Volunteer Management Practices and Volunteer Retention: A Human Resource Management Approach

Abstract

KEY WORDS: human resource management, community sport organisations, volunteers This study used a human resource management (HRM) approach to examine the efficacy of volunteer management practices in predicting perceived problems in volunteer retention. Participants were a sample of 375 Australian Rugby Union clubs from across the country. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the properties of a hypothesised reflective measurement model with seven volunteer management constructs (planning, recruitment, screening, orientation, training and support, performance management, and recognition). The efficacy of volunteer management practices was tested using regression analysis.

The management of volunteers – what can human resources do? A review and research agenda

“…For instance, research shows that training facilitates the commitment and/or retention of volunteers of Australian rugby clubs (Cuskelly et al, 2006), Spanish social and ecological non-profit organizations (Hidalgo & Moreno, 2009), a wide range of Australian non-profits (Newton et al, 2014), bereavement volunteer programs in the US (Grossman & Furano, 1999), human and environmental organizations in the US (Tang, Morrow-Howell, & Hong, 2009), New Zealand sports volunteers (Allen & Shaw, 2009), Irish elderly volunteers helping youth to read (Devaney et al, 2015), volunteers of a UK-based religious non-profit organization involved in international relief and development efforts (Saksida et al, 2016), a range of US (Hager & Brudney, 2011;Jamison, 2003) and Spanish charities (Hidalgo & Moreno, 2009), and volunteer emergency response workers in the UK (Waikayi, Fearon, Morris, & McLaughlin, 2012).…”

“…They also found that volunteers with strong career motives for volunteering reported significantly lower levels of intentions to stay; one explanation for this is that individuals with career motives, looking to gain skills, are likely to move to paid jobs once those skills are gained. Cuskelly et al (2006) also examined the joint effect of training and motives; they found that intentions to remain volunteering for the nonprofit organization are only moderately affected by the value motive; training and development play a far stronger role than the value motive in influencing volunteer retention.…”

“…With governments around the world cutting costs and reducing public spending, non-profit organizations now face mounting pressures to implement modern HR management practices not only with regards to their paid staff, but also in the management of their volunteers (e.g., Cuskelly, Taylor, Hoye, & Darcy, 2006). Volunteers are often said to be the backbone of non-profit organizations, and although they tend to perform their duties out of care and concern for the beneficiaries of the non-profit organization, HR likely has a key role to play in facilitating their engagement, commitment and performance.…”

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

“…For example, Cuskelly, Taylor, Hoye and Darcy (2006) showed that volunteer management practices such as training were associated with higher levels of volunteer retention. Similarly, research on corporate volunteering programs suggests that employees who are supported by their employer dedicate more time to volunteering (e.g., Booth et al, 2009).…”

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Including Volunteers with Disabilities—A Podium Performance?

“…Of the 786 respondents presented here who identified as either having access needs or a disability, many were female, most were allocated to Event Services and Transport, with the majority having high levels of satisfaction with job assignments, the number of shifts (Cuskelly, Taylor, Hoye, & Darcy, 2006;Dickson, Terwiel, & Benson, 2011;Doherty, 2009;Taylor, Doherty, & McGraw, 2008). These include planning, recruitment, screening, orientation, training, performance management and recognition.…”