Impression management and legitimacy in an NGO environment

Abstract

The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 left a trail of destruction throughout South Asia. Overseas aid agencies, overwhelmed by donations, committed to manage the funds responsibly. Criticism of the relief effort soon followed, potentially threatening the credibility or perceptions of legitimacy for these organisations. The for-profit sector uses impression management in annual reports in response to legitimacy threats. This study anticipated a similar reaction from non-profit organisations. Annual reports of Australian overseas aid agencies were analysed for any change in the use of impression management tactics prior to and post the event. The results indicate there was no significant difference.