Cathy Knowles

Cathy Knowles is a Senior Lecturer at the Oxford Brookes Business School, specializing in Management Accounting and performance management within non-profit organizations. She teaches modules including Management Accounting, Accounting Synoptic, and supervises MSc dissertations. Her research focuses on developing performance management frameworks for voluntary sectors, particularly hospices and charities, informed by Simons' Levers of Control theory. She holds a PhD titled 'Managing the unmeasurable – performance management in UK hospices.'

Her work emphasizes the application of performance measurement systems in third-sector organizations, leveraging both formal and informal controls. Notable publications include studies on integrated performance management using IT in UK charities and frameworks for the voluntary sector. She has presented at conferences such as the Management Accounting Research Group and International Society for Third Sector Research, winning a prize in 2023 for her work on informal and formal controls in UK voluntary hospices.

Professional affiliations include the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). Her research aims to enhance strategic alignment and governance in charities, addressing challenges in measuring intangible outcomes.