Management development does pay off in non-profit organisations, but they don't see financial management as a priority.

In for-profit organisations, management development has been shown to be effective in improving performance, both for the individual and ultimately the organisation. In contrast, little is known of the effectiveness or otherwise of management development in the Non-profit sector. Nevertheless, organisations in this sector have many of the characteristics of small business, so organisations in the disability sector in Queensland were surveyed to see whether 'for-profit' management development had any beneficial effects on performance. As might be expected, the research found that management development enhances performance in that it is related to higher job satisfaction, higher interest in jobs, greater organisational effectiveness, and greater organisational goal attainment. Unexpectedly, financial management was not considered to be a high priority by many Non-profit organisations in the disability sector. If left unremedied, this financial blind-spot is likely to prove a serious impediment to the sound operation of such organisations.