Mega-event volunteers, similar or different? Vancouver 2010 vs London 2012

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare motivations of volunteers at two mega multi-sport events. Design/methodology/approach – The research used a quantitative research design to survey volunteers at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (n=2,066) and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (n=11,451) via an online questionnaire based upon the Special Event Volunteer Motivation Scale. Findings – The results indicate that the volunteers, most of whom had previously volunteered, were motivated by similar variables, including the uniqueness of the event, the desire to make it a success and to give back to their community. The results of the principal components analysis indicated that most items of the scale loaded onto similar components across the two research contexts. Research limitations/implications – There were methodological limitations in terms of the timing of the questionnaire administration and Likert scales used, however, these issues were controlled by gatekeepers. These limitations could have research implication for comparative studies of volunteers at mega events. Practical implications – Understanding volunteer motivations will enable event managers and volunteer managers to plan for legacy. Social implications – Volunteer motivations include wanting to give back to their community and therefore, increases the potential for volunteer legacy. Originality/value – This is the first research that: enables comparison of winter and summer Olympic and Paralympic Games volunteers; has substantial sample sizes in relation to the variables; applies higher item loadings to strengthen the analysis; and involves the use of the same instrument across events.

Post-Event Volunteering Legacy: Did the London 2012 Games Induce a Sustainable Volunteer Engagement?

“…This raised the public's expectations of potential Games legacies related to volunteerism [36]. For example, it was suggested that 40% of applicants for London 2012 volunteer roles were inspired to volunteer for the first time, even though a survey of London 2012 Games Makers found later that only 20% of respondents were volunteering for the first time [37].…”

Talking ’bout my generation: generational differences in the attitudes of volunteers at the 2012 Olympic Games

“…For example; volunteers with either set of values might resent LOCOG taking advantage of their market position or feel they had not been treated with sufficient respect so codes recording this were not used. Similarly the motive of being part of a once in a lifetime-event ('being part of it'), has been shown to dominate in volunteering for the Olympic Games (Dickson, et al 2014) but across all age groups. Codes are described in Table 1.…”

The 2012 Olympic Ambassadors and sustainable tourism legacy

“…Similar to other studies of tourism volunteering, research on mega-event volunteers is focused on the motivation of mega-event volunteers (e.g. Dickson, Benson & Terwiel, 2014;. V O G -in-atheir motivations and expectations are extremely high, as noted at the 2000 Sydney Olympics (Green & Chalip, 2004), the 2002 Commonwealth Games , and the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games (Dickson, Benson & Terweil, 2014).…”

“…However, a second motivational cluster, identified by both Dickson et al and Alexander et al (2015) analysis, included motivational statements L United Kingdom, and being proud of London and the United Kingdom. In the Dickson et al (2014) analysis this was the second strongest cluster of motivations, measured by the mean score of responses.…”