Qiang Dong,Jiahuan Lu,Shanshan Guan.2026.From Connections to Actions: When Do Government Ties Matter to Nonproft Organizational Performance?

From Connections to Actions: When Do Government Ties Matter to Nonproft Organizational Performance?

Qiang Dong,Jiahuan Lu,Shanshan Guan   

Corresponding Author: Shanshan Guan Email:guanshanshan@bjut.edu.cn

 Public Administration and Development ,First published: 07-April-2026

ABSTRACT:Nonproft organizations are essential for public service delivery, yet the value of their government ties is contested. This study examines the mechanism that translates these connections into tangible results. We propose that political networking—the deliberate cultivation and use of offcial relationships—is the critical catalyst. Based on survey data from Chinese social ser-vice nonprofts, our fndings are decisive. Government ties alone do not predict enhanced organizational performance. Only when combined with high levels of political networking do these connections become a signifcant driver of superior outcomes. This research demonstrates that government ties are latent assets. Their potential is only unlocked through strategic agency. For public administration and development practice, this means fostering the relational capabilities of nonprofts is as crucial as facilitating their access to the state.

Keywords: Chinese nonprofts;government‐nonproft relations;government ties;organizational performance;political networking|relational capabilities

From Connections to Actions When Do Government Ties Matter to Nonprofit Organizational Performance.pdf

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.70073