Testing Resource Dependency as a Motivator for NGO Self-Regulation: Suggestive Evidence From the Global South

This article builds upon existing research to approach self-regulation from the theoretical perspective of resource dependency. The underlying assumption is that an organization is more likely to adopt self-regulation practices if it has a high level of resource dependence. Using regression analysis to evaluate data collected from one-sector nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Lebanon, results provide moderate support for some claims, mainly that diversity of funding sources is positively correlated with self-regulation practices. Without being able to deal with many of the reasonable alternative explanations, these results are at best suggestive. Self-regulation among this small subset of Lebanese NGOs is not necessarily adaptive or resource-based; it is more likely to be proactive and a result of voluntary adherence to informal norms and expectations. Further empirical research is needed to sort out between resource dependency explanations and plausible alternatives.