School of Business

Non-profit Institutions

Co-leads: Dr Tania Arrieta and Dr Katharine Venter

The research group on Non-Profit Institutions focuses on the development and dissemination of knowledge related to the changing nature of non-profit organisations, the challenges they face, opportunities for the improvement of their practices, and implications for workers (volunteer and paid labour). Our research not only focus on the assessment of recent events; it also aims to understand how ongoing restructuring have affected these institutions’ practices. We work with a range of stakeholders, including public institutions (e.g., the NHS, Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, the police service and adult social care) the third sector (e.g., charities), Trade Unions, and scholars from different institutions. 

Our research group adds value to the University’s strategic area of Research-inspired Education through our engagement with research activities and the development of research outputs to inform our teaching practice. We encourage the participation of our students in some of our research activities to educate them about careers, employment, and volunteering within non-profit institutions. Furthermore, we add value to the University’s strategic area of Our Citizens through the development of strong partnerships with non-profit and academic institutions.

People

Publications

Arrieta, T. and Davies, J. S. (2025) From food emergency to poverty prevention: the emerging changing function of food banks in Leicester, Independent Policy Brief. Published by the University of Leicester

Arrieta, T. and Davies, J. S. (2024) Crisis Management in English Local Government: The Limits of ResiliencePolicy & Politics

Foureaux Koppensteiner, M., Matheson, J. and Plugor, R. (2024) Improving access to support services for victims of domestic violence: demand for services and victim outcomes.

Tamassy, R., Gering, Zs., Kiraly, G., Plugor, R. and Rakovics, M. (2023) The portrayal of the role and agency of students and higher education institutions in highly ranked business school discourses. Journal of International Education in Business.

Roy, C. & Venter, K. (2025) Making 'caring' work for working carers Futures of Work (32) (Article)

Baines, D., Cunningham, I., James, P. and Roy, C. (2021) Privatizing the sacrifice: individualized funding, austerity and precarity in the voluntary sector in Australia and Scotland. In S. McBride, B. Evans and D. Plehwe (Ed.), The Changing Politics and Policy of Austerity. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 82 -102. (Book Chapter)

Currie, D., McCracken, M. and Venter, K. (2022) Avoiding the Vicious Cycle, Engendering the Virtuous Circle: Understanding the Interaction of human, social and organizational capitals in Non-Profit Organizations. Journal of Business Research, 152: 17-28.

Venter, K. (2022) Betwixt and Between: The Invisible Experiences of Volunteers’ body work. Work, Employment and Society, 36(5): 911-927

Wang, W., Creese, J.,  Harris, K., Written Evidence to the National Medical Training Review in 2025. 

Wang, W., Creese, J., Karanika-Murray, M., Harris, K., McCarthy, M., Leng, C., King, C., Can Compassionate Leadership of Hospital Senior Leaders Help to Retain Trainee Doctors? BMJ Leader.

Selected events

  • 2026 Workshop co-created with non-profit organisations to advance knowledge on the themes of resilience, workers’ well-being, and organisational financial well-being. Currently in development.
  • 2025 Guest speakers’ series on the ‘Value of the Public Sector’.
  • Participation in the Festival of Science (FoSs) 2023-24 with our project ‘You Need to See This: Realities of Public Service Work Today’. Project funded by the ESCR Impact Accelerator Account.
  • Two knowledge-exchange events with medical doctors in November 2023 and February 2024 (Funded by the British Academy).
  • One Policy Dialogue Day with Senior Leaders from NHS Trusts, Health Education England and the GMC. This event was held in May 2024 (Funded by IAA ESRC).

 

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