subgraph of G isomorphic to C, is constant. When , then G is said to be C-supermagic. We study the cyclic-magic and cyclic-supermagic behavior of several classes of connected graphs. We give several families of -magic graphs for each . The results rely on a technique of partitioning sets of integers with special properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The author reflects on the importance of organizational design and structure of a medical institution building that would allow several facilities including doctor's training, administrative and academic activities.