Being professional in a NPO

Sammanfattning: Being professional in a nonprofit organisation Date of the seminar: May 30 2012 Course: BUSN49 Degree Project in Managing People, Knowledge and Change – Master level Authors: Ingrid Appelberg, Emilia Bobeck-Leulier, and Erik Pålsson Supervisors: Anna Pfeiffer and Helen Nicholson Keywords: Identity, nonprofit, NPO, professional, identification, understanding Thesis purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how professionals in a NPO understand and relate to their work. The aim is not to empirically generalise but to provide deep insights and understanding of how individuals in a particular NPO view this. Methodology: This study is of explorative character, taking an interpretive perspective to research. A qualitative case study is conducted with an abductive approach. Theoretical perspective: Previous, relevant research concerning the marketization and professionalization of the nonprofit sector and NPOs. Also, identity theory with emphasis on Social Identity Theory and Professional Identity form our theoretical lens. Empirical foundation: The unit of analysis in this case study are nonprofit workers at IM. The empirical material consists of nine semi-structured interviews with nonprofit workers in managerial positions. Documents and observations were used as a complement in the collection of empirical material. Conclusion: Professionals in NPOs are exposed to contradictory demands due to the marketization and professionalization. However, by categorizing themselves and defining who they are, the navigation between business discourse and meeting philanthropic objectives is facilitated.