Say it like you mean it: How managers cultivate authenticity when communicating non-governmental organisational performance

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are crucial to societal and economic progress yet face significant challenges communicating performance to stakeholders. I explore how managers cultivate authenticity in their communications. Based on interviews with 67 Australian NGO managers, I show how managers balance consistency with their values, conformity to sector norms, and genuine connection with stakeholders. I introduce the concept of ‘repairing mechanisms’, which are practices used by managers to confront three critical challenges: overreliance on metrics, exploitative depictions, and over-promotion of NGO achievements. These insights illuminate how NGO managers strive to resolve the challenges of communicating NGO performance while cultivating their authenticity