Private sector tools for social missions? How Nonprofit Leaders Adapt Management Frameworks in Practice

Private sector management frameworks (PSMFs) are increasingly utilised by nonprofit leaders to drive strategy and manage operations. While some scholars laud PSMFs for enhancing nonprofit productivity and strategic effectiveness, others contend they are ill-suited for a social mission context. This study addresses a pragmatic route forward, exploring how nonprofit leaders of organisations in the UK and US adapt PSMFs to befit their nonprofit context. Through in-depth interviews and document analysis we explore PSMF translation in six cases, revealing three distinct “PSMF translation” approaches: Responsive, Proactive and Mediative. These categories demonstrate senior leaders are intentional actors who rework private sector logic to fit functional nonprofit needs, bridging the dual demands for commercial efficiency and social impact. We conclude by addressing the currently ad hoc and atomised state of PSMF usage, calling for scholars, policymakers and field leaders to support informed PSMF translation across the social sector.