There has been a mixed reaction by the public on the exact roles played by non profit organizations in the society in terms of the contribution they make to the general public and also to other organization alike. Virginia A. Hodgkinson and Michael W. Foley in their book “The Civil Society Reader” seeks to enhance and enliven this debate through a series of studies that cut through time, cultures, and disciplines. This is as result of the complexity of the meaning of engaged citizenship that oscillates between home and family life and the non-profit enterprises and government agencies. This debate is indeed intriguing and compelling not only in the US but across the globe. This is due to citizens’ encounter with diverse political realignment, religious, fundamentalism, economic development, environmental change and other civil alignments.
The question of what role non-profit organizations (NPOs) play is indeed contextual in that, it is likely to provoke various answers depending on a particular individual’s position in the society. For instance people working from those organizations will give very different responses from those who do not work with the organizations.
This paper therefore will seek to conduct an independent and extensive interview with the main target group being the workers of these organizations. The purpose of the interview will be to unearth the role(s) if any played by these non profit civil society organizations. These interviews will target as many workers as it is practical however for the purpose of quality only four selected of them will be discussed in this paper.
The selected civil society company/ organization for this paper is, Health Distribution Management Association (HDMA) a trade organization that represents Pharmaceutical and Related Health Care Product Distributors through America. The size of this organization in terms of the geographical appeal it commands is fundamental in the study and hence the generalization of the roles played by non-profit organizations in the society. For instance this is an organization that caters for the welfare of all pharmaceutical and related health care product distributors all over America and therefore it stands a better position in terms of service provision to its members (society)
HDMA as quoted above is an example of non profit organization in the US that ensures that its member’s interests are catered for fully. These interests includes: the management of distribution channels, the war on counterfeits, bargaining for better terms of business, sustaining a good public figure of the pharmaceutical distributors, and also the general coordination of the entire pharmaceutical industry. HDMA is a large body with a large number of employees who mostly include professionals who offer the much needed expertise in the quest for the fulfillment of the above mentioned roles. The following HDMA staff members will be interviewed; Lisa Gallagher – director, member relations, Anita Duca – senior director, regulatory affairs, Brian Cherico – regulatory affairs and Kim Earie – vice president, member relations and meetings.
Out of the four named senior employees of HDMA Lisa Gallagher, the director member relation was very detailed in her views on the role of her organization in the society and the contribution it is making to society. She began her views from a layman’s point of view of the meaning of civil society to the complex, blurred, and negotiated relationship between civil society and the non profit organizations in the US. From her views the civil society is like an arena of unforced, collective actions that surrounds shared interests, purposes and values. Civil society when compared with the state, very little difference can be noted as practically they (civil society and state) are all comprised of the same institutional forms which only vary in their degree of formality and powers.
For instance civil societies are normally characterized by organizations such as; non governmental organizations, registered charities, women groups, community organization, professional organization, self help groups, business organizations, trade unions and many more others (what is civil society? Center for civil society, London school of economics, 2004)
From her views about on non profit organizations it was noted that many non profit civil society organization have been formed and continue to be formed by people whose agendas are diverse. For instance community groups and trade unions are the most active civil society organization that commands huge membership. The core business of these organizations is always to safeguard the civil rights of the members. However from her views as the organizations grow big by day, under the management of the few appointed professionals they tend to digress from their core business. This she noted was as a result of political, socio-economic and religious alignments that affect the organization in their quest for fair and better representation of the members civil rights.
However she was upbeat in the positive contribution her organization (HDMA) and others alike make to the civilians and the society at large. From the definition part of the civil society it is clear that common interests dictate the formation of institutions e.g. HBDA. These institutions/ organizations play a vital role in the perpetuation of democracy. It should therefore be noted that the political element of many of these organization is what enables the society to get informed about matters that concerns them as citizens of a given country. This awareness puts the society in a better position in terms of making informed voting decisions, participating in politics and therefore making the government more accountable in its practices. Again these organizations help to build social trust and shared values which are transferred into the political arena and therefore help to make the society remain firm, as an understanding is built on interconnection of interests within the society (Robert D.Putman, 1993)
She summed up her arguments on democracy and non profit organizations by clarifying that civil society have always and continue to hold and disseminate political powers in democracy building and awareness despite them being low key players. It is from these views that make these organizations to be promoting nationality and nationalism in a more democratic way (Pollock, 2001).
Anita Duca, senior director regulatory affairs contributed her views on the role of her organization (HDMA) in the American society. She seemed a bit more informed in her approach to the matter and she had a different idea which seemed to be weightier and covering the other smaller roles her organization played. Globalization she defined as, the provision of contact between the local society, and the rest of the world (Mann, Michael 1984). This she supported by saying that the society get financial and ideological support from HBDA and other non profit organizations alike to grow and expand both horizontally and vertically (united nations partners in civil society).
Globalization can be viewed as a social phenomenon that helps to incorporate liberal ideas into the society and therefore make the society more informed and in touch with the issues, which concerns it. Here globalization seems to bring out a clear distinction between non profit organizations and other politically derived institutions of the state. She quoted her institution efforts in helping to bring together the key markets players of the pharmaceutical and health related products distributors industry. This helps these distributors to gain national and global platform in the expanding the pharmaceuticals distribution net work. Although these distributors pay for the services rendered by HDMA, its role on globalization remains paramount in the society.
Kim Earie, the vice president, member relations and meetings, a position in the organization that deals with the general coordination between members and the organization. In his views collected during a general meeting of the members it was deduced that HDMA plays the role of fighting against social exclusion. He was much categorical by giving out various dimensions of social exclusion that the contemporary society faces. This he quoted examples of the impacts of capitalism as a system of governance that has many benefits at the expense of smaller important issues facing the civil society. The role here when stated in simple terms, is giving all the members of the society a platform to express themselves socially in a world of cut throat competition. HDMA for instance gives this opportunity to various members who represent the whole civil society in the US. The society through HDMA makes it known to the government its socials needs, and its current feelings towards the government activities (role of NPO in combating social exclusion)
This one-on-one interview with the vice president of HDMA on members’ relations and meetings was regarded as most reliable as it was conducted during one of the organizations general meeting that brings together all its members, the members present also supported this view. They indeed confirmed that they represented the local communities, of their company’s place of operation and therefore HDMA through them made sure that those communities renamed socially active and informed.
Brian Cherico had a more far reaching idea on HDMA and other non-profit organizations roles in the society. He seemed tied to the history of civil society as put forth by numerous scholars like Karl max, Hegel, Gramsci and others. He referred to NPOs as the key terrain of strategic action to construct alternatives in social and political aspects of the society. NPOs are therefore the vehicles for challenging the existing values and indicating new ones in the counter – hegemonic struggle against capitalism (Edwards, 2004). However he added that this role is not only reserved for NPOs but also the other social organizations and even political parties alike (Alagappa 2004). He generalized his views and incorporated the role of defending the society against the state and market, and therefore formulating democratic measures to put the state under scrutiny. He clarified on the issue of fighting capitalism, as not meaning waging wars against its perpetuation but putting in place measures and practices to neutralize some of its practices that seem to sideline the trivial but important issues of the local societies.
These interviews all taken and conducted on a anonymous basis in order to do away with the fear of getting victimized for giving out company secrets, this led to sincere responses from the respondents. Further, they were conducted from a personal point approach with assurances made prior that the views will not be taken as the general views on HDMA but just an individual views on HDMA and other NPOs in general. Hence, they gave a clear picture on the real roles played by HDMA and other NPOs alike in the society.
In a quick overview of the respondents’ views, it is clear that NPOs do play far many roles in the society which range from social, political, economic and also religious in nature. When summoned up HDMA roles in the society are all linked to the general principles of civil society as stipulated in “The Civil Society Reader” by Virginia Hedgkinson and Michael Foley. It should also be noted that NPOs have quite a number of shortcomings that sometimes taint their good reputation in the society.
Work cited:
I) the Civil Society Reader, by Virginia Hedgkinson and Michael Foley, ISBN-13: 978-1584652786
ii) What is civil society? Center for civil society, London school of economics, 2004, available at;
http://www.ise.ac.ak/collections/CCS/what_as_civil_society.htm, accessed on Octobers 8, 2008
iii) Robert D.Putman, Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy; 1993; Princeton.
iv) Pollock, Graham. ‘Civil society Theory and Euro-Nationalism’, Studies In Social & Political Thought, Issue 4, March 2001, pp. 31-56 2001
v) United Nations partners in civil society, available at;
http://www.un.org/partners/civil_society/home.htm, accessed on Octobers 8, 2008
vi) Role of NPO in combating social exclusion, available at;
http://go.worldbank.org/RY11L5XTQ0, accessed on Octobers 8, 2008.
vii) Edwards, Michael, Civil society. Cambridge, England: Polity Press, 2004. ISBN 0-7456-3133-9.
Viii) Alagappa, Muthiah, Civil society and Political Change in Asia. Stand ford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8047-5097-1
2004
ix) Mann, Michael; 1984; The Autonomous Power of The State: Its Origins, Mechanisms and Results; European Journal of Sociology 25: pp185-213
