ABSTRACT
The nature of management research in the voluntary and community (or third) sector offers a sectoral and research community paradox. It grows in importance with the search for sectoral effectiveness (crucial for donors, funders, users and purchasers), examining organizational structures and rationales and services delivery. Yet it is also limited in its foothold, where ‘managerialism’ (in the sense of an unwelcome feature, privileging managerial or business models) is argued as a limitation on the sector’s role and purpose. Further, what may be loosely called voluntary sector or third sector studies is predominantly published in social policy, sociology and public administration journals; with Nonprofi t Management and Leadership the sole management-oriented title.1
