· Personal Details
Name: Inbal Abbou
Phd Student, Dept. of Business Administration, The Guilford Glaser School of Business and Management, Ben-Gurion University
Office (08)647-9738; Mobile (052) 3587989
Email: abboui@bgu.ac.il
· Education
M.A. 2003-2004, Honors MBA Program , Dept. Of Business Administration,
Ben Gurion University, Beersheba, Israel
Thesis: 2006
Advisor: Prof. Gidron Benny
Title: Nonprofit or For-profit? Perceptions, Attitudes and Decision Making in the
Home Nursing Market in Israel
B.A. 1999-2002, Health Management, The Faculty of Health Science, Ben Gurion University, Beersheba, Israel, with distinction
· Abstract
The theory of mixed markets in which nonprofit and for-profit providers compete, argues that in the purchase of services characterized by information asymmetry customers will prefer nonprofit providers. However, the underlying assumption that customers can distinguish between nonprofit and for-profit providers has not been tested thus far. The current study examines the decision making process made by customers in the mixed home nursing services market in Israel. The study focuses on the subjective experiences of 13 interviewees that reported on 14 elderly customers, in an attempt to elucidate the process by which customers choose between providers in this market. To do so, the study examines various aspects of customer's perceptions and other explaining factors affecting provider choice. Specifically, the study looks into the following:
A. the process of decision making among home care customers, while studying the role played social support networks in that process.
B. home care customers awareness to differing types of home care service suppliers
C. home care customers attitudes toward nonprofit organizations and for-profit organization supplying home care services
D. the effect of the customer's attitudes on their decisions
The research approach was qualitative. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews. Interviews' content was analyzed, looking into various factors: service characteristics, customers and decision makers, the role of social support network in the decision making process, meaning attached by customers and their agents to different organization types, and how these perceptions affected provider choice.
The findings show that most of the decision makers are sons/daughters of the elderly customer. As well, in most cases the exposure to the service provider and the first contact were made by the agents' social networks and little or none were done formally. Regarding perceptions and attitudes – it was found that although all of the interviewees had knowledge of non-profit organizations not one of them knew if their provider was nonprofit or for-profit. In addition, the study found that interviewees were divided regarding the type of organization which they thought is more suitable to provide home care services. Some of them expressed distrust in nonprofit organizations and few even perceived for-profit organizations to be more efficient and professional. As well, reported attitudes towards nonprofit and for-profit organization notwithstanding, the agents decision was based mostly on their social networks prior acquaintance with specific providers.
The findings of the current study diverge from the notion suggested in the existing literature - half of the interviewees expressed preferences towards for-profit organizations – a finding inconsistent with the argument that customers of services in mixed markets prefer nonprofit providers due to the trust conferred on them by virtue of their nonprofit status.
The current study has several limitations. First, it studies the customer's decision making in retrospect and not prior to the decision, running the risk that respondents will retrospectively validate their choices. Second, two of the interviews took place in Russian and were later translated to Hebrew. In translating an interview there is a concern that some of the content and the spirit of the interview would be lost. Finally, the current study was done in a specific mixed market and due to that the study finding might be limited only to the elderly home care services and not to all mixed markets. This can be addressed in future research that will extend the analysis to different services, not only home care services for the elderly.
· Awards
Dean's Award, Guilford Glazer School of Management, 2008
Certificate of Excellence, Ben Gurion University, Faculty of Health Science, 2002
Certificate of Excellence, Ben Gurion University, Faculty of Health Science, 2001.
· Publications
Abbou, I. (2007). Attitudes and Decision Making in the Elderly Home Care Mixed Market in Israel. Civil Society and the Third Sector, 1:2. [in Hebrew]
אבו, ע. (2007). תפיסות עמדות והעדפות לקוחות בשוק הסיעוד המעורב. חברה אזרחית ומגזר שלישי, כרך א', מס' 2.