Non-profit institutions: professionalism, accountability and civic-engagement

Purpose – Non-profit sector management represent a research topic particularly discussed. This work tries to introduce a potential reaction to the need of managerial techniques and instruments to enhance the comprehension of the phenomenon and to accomplish a more powerful management of Non-profit institutions (NPIs). Design/methodology/approach – The complexity of non-profit sector can be useful for identifying the ideal trajectories of a theoretical model of reference for the management of NPIs. Findings – The main purpose is to outline a probable path for the evolution of the non-profit sector management (at the macroeconomic level) and of NPIs that are part of it (at the microeconomic level) and whose main dimensions are: professionalization, civic-engagement and accountability/corporate social responsibility. Originality/value – This research tries to fill the gap existing in the international literature and the relative absence of systemic approaches to the management of NPIs, often focused only on some specific aspects of an extremely complex and multifaceted phenomenon.