Navigating the complexities of altruistic helping in nonprofit organizations: an analysis of benefits, burdens and managerial challenges

Joanna Maria Szulc and Fabian Homberg

Public Management Review, 2025, vol. 27, issue 11, 2738-2763

Abstract: We investigate how individuals cope with side effects of altruistic behaviour at work, i.e. genuine helping behaviour which is not part of any job description, and what role the organizational context plays in these dynamics. Employing simultaneous dyadic interviews, we show how employees of non-profit organizations cope with undesired effects of altruistic help. Our data provides evidence of unintended outcomes for the individual which manifest in increased perceptions of emotional tension, problems with own work, and exploitation. We shed light on the involved mechanisms by analysing the psycho-emotional coping processes associated with helping behaviour. Implications for non-profit managers are discussed.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2024.2369798

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