Volunteer Motivation, Satisfaction, and Management at an Elite Sporting Competition

Abstract

Lakehead University, OntarioThe purpose of this study was to investigate attributes of satisfaction and motivation for volunteers at an elite sporting competition and the implications of this for effective event management. A survey of 300 volunteers was undertaken immediately following the Scott Tournament of Hearts, the Canadian Women's Curling Championship, held in Thunder Bay in March 1996. The 28-item Special Event Volunteer Motivation Scale was tested in this study, resulting in four empirically supported factors termed purposive, solidary, external traditions, and commitments. The study measured the level of satisfaction with the general volunteer experience and with specific aspects of the administrative and managerial conditions. This study found that particular attributes of the event organization and competition facility played a role in volunteer satisfaction.Hosting a major sporting event requires organizing and coordinating numerous activities in addition to controlling the competition and dealing with athletes. Many major sporting events "depend on volunteer labor and are one-shot or annual occurrences of relatively short duration . . . [making] their organization and management quite different from those of permanent [or commercial] attractions and facilities, leading to an emphasis on strategies for resource acquisition, as well as development and retention of community support" (Getz, 1991, p. 41-42). Key activities of organizers include promoting the event to sponsors and spectators, solving ancillary needs such as parking and food, and recruiting and supervising volunteers. The volunteer team is a critical part of the overall success of many major sporting competitions (Williams, Dossa, & Tompkins, 1995). It is vital that organizers understand volunteer motivation and their satisfaction with the volunteering experience in order to respond effectively to management needs in the J.M. Farrell is with the School of Kinesiology at Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1. M.E. Johnston is with the Department of Geography at Lakehead University. G.D. Twynam is with the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism at Lakehead University. Volunteer Satisfaction 289areas of recruitment, retention, and daily operations. While much of the volunteer literatye emphasizes intrinsic and extrinsic benefits as the source of satisfaction for volunteers, we suggest that organizational and management factors may have a role in satisfaction. Other aspects of the volunteer experience, such as the communication style of the supervisor, interactions with other volunteers, and the nature of the working environment, could also play a significant role in overall satisfaction. Both the day-to-day operations of the organizing committee and the features of the venue could influence the volunteer experience. How well organizers understand these sources of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with event organization is likely to be important in their management of volunteers and, consequently, the overall efficiency of...

‘We can do it’: Community, resistance, social solidarity, and long-term volunteering at a sport event

“…Much previous sport event research has used quantitative methods, often involving large samples (Farrell et al, 1998;Skirstad & Hanstad, 2013;Wollebaek et al, 2012).…”

“…Conventional approaches to understanding volunteering have usually centered around identifying psychological processes which can be loosely summed up under the heading of motivation, with studies typically seeking to identify motives for volunteering and the personal rewards/satisfactions which volunteers gain from volunteering (Allen & Shaw, 2009;Downward, Lumsdon, & Ralston, 2005;Farrell, Johnston, & Twynam, 1998;Love, Hardin, & Koo, 2011;Skirstad & Hanstad, 2013;Strigas & Jackson, 2003;Williams, Dossa, & Tompkins, 1995;Wollebaek, Skirstad, & Hanstad, 2012). Such an approach is not unproblematic for it has often been argued that 'motivation' is an overused and vague term (Roberts, 2012).…”

“…In much the same way, the problem of why some individuals volunteer while others do not, which has been the focus of much research on volunteering and which has usually focused around questions related to individual motivation (Allen & Shaw, 2009;Downward et al, 2005;Farrell et al, 1998;Love et al, 2011;Skirstad & Hanstad, 2013;Strigas & Jackson, 2003;Williams et al, 1995;Wollebaek et al, 2012), is a very different question from the question which stands out as requiring explanation in the unusual case of Vikersund:…”

Are All My Volunteers Here to Help Out? Clustering Event Volunteers by Their Motivations

“…The Special Event Volunteer Motivation Scale (SEVMS) (Farrell, Johnston, & Twynam, 1998) is the most widely tested of these scales. It has been applied by Farrell and colleagues to single events: a women's curling championship (Farrell et al, 1998), a scout jamboree (Johnston, Twynam, & Farrell, 1999), and a world junior curling event (Twynam, Farrell, & Johnston, 2002).…”

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

“…With this background, and in a first for major sport event and volunteer research, the research presented here seeks to understand: & Terwiel, 2014;Farrell, Johnston, & Twynam, 1998;Giannoulakis, Wang, & Gray, 2008;Khoo & Engelhorn, 2007Twynam, Farrell, & Johnston, 2002). This paper discusses the sample of 786 (6.9% of the responses) who self-identified as either having a disability or mobility, vision or hearing access needs.…”