Becoming a Manager in Nonprofit Service Organizations: Building on Evidence from the For-profit Sector

The transition from direct service to management in human service organizations requires newly promoted managers to engage in significant role transformation that calls into question their selfconcept and identity. Yet new managers are rarely provided training opportunities that address the formation of a managerial identity. This analysis draws upon the for-profit and nonprofit literature to construct a conceptual model of managerial identity formation. The model is then applied to a case vignette of a managerial leadership development training program developed by a regional network of nonprofit human service agency directors. The analysis concludes with implications for managerial training and leadership development in human service organizations.