The engagement of informal volunteers in disaster management in Europe

Nahkur, Oliver; Orru, Kati; Hansson, Sten; Jukarainen, Pirjo; Myllylä, Miia; Krüger, Marco; Max, Matthias; Savadori, Lucia; Nævestad, Tor‐Olav; Meyer, Sunniva Frislid; Schieffelers, Abriel; Olson, Alexandra; Lovász, Gabriella; Rhinard, Mark

doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.103413

Cited by 17 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Instead, the tasks are either easy, zero‐risk tasks requiring little monitoring or worst‐case scenario—alternatives where digital volunteers are authorities' last hope. This can be because spontaneous volunteering is seen as a supportive resource to formal volunteerism in Finland, where tasks with higher risks are delegated to organized volunteers (Nahkur et al, 2022). It also reflects the cautiousness toward informal volunteers identified in previous studies (e.g., Johansson et al, 2018).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Especially the third sector, which includes NGOs such as the Red Cross and the Voluntary Rescue Services (Vapepa), a network of over 50 volunteer organizations, plays an important role in supporting public authorities' security functions (Jalava et al, 2017). In Finland, most volunteers are affiliated with an organization, but spontaneous volunteering is encouraged and seen as a supportive resource for formal volunteers (Nahkur et al, 2022). Under Vapepa, there are currently no voluntary organizations that would work mainly digitally (A. Suomalainen, personal communication, May 8, 2023).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Digital volunteers could aid in crises by providing a communication link between citizens and authorities or by working with other information‐related tasks (Smith et al, 2021). However, authorities' perceptions of digital volunteers have received limited attention in the field (e.g., Hughes & Tapia, 2015), as research on crisis volunteerism to date mainly has focused on the relationship between authorities and informal, on‐site volunteers (e.g., Nahkur et al, 2022; Nielsen, 2019). Such spontaneous volunteerism is often perceived by the authorities more as a risk than as a resource (Eriksson & Danielsson, 2022; Johansson et al, 2018), making them an unexploited asset.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Matter of trust: How to include digital volunteers in crisis management

Ruohonen,

Backholm

2023

Contingencies & Crisis Mgmt

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Digital volunteers are becoming more visible actors in crises. By collecting data, correcting misinformation, and organizing help, they are often a much‐needed resource in crisis management. Despite this, authorities generally see spontaneous volunteers as a risk and a burden, thereby creating a paradox identified by Harris and colleagues. To extend the paradox to digital volunteers, this study aims to understand how Finnish emergency response organizations perceive spontaneous digital volunteers and how these could become a resource in crisis management. Eight informants representing six authorities/non‐governmental organizations were interviewed in March 2019. The results show that authorities see potential in digital volunteers but only for strictly limited tasks as problems with trust and volunteers' lack of knowledge and training stand in the way of cooperation, thus confirming the paradox. The main contribution of this study is to show how the involvement/exclusion paradox exists in the relationship and may create barriers between authorities and digital volunteers.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Matter of trust: How to include digital volunteers in crisis management

Ruohonen,

Backholm

2023

Contingencies & Crisis Mgmt

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“…There are country differences in NPO types, volunteer profiles (e.g., the mix between formal and informal, or regular and episodic), regulations, and management practices that must be considered before attempting any generalization of our results to other countries. Likewise, there are differences in channel usage by volunteers across countries, although there are some relevant commonalities too, like the unstoppable growth in the use of social media (Nahkur et al, 2022). Third, we used an online questionnaire sent by the SRC to its volunteers via email.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Volunteer omnichannel behavior in nonprofit organizations: Key antecedents and implications for management

Santiso

Rey‐García

Sanzo‐Pérez

2023

Nonprofit Mgmnt & Ldrshp

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The purpose of this research consists of identifying the antecedents that may influence the adoption of omnichannel behavior by volunteers. This behavior can be understood as the interchangeable use of online and offline channels, providing volunteers with multiple contact points with nonprofit organizations. To this end, we first propose a conceptual model based on Clary et al.'s motivations framework and other relevant literature. Second, we test our model through quantitative‐based research, employing an online questionnaire with a representative sample of 7822 volunteers working for the Spanish Red Cross. We then carry out a hierarchical cluster analysis to group similar volunteers into clusters according to the use they make of the different offline and online channels, followed by an ordered logistic regression analysis to test the hypotheses proposed. First, two volunteer profiles are identified: offline‐oriented volunteers with low or no omnichannel behavior, and online‐oriented volunteers with high or very high omnichannel behavior. Second, our results suggest that some types of motivations among volunteers (understanding the nonprofit, career or employment opportunities, the advice of family, friends, and acquaintances, and protective reasons), as well as the sense of belonging, perceived usefulness of new technologies, social influence and having feedback channels, all positively influence the adoption of omnichannel behavior by volunteers. Additionally, our findings reveal different effects for the two clusters identified. Finally, and using a contingency approach, implications for nonprofit–volunteer relationship management are drawn.

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“…Informal volunteering has gained widespread interest in disaster management as it stimulates spontaneous responses by individuals and voluntary groups from within and outside disaster-affected communities [38].…”

Section: Community Disaster Response Programmes (Cdrp)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Community-Based Strategies for Disaster Preparedness in Mauritius

NEERUNJUN

2024

Journal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences

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Mauritius is Small Island Developing State (SIDS) of volcanic origin which lies in the South-West Indian Ocean Basin and is vulnerable to the consequences of global environmental challenges. The fourth priority action of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 is to consolidate disaster preparedness for an effective response and to have a Build Back Better agenda that will improve recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. This research aimed at examining the disaster management system in Mauritius through community-based approaches. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre’s (NDRRMC) involvement with the community living in high-risk zones was investigated. This study used quantitative data gathered from secondary sources and included the number of field training simulation exercises, training of volunteers under the Community Disaster Response Programme (CDRP), awareness campaigns and formulation of contingency plans based on documentation across Mauritius. The NDRRMC identified 109 high-risk zones across Mauritius out of which 13.7 per cent benefitted from all four forms of mitigation activities. Results indicated that contingency plans in Mauritius were evidence-based and had been developed after identification of disaster risk in selected regions, and therefore, they were limited to some types of disasters only. Findings also revealed that flooding was the most common type of simulated disaster exercise undertaken. The greatest number of field simulation exercises was carried out in Poste de Flacq. Results also demonstrated that only 38.5% of the community were exposed to disaster-related awareness campaigns, making it the least common form of disaster risk reduction (DRR) activity in Mauritius.

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The engagement of informal volunteers in disaster management in Europe

Cited by 17 publications

References 35 publications

Matter of trust: How to include digital volunteers in crisis management

Matter of trust: How to include digital volunteers in crisis management

Volunteer omnichannel behavior in nonprofit organizations: Key antecedents and implications for management

Community-Based Strategies for Disaster Preparedness in Mauritius

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