Nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations providing home care services for the israeli frail elderly: A comparative analysis

The article presents a longitudinal study on the behavior and functioning of voluntary nonprofit organizations (VNPOs) and for-profit organizations (FPOs) providing home care services to frail elderly persons in Israel according to the Long Term Care Insurance Law, which was implemented as of 1988. The study examined differences and similarities in the strategic, structural, administrative, and human behavior of VNPOs and FPOs over a 10-year-period. The main findings point to blurring distinctions between organizations in both sectors, which can be attributed to their high dependence on governmental resources, adoption of similar service technologies, and transmission of professional norms. In light of the above, the article seeks to shift the focus of research from the question who provides to how services are provided and what structural and organizational properties may contribute toward improving service effectiveness.