Успешность преодоления личных неудач участниками НКО: адаптация модели Шеперда

Журнал исследований социальной политики. 2025. Т. 23. № 4. С. 709–724.

Десятова М. И., Zangieva I.

Non-profit organizations have become an important part of the social support system. However, the sustainability of their activities largely depends on employees’ ability to cope with personal failures arising from high emotional demands, resource scarcity, and working with vulnerable groups. Despite the significance of this process, the mechanisms by which personal failures are overcome in the non-profit sector remain insufficiently studied. This article analyzes the factors that influence employees’ successful coping with negative experiences and assesses the applicability of D. Shepherd’s model, which was originally developed for use in research. Based on a theoretical adaptation of the model and a series of in-depth interviews with employees of child-­focused non-profit organizations, the authors identify the conditions that enable individuals to remain motivated and learn from challenging situations. Empirical data confirm key elements of Shepherd’s original model, such as the roles of error normalization, temporal distance, coping strategies, and moderate negative emotions. However, they also reveal additional factors relevant to the third sector, such as support from an authoritative leader, integration into organizational social networks, and access to professional psychological assistance. Building on these findings, the article proposes an expanded conceptual model of overcoming personal failure in non-profit organizations, ,reflecting the specific nature of emotional labor and non-material motivation. The study highlights the importance of organizational conditions that facilitate the processing of negative experiences, demonstrating that supporting employees during periods of failure is a structural task of social policy, not an individual matter. Ensuring access to psychological support, strengthening horizontal ties and building a culture of error normalisation could be significant tools for enhancing the sustainability of non-profit organisations and the quality of social services they provide.

Keywords: НКО, non-profit organizations, coping strategies, employee motivation, personal failure, Shepherd’s model, личные неудачи, модель Шеперда, мотивация сотрудников, стратегии преодоления неудач

Publication based on the results of: The diversity of forms, effects and barriers to integration of modern Russian society in synchronic and diachronic dimensions (2025)