Idealism, Disillusionment, and Cynicism in Response to Values (In)Congruences in U.K. Nonprofit Organizations: An Exploratory Study

• Published in: Nonprofit and voluntary sector quarterly Vol. 50; no. 6; pp. 1150 - 1169
• Main Author: Sanderson, Zoe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.12.2021; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Congruence; Cynicism; Employees; Idealism; Ideology; Management styles; Nonprofit organizations; Personhood; Values; United Kingdom > UK; organizational cynicism; ideological psychological contract; organizational identification; organizational values
• ISSN: 0899-7640; 1552-7395; 0899-7640
• DOI: 10.1177/0899764021995249

I present the findings of an exploratory qualitative enquiry into how employees in U.K.-based nonprofit organizations with clearly espoused organizational values experience values (in)congruences. Participants tended to adopt one of three positions—idealism, disillusionment, or cynicism—which they may transition between at different times. I use the theoretical lenses of the ideological psychological contract, organizational identification, and organizational cynicism to interpret these employees’ experiences. These data show how ideological psychological contract and organizational identification processes are entwined as employees fluidly navigate values (in)congruence in nonprofits. This analysis supports a critical reading of organizational cynicism, demonstrating how nonprofit values can be experienced as a form of managerial control, against which employees may wish to defend their selfhood. Several directions for future research are indicated.