Not-for-Profit Organizations: A Multi-Disciplinary Review and Assessment From a Strategic Management Perspective

Abstract

Despite the popularity of not-for-profit organizations (NFPs) as a research topic, existing comprehensive reviews are rather limited, resulting in a large body of literature that lacks integration. In this review, we summarize prior research on NFPs, focusing on four key differences between for-profit organizations and NFPs: organizational goals, financial resources, human resources, and leadership and governance. Our aims are to delineate the major inroads that have been made—not only in theory testing, but also in theory building—and to identify fruitful avenues for continued inquiry.