The Importance Of Purpose As A Motivational Factor In Nonprofit Organizations

This article shows a possible solution for employee motivational issues in the nonprofit sector. The research was conducted in a Hungarian nonprofit organization, a social service institution for people with disabilities. The authors show how purpose can be transformed into a concrete performance-enhancement tool. The purpose-driven direction can be most compatible with a nonprofit organization’s own goals to increase performance and employee satisfaction. Change in the attitude of managers is necessary. First, the social goals must be determined, and then the opportunity to identify with the goals must be created. Job crafting is a suitable process for this. The added value of purpose-driven work, which could also include economic value, is beginning to be recognized in the for-profit sector. For this reason, it may be essential to use the experience of the nonprofit sector, too.