Research by a UT Dallas professor was cited recently for its contribution to knowledge in the field of nonprofit management.
Dr. Rachel Croson, professor of economics in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and director of the Negotiations Center, earned the praise for an article that appeared in Nonprofit Management & Leadership. Croson also is professor of organizations, strategy and international management in UT Dallas’ School of Management.
Croson’s article, “Keeping Up with the Joneses: The Relationship of Perceived Descriptive Social Norms, Social Information, and Charitable Giving,” won the annual Editors’ Prize for Best Scholarly Paper. The prize consists of $1,000 contributed by the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations and $1,000 in books from Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Articles considered for the prize were judged on their contribution to the understanding of nonprofit management, the quality of writing and analysis, and the usefulness of the information for the practice of nonprofit management and leadership. The editors of Nonprofit Management & Leadership selected the three best articles published in the journal, and advisory board members then voted for the winner.
Croson said she is pleased to receive this recognition for her work. “This stream of research illuminates the importance of social factors in charitable giving, and how nonprofits need to consider these factors in managing their donor base,” she said.
The award was given to Croson and her co-authors Femida Handy (University of Pennsylvania) and Jen (Yue) Shang (Indiana University) on Nov. 19 in Alexandria, Va., at a conference sponsored by the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action.