External environmental change and transparency in grassroots organizations in China

Abstract

As the nonprofit sector emerges in China, so too do the concerns about nonprofit transparency. In response to calls for increased nonprofit information disclosure and the lack of related research, this study examines changes in transparency of Chinese grassroots nonprofit organizations. Using the first national Survey of Transparency on Grassroots Organizations (2013–2015), this study finds that Chinese grassroots nonprofit transparency has increased in the past few years. Applying resource dependence theory in China-specific social contexts, this study highlights the importance of external resource to nonprofit transparency. These findings contribute empirical evidence to the nascent literature on nonprofit transparency and provide implications for enhancing nonprofit transparency in China and beyond.