Burnout and connectedness among Australian volunteers: A test of the Job Demands–Resources model

Enhancing Volunteer Engagement to Achieve Desirable Outcomes: What Can Non-profit Employers Do?

“…This may be particularly relevant in the not-for-profit sector, since volunteer behavior is less easily mandated, and freedom to quit is far greater than in for-profit firms (Farmer & Fedor, 2001;Leonard, Onyx, & Hayward-Brown, 2004). There is some empirical support for the link between engagement and retention in the voluntary sector (Lewig et al, 2007). We therefore additionally propose that engagement is associated with intent to leave the voluntary organization.…”

“…capability development). Positive outcomes at the individual level are important for volunteer employers and volunteers alike (Fujiwara, Oroyemi, & McKinnon, 2013;Lewig et al, 2007;United Nations Volunteers, 2012). In order to address these issues, we focus on three potential outcomes of engagement that are relevant for voluntary organizations and volunteers: perceived social worth, happiness, and intent to leave.…”

“…While these studies have advanced our knowledge of some factors which can make a difference for volunteers and their voluntary organizations, little is known about the causal mechanism that might explain the relationship between organizational factors and positive outcomes for volunteers (Jenkinson et al, 2013;Lewig, Xanthopoulou, Bakker, Dollard, & Metzer, 2007). A notable exception is a study by Lewig et al (2007) which showed that burnout and connectedness mediated the relationship between job demands and job resources with health and determination to continue.…”

“…A notable exception is a study by Lewig et al (2007) which showed that burnout and connectedness mediated the relationship between job demands and job resources with health and determination to continue. In the present study, we extend this earlier research by proposing and testing a model that examines the effect of task and emotionoriented organizational support on two other dimensions of volunteers' wellbeing -their sense of happiness and perceptions of social worth -in addition to their turnover intentions.…”

“…First, we focus on two facets of volunteer wellbeing that have rarely been explored in previous volunteering research, namely happiness and social worth. By focusing on these outcome variables we provide a broader picture on the ways in which volunteers benefit from dedicating their time to volunteering activities, and add to the collection of studies which have demonstrated that volunteering is beneficial for volunteers' overall satisfaction and wellbeing (e.g., Jenkinson et al, 2013;Lewig et al, 2007;Pillemer et al, 2010). Examining these outcomes, along with intent to stop volunteering, is consistent with Huynh et al's (2012) argument that there is a close association between individual level outcomes for volunteers such as improved wellbeing, and important organizational outcomes, such as retention.…”