ABSTRACT
Understandings of managerialism vary widely in the management literature. Often managerialism is cast as one of several related ideologies, which include the inherently special role of managers, a reverence for technical skills, or an allegiance to business practices (e.g., profit and efficiency). However, such definitions (developed in the for-profit or public arenas), whether commended or decried, are often ill suited for the nonprofit context. This chapter argues that the natural constraints on nonprofit organizations and the inclinations of those involved, including the emergence of firms through market failure, the simultaneous management of multiple bottom lines, and intrinsic motivation of organizational members, lead to augmented understandings of managerialism in the nonprofit context. In this chapter we discuss the role of managerialism in nonprofit management education, focusing on the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council guidelines. We then discuss how the conditions faced by managers in the nonprofit sector alter our understanding of managerialism.
