What contributes to the development of local non-profit organizations in China? A configuration analysis of the industrial development paradigm

The extant research has underexplored how combinations of causally relevant contextual factors relate to the development of local non-profit organizations (NPOs), especially in developing countries. Based on an industrial development analytical framework, this study explores how combined contextual factors (market substrate, institutional environment and network interface) can explain the cross-provincial development imbalance of NPOs in China. Using a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to examine NPO development across 31 Chinese provinces, the results identify four configurations that contribute to high-level NPO development and can aid policymakers and NPO shareholders in tailoring differentiated NPO development practices.