The Hybridization of Meaningful Nonprofit Work: An Exploratory Study of the Effects of Marketization on Nonprofit Managers’ Sense of Meaningfulness in Work

Abstract

Nonprofit work is oftentimes viewed as inherently meaningful work, but the world of nonprofit work is changing by becoming increasingly marketized. These changes are impacting nonprofit workers’ conception and experience of meaningful work. Drawing from scholarship on neoliberal marketization, enterprise culture, and meaningful nonprofit work, this exploratory study examines how an increasingly marketized work environment is influencing nonprofit managers’ experience of meaningful work. Findings from interviews demonstrate that nonprofit managers conceive of and experience meaningful work in expected ways (e.g., through serving others). At the same time, findings indicate that their experience of meaningful work evokes elements of enterprise culture. These findings suggest that meaningful nonprofit work is becoming hybridized such that it evokes both prosocial and neoliberal market values. This in turn necessitates a reconsideration of the motivations of nonprofit workers as well as our understanding of the mechanisms by which the nonprofit sector is becoming marketized.

Nonprofit Boards in Pursuit of Innovation for Growth: Views From the Frontline

“…For instance, commercial decisions of social enterprises (established as financial-capacity socialimpact builders) were affected by their founding nonprofit's mission (Fitzgerald & Shepherd, 2018); and meaningful nonprofit work reflected prosocial/market-values coexistence (B. Sandberg & Robichau, 2022). Furthermore, a scattering of embryonic research explores the performative effects of nonprofit motivations and life cycles.…”

“…Conversely, studies have identified the trend of nonprofits toward embracing marketization/mission competing tensions to achieve growth and impact. For instance, commercial decisions of social enterprises (established as financial-capacity social-impact builders) were affected by their founding nonprofit’s mission (Fitzgerald & Shepherd, 2018); and meaningful nonprofit work reflected prosocial/market-values coexistence (B. Sandberg & Robichau, 2022).…”

Values, Performance, or Both? How Values-Focused Work Can Benefit From Results-Based Management

“…Both role ambiguity and role conflict are role stressors that have been shown to be associated with emotional exhaustion, job dissatisfaction, and even burnout (Gilboa et al, 2008; Peiro et al, 2001; Rizzo et al, 1970; Schmidt et al, 2014). The article thus contributes to a stream of literature that discusses how the use of management practices originally developed for the business sector influences nonprofit organizations’ societal roles, the nature of the work they do, and the work-related perceptions and behavior of nonprofit staff, more particularly (e.g., Sandberg & Robichau, 2022; Suykens et al, 2023).…”