Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine the changing relationship between the role of government and the activities of nonprofit service providers, focusing on the area of long-term care for the elderly in Japan. The findings are as follows.
First, organizational isomorphism among service providers seemed to take place. While the organizational isomorphism in the US was based on the commercialization of 501 (c) ( 3 ) organizations, the organizational isomorphism among Japanese private service providers stemmed from the demand to all service providers to operate following the standards set by the central government.
Second, some nonprofit service providers were pursuing the possibility of expanding their activities to more profitable areas, which seemed to serve as a leverage to deepen the stratification between the highly commercialized nonprofit service providers and those that were not. I observed that the mechanism of the orgalzational isomorphism among the Japanese nonprofit service providers would resemble to the US-type mechanism once the commercialization is established.
Third, the Japanese central government obtained the legitimacy to wield influence over local governments and private service providers for the purpose of assuring equity in public services. My view is that the legitimacy would be undermined when the stratification proceeded.
Finally, the relationship between the nonprofit service providers and clients showed signs for changes as indicated in the preceding studies in the US.
