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Organisations in the Australian public sector have faced significant reforms in recent years. One of these reforms emphasises increased accountability and competition. This study provides an overview of the accountability processes relating to grant funding and the impact of these processes upon New South Wales Bushcare environmental volunteering organisations. Neo-institutional theory is used to explore the accountability structures and reveal the dynamics organisations displayed as they operated within an institutional field. Competition within the field increases as more Bushcare organisations contend for scarce funding. The adoption of business-like practices have proliferated throughout the field of Bushcare organisations and these taken-for-granted practices by Bushcare organisations has a legitimising effect on those within the field. Practical implications of these responses to institutional pressures are provided and findings suggest further research opportunities on neo-institutional theory.

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Katie Lazarevski is a doctoral candidate at the School of Management and Marketing at the University of Wollongong and a member of the Marketing Research Innovation Centre (MRIC). Her research interests include tourism marketing and non-profit marketing. Katie s PhD dissertation focuses on improving market segmentation s managerial usefulness.

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