This paper explores the differences of home-visit care business performance between private for-profit and nonprofit organizations, the latter of which are divided into Government-Initiative NPOs and Private-Initiative NPOs in Japan, in order to analyze whether the market is on an equal footing base with respect to Long Term Care Insurance System. The results of a survey conducted by an Osaka University research group suggests that Government-Initiative NPOs are in a favored position to gain business expansion because of their long and close relationship with governments, this despite the fact that the Long Term Care Insurance System was introduced to open competition in the elderly care service market. It is also concluded that Government-Initiative NPOs are viewed much more negatively than Private-Initiative NPO in general voluntary nonprofit activities other than Long Term Care business.

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Based on a background in the theory of government-NPO relations and the resulting debate about environmental governance, this paper examines the relations between environmental NPOs and environmental policy from both positive and normative views. The main conclusions of this study are as follows: (1) In addition to donations, government expenditures must also be considered as a policy matter. (2) It is necessary to combine the activeness of environmental NPOs and the promotion of participation in the policy making process with environmental-friendly expenditures of public finance and simultaneous intervention in the market economy. (3) Some rules relating to relations between government and environmental NPOs must be incorporated into the government expenditure system.

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This paper presents a theoretical framework of knowledge management for NPOs on the basis of Nonaka’s theory of “organizational knowledge creation.” Knowledge creation by an NPO is a process in which the mission and its relevant knowledge to realize that mission are created by the articulation of common desires of its members and accepted by society through the implementation of the mission. NPOs should: (1) utilize the knowledge of “ordinary people,” experts, and stakeholders; (2) create open “ba” to create, share, and utilize that knowledge; (3)adequately articulate their missions; (4) accumulate expertise and acquire knowledge from outside the NPO itself through social networks; and (5) have leaders who have ‘know-who’ networks as social capital and negotiation/persuasion skills. An eight-step Knowledge Management program is proposed for NPOs that want to incorporate knowledge management in their management practice.

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This paper investigates the nature of business and nonprofit sector partnerships. In order to build effective partnership with NPOs, business firms must take notice of the conflicts between their profit-making and nonprofit aspects as well as consider whether the collaborative activities envisioned are socially meaningful. This paper presents a typology for examining the problems and implications of such business and NPO partnerships by focusing on the social aspects of business.

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Questionnaire and hearing investigations were conducted within advanced companies in the area of philanthropy activity regarding their partnerships with NPOs. The results indicate that future expansion of partnerships of companies and NPOs will be expected as these add to the social activity of companies. In order to develop positive partnerships with NPOs as viewed by the company side, the importance of a “Partnership Coordinator” position, with responsibilities for promotion of the NPO is noted. As an example of a company actively involved in philanthropy and where the “Partnership Coordinator” is adequately functioning, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited. and AEON Co., Ltd. were considered, and a role analysis of the “Partnership Coordinator” was performed. The conclusions indicate that it is necessary for the “Partnership Coordinator” to function systematically within corporate activity and as a “networker” or “change agent”.

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The purpose of this paper is two-fold: first to evaluate a certain public-private partnership (PPP) project implemented in the City of Yokohama, and through identfying factors causing differences of results, second, to suggest an effective way to implement PPP at a local level. Using the results of questionnairs answered by participating citizens together with case studies, 25 specific projects implemented by 18 ward offices of Yokohama City were evaluated on the basis of varied measurement criteria such as the purpose of the project as specified in the plan. Factors causing differences of results were analyzed on the basis of interviews of both citizens and public offices in charge of each project and the assessment of the actual facts for the projects — for example, whether budgets were contributed to citizens or not. It is concluded that the more decisively power and responsibility were shared between NPO and public offices, the more effective the PPP projects were. However, it was also made clear that in order for NPO to be able to participate effectively in PPP, they need further effort to gain trust and reliability to carry the decisive power and responsibility expected from the PPP framework.

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