ABSTRACT
This chapter is the first of two chapters that present the empirical findings of data gathered in this study. It provides descriptive data that was gathered during the exploratory survey stage. As it was established in Chapter 4 on methodology, the survey stage was the second in a three-stage methodology employed in this study. The purpose of this chapter is to answer two sets of questions that have been established in the previous chapter. The first set explores and describes the extent of positioning activities, the type of positioning strategies adopted in charities in the general welfare and social care subsectors, and their organizational characteristics. The second set identifies the possible factors that influence the charities’ positioning strategy. Due to the lack of empirical evidence in these areas an inductive research strategy was adopted for this exploratory survey stage. A self-administered postal questionnaire was used to collect quantitative and qualitative evidence to answer the research questions established for this research stage. As discussed in the previous chapter on methodology, this exploratory stage was an essential first step to a deeper understanding of the strategic positioning activities of charitable organizations, but not sufficient for its full understanding. Emerging themes from the survey stage will be identified and subsequently investigated in greater depth at the next stage of the study, that is, the case studies stage.
