Quality Assurance Translated? Comparing Nonprofit Evaluation Practices in Germany and the United States

Abstract

This article presents findings from a study of management practice in youth career assistance nonprofits in Germany and the United States, focusing on the area of evaluation. It was hypothesized that the institutional frameworks of the welfare regime, public administration, and the nonprofit sectors’ origins play an essential role in shaping evaluation practices at the level of operative management. Interviews with managers in both countries were conducted utilizing the World Management Survey in a mixed methods design. Data were evaluated using statistical methods and qualitative content analysis. The findings indicate significant quantitative and qualitative differences between nonprofit evaluation practices in both countries. These results are discussed within the institutional framework used for hypothesis formulation, concluding with suggestions of future research avenues for internationally comparative nonprofit scholarship.