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Introduction

Resilience in terms of organizations refers to their ability to adapt, survive, and even thrive in the face of challenges and disruptions (Young and Searing, 2022). This concept has gained increasing attention in recent years, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global crises.

Resilience is often conceptualized as a financial topic, but it is a multifaceted endeavor involving almost all areas of management. For example, Witmer and Mellinger (2016) discovered that commitment to the mission, improvisation, community reciprocity, servant and transformational leadership, hope and optimism, and fiscal transparency contributed to nonprofit resilience. Searing, Wiley, and Young (2023) developed a framework of five types of strategies for nonprofit organizations seeking resilience. A clear, shared mission and values can also help organizations maintain focus during challenging times; Jaskyte (2015) found that mission-driven cultures contribute to organizational resilience and innovation. Mano (2010) also emphasized the role of innovation in organizational persistence and adaptation.

Adaptive financial management is crucial for organizations to ‘bounce back’ or bounce forward’ from crises, as shown by Kober and Thambar (2021) in the study of an Australian food charity during COVID-19. Reserves and good systems are tools to assist this adaptability.

Various researchers have examined nonprofit resilience in different contexts. Lune (2002) investigated community organizations' persistence against political opposition. Besel (2001) studied how government-dependent nonprofits develop strategies to manage resource dependency. Mosley, Maronick, and Katz (2012) examined nonprofits' responses to economic challenges in Los Angeles. Soh, Searing, and Young (2016) applied four traits used in formal systems analysis to analyze housing nonprofits' strategies in Atlanta. Searing (2020) compared mental health nonprofits to understand factors contributing to their survival or closure, finding that adversity within the organizational was harmful but a common enemy outside the organization was helpful.
Organizational resilience is influenced by environmental factors, including the regulatory space. In a mixed methods UK-based study, Cordery & Yates (2024) examine how actors in a regulatory space can contribute toward developing charities’ resilience and public trust, recognizing this is a complex ecosystem with many different actors.

Topics for Submission

This issue proposes to advance our understanding of resilience in social economy organizations such as nonprofits, cooperatives, and other social economy organizations. We seek theoretical, empirical or conceptual papers that discuss how to achieve, measure, and sustain organizational resilience in social economy organizations. We recognize that the social economy is populated by a wide variety of corporate forms, so the issue is open to organizational type provided there is documented evidence of social goals as a fundamental part of the service delivery.

Nonprofit resilience is a multifaceted concept that encompasses financial, operational, and cultural aspects. Recognising there is still much to learn about resilience in social economy organizations, papers could address various operational areas, provided there is a tie to the journal audience of budgeting, accounting, and financial management. For instance, topics may include diversifying funding sources, developing strong governance structures, fostering a culture of innovation, building collaborative partnerships, and leveraging technology to enhance operational efficiency. Additionally, authors might explore the role of human resource practices in enhancing resilience, such as employee engagement and retention strategies. Research on the influence of strategic risk management and crisis preparedness planning on organizational resilience is also welcomed. Authors may also address how nonprofits can balance their mission-driven focus with the need for organizational sustainability and provide frameworks for assessing and improving an organization's resilience over time.

We encourage thought-provoking empirical and theoretical work. Research topics appropriate for the special issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

• How can social economy organizations balance their mission-driven focus with the need for organizational sustainability?
• How do different organizational forms impact social economy organizations’ resilience?
• What strategic management practices enhance or impede resilience in social economy organizations?
• How does digital transformation facilitate the development of resilience in social economy organizations?
• Are there differences between the adaptations social economy organizations make to survive or thrive, and what drives these differences?
• How do external factors, including the regulatory environments, influence the development of resilience capabilities in social economy organizations?
• What metrics or frameworks can be developed for assessing and improving organizational resilience over time?
• What is the role of strategic risk management and crisis preparedness planning in fostering organizational resilience?
• How can/should an organization strike a balance between risk-taking and resilience, since there may be trade-offs between innovation and risk?
• What insights can be gained from cross-national comparisons of resilience among social economy organizations?

This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted nature of resilience within social economy organizations. We encourage submissions that provide new insights, theoretical advancements, and practical implications for nonprofit and social enterprise sectors. Studies that compare the experiences and practices of nonprofits and social enterprises under different governance systems, societal value institutions, leadership styles, governmental fiscal conditions, and/or different accounting systems are especially encouraged. By contributing to this issue, authors will help advance our understanding of how these organizations can not only withstand but also thrive amid challenges and disruptions. We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions and fostering a rich academic discourse on this critical topic.

Guest Editors

Professor Elizabeth Searing,
University of Texas at Dallas, USA,
[email protected]

Professor Alasdair Rutherford,
Stirling University, UK,
[email protected]

Professor Carolyn Cordery,
Victoria University of Wellington, NZ,
[email protected]

Professor Nancy Chun Feng,
Suffolk University, USA,
[email protected]

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available by clicking the button below.

Submit your paper here!

Author guidelines must be strictly followed.

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal

Key Deadlines

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 1 June 2025
Closing date for manuscripts submission: 31 October 2025

References

Berkovich, Z., & Searing, E. A. (2021). The elephant in the dark: the social origins of research in nonprofit financial management. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 33(5), 575-598.
Besel, K. (2001). The role of local governmental funding in nonprofit survival. Advances in Social Work, 2(1), 39-51.
Cordery, C. J., & Yates, D. (2024). Regulatory responses to build charity financial resilience: “Tow Truck” or “Guardian Angel”? Financial Accountability & Management, 40(3), 260–281.
Jaskyte, K. (2015). Board of directors and innovation in nonprofit organizations model: Preliminary evidence from nonprofit organizations in developing countries. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 26, 1920-1943.
Kober, R., & Thambar, P. J. (2021). Coping with COVID-19: the role of accounting in shaping charities’ financial resilience. Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, 34(6), 1416–1429.
Lune, H. (2002). Weathering the storm: Nonprofit organization survival strategies in a hostile climate. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 31(4), 463-483.
Mano, R. S. (2010). Organizational crisis, adaptation, and innovation in Israel's nonprofit organizations: a learning approach. Administration in Social Work, 34(4), 344-350.
Mosley, J. E., Maronick, M. P., & Katz, H. (2012). How organizational characteristics affect the adaptive tactics used by human service nonprofit managers confronting financial uncertainty. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 22(3), 281-303.
Searing, E. A. (2020). Life, death, and zombies: Revisiting traditional concepts of nonprofit demise. Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, 6(3), 354-376.
Searing, E. A., Wiley, K. K., & Young, S. L. (2023). Resiliency tactics during financial crisis: The nonprofit resiliency framework. In Understanding Nonprofit Organizations (pp. 275-289). Routledge.
Soh, J. I., Searing, E. A., & Young, D. R. (2016). Resiliency and stability of the zoo animals. In The Social Enterprise Zoo (pp. 236-257). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Witmer, H., & Mellinger, M. S. (2016). Organizational resilience: Nonprofit organizations’ response to change. Work, 54(2), 255-265.
Young, D., & Searing, E. (2022). Resilience and the Management of Nonprofit Organizations. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Retrieved Aug 12, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800889736