Public Management Even Before We Refer to

Public Management Even before we refer to our theme, it is best that we give out a definition of what a stakeholder is. As such, a stakeholder is "any individual or group which can affect or is affected by an organization's activities." If we are to start with some of the non- profit organizations stakeholders, we first need to know exactly what these organizations refer to and than determine which are those directly concerned with their activity.

According to an essay on the Internet, there are three types of non- profit organizations: "(a) foundations; (b) academic and research institutions; and - field-based and other non-governmental organizations." If we refer to these separately, we will conclude there are different groups of interest for each. Let us first refer to foundations. As we know, these can have many missions, anything from fighting a disease (research foundations) to sustaining education in poor countries or for poor social classes.

If we look at the medical foundations, there are two different stakeholders here. The first category of stakeholders is represented by the doctors. Indeed, it is in their interest that these foundations come up with funds that can be donated for research in specific medical areas.

The second category of stakeholders in the case of medical foundations is made up of patients, people who suffer from the respective diseases or who may contract them in future time (for example, if we refer to a AIDS research foundation, the gay category will represent a category of stakeholders, as they have a larger risk of possibly contracting the disease). The educational foundations seek to support those with a lesser chance of getting a good education.

The stakeholders are represented here by the members of lower social classes, with less yearly revenues. If we are to refer to academic and research institutions, then the main category of stakeholders here are the scientists, literary persons or intellectuals in general. Of course, the doctors and medical scientists I have mentioned in the paragraph here above can also be included in this category. In general, anyone that is conducting a research can appeal to academic and research non- profit organization for help and join the stakeholder category.

However, for all foundations and non- profit organizations mentioned, we should also add the government as a stakeholder and a pressure at the same time. It is common knowledge that some of these foundations are only the front face for other activities, some of them illegal, and it is the government's involvement to ensure that these types of activities are stopped. In this sense, specific sections of the government become stakeholders, with a direct interest in controlling the NPO activity.

Pressures are also received from a part of the population that sees foundations as a mean for some people to get rich by posing into generous man. As we are familiar, non- profit organizations are often a mean by which tax deductions and other privileges compensate the generosity and sometimes even produce a profit. There are groups of interest that are taking an attitude towards this.

If we compare these stakeholders with those of public agencies, we will find that the main differences is that the non- profit organization have an activity directed to a specialized category of persons and, as such, the stakeholders themselves tend to be less diverse. On the other hand, the tax paying citizen is a stakeholder for any public agency and it is he that puts the greatest pressure on the heads of public agencies. Let us take, for example, a water supply agency in a city.

The beneficiaries are the citizens of this city, who pay taxes and expect to be provided with something in return. This something is a service they purchase by paying a tax. As such, it is their right to demand that that service is performed to the highest of the agency's ability. Otherwise, they are entitled to demand compensation from the agency. In many ways, they are themselves a pressure group.

However, the government can also act as a pressure group by controlling the activity of these agencies and by making the appropriate adjustments where things don't work accordingly. The government is at the same.