A Tale of two situations : an empirical study of behavior by not-for-profit managerial leaders
By: PETERSON, Tim O
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Contributor(s): FLEET, David D. Van.
Material type: 
ArticlePublisher: Armonk, NY : M.E. Sharp, June 2008Public performance & management review 31, 4, p. 503-516Abstract: Not-for-profit organizations experience crises just as for-profit organizations do. However, the managerial leadership behavior required in a notfor-profit organization may differ from that required in a for-profit organization. Since the terrorist attack of September 11, the managerial leadership behavior required in a crisis has received a lot of attention. Many different people are providing managerial leaders with advice on how to act during a crisis. Although the advice may be useful, a great deal of it is based on anecdotal evidence or personal opinion, not empirical findings. In fact, there is little empirical research on the managerial leadership behavior required in a crisis situation. Yukl and Van Fleet (1982) did the seminal work on this topic, but their findings are limited to military participants, with combat as the crisis situation. More recently, Peterson and Van Fleet (2003) reported findings for the for-profit sector; however, this study is the first to examine the not-for-profit sector. We find that whereas all three participant groups desired a few specific managerial leadership behaviors, there are also differences and shifts in priorities among groups. The implications of these findings, limitations to the study, and future research are also discussed
Not-for-profit organizations experience crises just as for-profit organizations do. However, the managerial leadership behavior required in a notfor-profit organization may differ from that required in a for-profit organization. Since the terrorist attack of September 11, the managerial leadership behavior required in a crisis has received a lot of attention. Many different people are providing managerial leaders with advice on how to act during a crisis. Although the advice may be useful, a great deal of it is based on anecdotal evidence or personal opinion, not empirical findings. In fact, there is little empirical research on the managerial leadership behavior required in a crisis situation. Yukl and Van Fleet (1982) did the seminal work on this topic, but their findings are limited to military participants, with combat as the crisis situation. More recently, Peterson and Van Fleet (2003) reported findings for the for-profit sector; however, this study is the first to examine the not-for-profit sector. We find that whereas all three participant groups desired a few specific managerial leadership behaviors, there are also differences and shifts in priorities among groups. The implications of these findings, limitations to the study, and future research are also discussed
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