Organizational Factors Affecting Volunteers: A Literature Review on Volunteer Coordination

Abstract

While volunteer literature presents diverse insights into the motives, personal dispositions, and sociodemographic characteristics of volunteers, researches comparatively seldom focus on the incentives and organizational context affecting volunteers. This review aims to shed light on the organizational factors affecting volunteers collectively and to discuss the coordination of volunteers. Systematic research of the literature revealed 386 publications that are relevant to volunteer coordination. Their abstracts were analyzed in a process of open and selective coding, which led to the identification of three main clusters. This literature review produced the following propositions: it is argued that the practices and instruments of volunteer management (Cluster 1), and, even more strongly, the organizational attitudes towards volunteers as well as the organizations' embedded values (Cluster 2), co-determined by social processes (integration and production of meaning), are crucial factors affecting volunteers. The review also deals with structural features that limit the action space of volunteers and volunteer coordination (Cluster 3). It concludes by discussing the limitations present in the current volunteer research and provides implications for future research endeavors. Thus, this piece of work presents a holistic view on volunteer coordination and theory building by carefully synthesizing information about the organizational context of volunteering from different disciplines and research traditions, resulting in different intervention logics, and by integrating these data in an analytical framework.

Committed to Whom? Unraveling How Relational Job Design Influences Volunteers’ Turnover Intentions and Time Spent Volunteering

“…The first question has garnered most of the attention among researchers. Indeed, the field is rich with research on individual characteristics (e.g., demographics, personality traits, motives) that drive people to initiate volunteering (Lindenmeier, 2008;Studer and von Schnurbein, 2013). Their second question, on the other hand, has yet to be fully explored.…”

“…In other words, what are the mechanisms through which these effects manifest? Answering this question is theoretically important, as it lays the groundwork for a comprehensive theory on the management of volunteers (Studer and von Schnurbein, 2013;Wilson, 2012). Moreover, understanding the linchpin(s) that link relational job design with important outcomes can guide practitioners in the design of volunteer roles to maximize retention and the hours volunteers dedicate to their service.…”

“…Moreover, we present two unique mediators that explain the processes by which relational job design is related to these valued outcomes. In doing so, we respond to calls to extend theory on the management of volunteers by adapting research derived from the paid employment into the voluntary context (Cnaan and Cascio, 1999;Shantz et al, 2013b;Studer and von Schnurbein, 2013) and by examining organization-relevant factors that influence volunteer behavior (Studer and von Schnurbein, 2013;Wilson, 2012).…”

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

“…The academic literature on the management of volunteers has tended to focus on identifying organizational factors designed to increase volunteer participation, motivation, and retention (Studer & Schnurbein, 2013;Wilson, 2012). This is not surprising given that voluntary organizations face the conundrum that it is generally much easier for volunteers to quit their volunteer employer than it is for salaried workers to quit theirs, thus creating what has been termed the "important challenge" of retaining a voluntary workforce (Garner & Garner, 2011: 814).…”

“…The present paper takes a more focused perspective by exploring organizational factors that can be implemented by voluntary organizations to encourage individuals to volunteer in their free time outside formal work commitments. Specifically, we examine factors that are within a voluntary organization's control that can positively enhance volunteer outcomes in particular (Gagné, 2003;Huynh et al, 2012;Studer & Schnurbein, 2013). In this, we respond to the call for research focusing on organizational factors that are associated with volunteer outcomes (Boezeman & Ellemers, 2007;Craig-Lees, Harris, & Lau, 2008).…”