Between the Ideal of the Project and Ideal Consensus: Different Approaches to Democratic Governance in Nonprofit Organizations
The governance of non-profit organizations is based on the democratic principle of “one man, one voice”. Our thirty interviews revealed a range from the “ideal of the project” to the “ideal consensus”. The ideal of the project connects the disciplinary function of the governance in which the presidents defend the efficient realization of the project supported by the majority. The ideal consensus corresponds to a cognitive approach to governance according to which the presidents allow the project to evolve according to the different points of view expressed within the assembly in order to obtain the commitment of all.