Study on Public Cognition of NGOs from the Perspective of Legitimacy

Abstract

Public cognition is the basic element of the legitimacy of NGOs and has an important influence on the development of NGOs, but it receives insufficient attention in theoretical research. This paper examines public cognition of NGOs by constructing a scale in the two dimensions of attribute and function and distributing 2,596 questionnaires in 29 provincial regions across China. The results show that the level of public cognition of NGOs is generally high; compared with attribute cognition, function cognition is at a higher level and more stable; in terms of internal structure, the non-distributive attribute and policy advocacy function are at the bottom of attribute cognition and function cognition, respectively. Individual characteristics, such as demographic characteristics, educational background, region, and type of their organization, have varying impacts on public cognition of NGOs in different dimensions. In addition, involvement, business connection, and training influence the level of public cognition of NGOs through function cognition. To further increase public cognition of NGOs and improve legitimacy of NGOs, focus should be on the dissemination of knowledge about NGOs, and public education in this regard should be continuously strengthened, so that the public can get a better and more comprehensive understanding of NGOs.