Making sense of the territory: CEO perspectives on Australian charities

This study aimed to better understand the dynamics of Australian charities in dealing with the expectations that accompany government funding. It was informed by local commentary and international academic literature theorising not-for-profit activity. This study used in-depth interviews to explore the commentaries of CEOs in 41 not-for-profit organisations. Designed as an inductive and interpretativist study, it mapped the paradoxical dynamics of charities and the system they are part of-through the eyes of both theoreticians and practitioners. It also considered the implications of that mapping specifically for leadership theory and practice in charities and in the not-for-profit sector more generally.