Performing well? A survey study on the outcomes of community-based initiatives and their performance antecedents

There is a growing interest in community-based public services within Western countries. In community-based initiatives (CBIs), citizens collectively initiate and implement initiatives aimed at tackling societal issues in... [ view full abstract ]

There is a growing interest in community-based public services within Western countries. In community-based initiatives (CBIs), citizens collectively initiate and implement initiatives aimed at tackling societal issues in providing public goods or services for their community. Hence, in CBIs, citizens take a leading role in the provision of public goods and services. CBIs have gained increasing attention in the political and policy discourse the last two decades. Moreover, they have been acclaimed for their (potential for) innovativeness, problem-solving capacity, and legitimacy. However, we lack empirical research and especially large N studies on the outcomes of CBIs and the antecedents influencing their performance. Moreover, a theory-based scale that measures performance of CBIs is unavailable. To address these needs, this paper aims to develop and test an analytical model of community self-organization that identifies relationships between performance and four influencing factors by using survey data on CBIs collected in the Netherlands (N=674). We developed a theoretical framework in which internal oriented (transformational and transactional leadership, organizational capacity, and bonding social capital) and external oriented (boundary spanning leadership, government support, and bridging and linking social capital) factors affect performance of CBIs, and we created a scale to measure performance. Using structural equation modelling we tested our model and (preliminary) results show a strong influence of transformational leadership on performance, directly and indirectly through the organizational capacity of CBIs. Furthermore, boundary spanning leadership is crucial to enhance the level of government support, which affects performance positively. Implications of these and other conclusions are discussed and future research directions are drawn from the research results.