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A qualitative analysis of social intelligence in nonprofit organizations: external knowledge acquisition for human capital development, organizational learning and innovation

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Knowledge Management Research & Practice

Abstract

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are in crisis due to the introduction of new public management. Social intelligence represents organizational members’ tacit knowledge, abilities and skills to sense and understand the needs of external stakeholders, and constantly interact appropriately with the stakeholders for the benefits of their firm. Using 20 qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews across nine Australian NPOs as the central instrument, this paper argues that social intelligence acts as a catalyst to external knowledge acquisition, which can have a dynamic influence on human capital development and organizational learning for innovation in NPOs. The analysis also reveals that half of the participants’ understandings of social intelligence are different to those commonly contained in the literature. The paper argues that a better understanding of the theory–practice divide of social intelligence is necessary if knowledge management, organizational learning and an intellectual capital-view of the firm are to be fully integrated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts, School of Management & Enterprise, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia

    Eric Kong

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  1. Eric Kong
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Correspondence to Eric Kong.

Appendix

Appendix

Interview guide

General information

  • What is your role in your organization?

  • How did your organization get started?

External stakeholder relationship/external knowledge acquisition

  • How would you describe your existing relationship with your key external stakeholders?

  • How important are the external stakeholders to your organization and why?

  • What role do external stakeholders play in your operations?

  • What makes your organization successful/failure in engaging external stakeholder relationships? Please provide examples.

  • How is knowledge acquired in your organization? Please provide examples.

  • How important is external knowledge acquisition to your organization and why?

  • What internal learning processes are in place in your organization? Please provide examples.

  • How important are the internal learning processes in your organizations and why?

Social intelligence

  • What does social intelligence mean to you and your organization?

  • What role does social intelligence play in your organization?

  • How important is social intelligence to your organization?

  • How is social intelligence nurtured in your organization? Please provide examples.

Human capital

  • What does human capital mean to you and your organization?

  • What role does human capital play in your organization?

  • How important is human capital to your organization?

  • How is human capital developed in your organization? Please provide examples.

Organizational learning

  • What does organizational learning mean to you and your organization?

  • What role does organizational learning play in your organization?

  • How important is organizational learning to your organization?

  • How is organizational learning cultivated in your organization? Please provide examples.

Innovation

  • What does innovation mean to you and your organization?

  • What role does innovation play in your organization?

  • How important is innovation to your organization and why?

  • How is innovation promoted in your organization? Please provide examples.

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Kong, E. A qualitative analysis of social intelligence in nonprofit organizations: external knowledge acquisition for human capital development, organizational learning and innovation. Knowl Manage Res Pract 13, 463–474 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2013.63

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2013.63

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