Navigating the Rapids: How Non‐Governmental Organization Managers Develop Strategic Adaptation to Repressive Political Environments

ABSTRACT This article explores the management adaptation strategies non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) managers employ in order to operate in repressive political environments. It answers the question: how do NGO managers initiate, manage and sustain internal change when the political/regulatory environment changes? Within the past few decades, a surge of government regulatory and funding restrictions has impacted the activities of NGOs across the globe. While some NGOs have discontinued operations despite a growing need for their services, others have found novel spaces of adaptation to these pressures. Drawing on in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with managers and experts in Egypt, the finding of our study is that, NGO managers have developed four major internal management adaptation strategies: (1) making changes to their mode of operation, (2) staff restructuring, (3) diversification of funding sources, and (4) making changes to their original organizational mission.