How does work context facilitate the emergence of altruism in public and nonprofit sector workplaces?

The purpose of this article is to explain the impact of the organizational context on engagement in other-oriented behaviours. Employing a rich, qualitative enquiry involving interviews with 94 individuals, the authors reveal how differences in organizational values of care and reward systems affect employees’ engagement in other-oriented, altruistic behaviours. The discussion highlights the increasing pressures in public and nonprofit sector contexts and answers calls for more theory-oriented research to understand the impact of management on public and nonprofit service organizations.