Accountability in Korean NPOs: Perceptions and Strategies of NPO Leaders

This study examines how senior managers of Korean nonprofit organizations construe their accountability environment, particularly with respect to the perceived expectations of various stakeholders. In-depth interviews were conducted with 42 nonprofit executives in Seoul and six other major Korean cities. Subsequent surveys were completed by 271 organizations. The interview results were used to construct a survey instrument to generalize the findings. The findings suggest that executives of South Korean NPOs perceive board members, staff members, and government agencies as their top three significant stakeholders to whom they are accountable. Regarding the important question of “for what” they are accountable, the respondents emphasized compliance to legal obligations and observance of democratic principles of organizational operation. This study also identified four common components in South Korean NPO accountability obligations: professional integrity, civic engagement, and inter-organizational partnership (civic activism-oriented and professionalism-oriented).