October, 2004
INTRODUCTION
This bibliography was developed to assist the Illinois Arts Alliance (IAA) with the task of determining the need for a publication about interim directors specific to nonprofit arts organizations. Sources were compiled through scans of academic databases, internet search engines, information culled from consulting firms that provide interim director services for nonprofits, and recommendations from the staff of the IAA. To build the bibliography, search terms included: interim director, executive director, nonprofit management, nonprofit management change, nonprofit transition services, and nonprofit consultants.
As is evident below, there is a variety of literature available. These sources range from fully refereed journals, to a range of specialized publications by consultants, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, and others. Articles published by refereed journals involve teams of scholars that review and assess an article for its quality and the contribution it makes to a specific field prior to publication. While these may be relevant to a field, they may not be relevant to the every day issues faced by organizational leaders. Conversely, recommendations in specialized publications by consulting groups, while often embracing significant issues and are directed to solve specific problems, but are not always the result of systematic data collection. Furthermore, such publications may serve to endorse an individual’s preferred approach to a particular problem or may even serve to promote the services of an individual or group. By presenting these references together, we seek to highlight the range of thought that is applicable to the topic of interim directors as well as highlight the need for further investigation.