Logic Salience in Ideologically-torn Nonprofit Hybrids

Abstract

There is a well-documented tension in many nonprofits-particularly those seeking government contracts or working in areas that compete with the private sector-between the institutional logics of business-market and nonprofit-mission. This paper presents a case study of a century old Swedish nonprofit. It suggests that in the presence of competing hybrid logics, organizational actors respond according to the logic to which they are drawn ideologically. Logic salience as a concept is proposed and its three categories are identified to delineate which type and degree of salience individuals hold towards market logic, mission logic, or towards both. The findings indicate that logic salience can enable or constrain any of the hybrid goals and can provide some explanation as to how or why certain organizational responses that do not represent the collective come about as organizations are wedged between competing logics. Considering the increasing role of nonprofits in the delivery of public services, relevance to research and policy is also highlighted.