Volunteers and resource management competencies of nonprofit organizations during challenging times

Abstract

Nonprofit organizations increasingly compete for limited resources and recognize volunteers as vital assets. That said, which nonprofits are more successful in harnessing volunteers than others and enlisting more volunteers while responding to environmental changes? Guided by the resource‐based theory, this study theorizes that a nonprofit's human, social, and financial resource management competencies relate to its volunteer use. Also, applying contingent resource‐based theory extends our theoretical arguments as to why a nonprofit needs to develop its resource management competencies for the use of volunteers facing a community's financial hardship. Our zero‐inflated negative binomial analysis using the IRS 990 and U.S. Census data (2010–2012) finds that (1) a nonprofit's higher human, social, and financial resource management competencies have an important influence on using volunteers, and (2) a nonprofit having higher financial resource management competencies can use more volunteers when its community experiences economic hardship. These findings pinpoint that volunteer use is not separable from organizational holistic resource management competencies and suggest that turbulent environments can cause a significant shift in the management competencies required for volunteer use.

A self‐determination theory perspective on how autonomy‐supportive and chaotic leadership relate to volunteers' need‐based experiences and turnover intentions: A variable‐centered and person‐centered approach

“…In many nonprofit and voluntary organizations, volunteers constitute an indispensable and vital group, crucial to ensuring that these organizations can deliver their services as intended (Lee et al, 2023). However, in several nonprofit and voluntary organizations, low retention of volunteers is an important issue (Lee et al, 2023; Wicker & Breuer, 2013). The leadership employed within these organizations plays a crucial role in addressing this concern (Ihm & Baek, 2021).…”

“…While most turnover research was situated in the for‐profit sector (Rubenstein et al, 2018), we argue in the current paper that there is a strong need to develop a parallel research agenda on turnover in the nonprofit and voluntary sector. In many nonprofit and voluntary organizations, turnover is of great interest as these organizations often rely heavily on volunteers to deliver their services (Lee et al, 2023). At the same time, nonprofit and voluntary organizations are confronted with low retention of volunteers (Lee et al, 2023; Wicker & Breuer, 2013).…”

“…In many nonprofit and voluntary organizations, turnover is of great interest as these organizations often rely heavily on volunteers to deliver their services (Lee et al, 2023). At the same time, nonprofit and voluntary organizations are confronted with low retention of volunteers (Lee et al, 2023; Wicker & Breuer, 2013). Consequently, one of the biggest challenges of these organizations is reducing volunteers' turnover (Lee et al, 2023; Wicker & Breuer, 2013).…”

“…At the same time, nonprofit and voluntary organizations are confronted with low retention of volunteers (Lee et al, 2023; Wicker & Breuer, 2013). Consequently, one of the biggest challenges of these organizations is reducing volunteers' turnover (Lee et al, 2023; Wicker & Breuer, 2013). For volunteers in nonprofit sectors, some of the previously examined antecedents of turnover in the for‐profit context may be less relevant (e.g., pay, job alternatives), while others may be even more important (e.g., embeddedness, organizational support; Ihm & Baek, 2021).…”

Nonprofit governance in times of Covid-19: should organizations change their practices and strategy in the middle of a crisis?

“…This requires the adaptation of management and governance practices as well as the use of remote digital tools in the specific case of a pandemic (Chui, 2022; Jones, 2021; Lee-Geiller and Lee, 2022). Finally, because of their dependence on their volunteers in times of crisis (Lee et al , 2023), NPOs have to change the content of daily tasks and the format (e.g. duration, location, team and less flexible management) of their human resource activities (Kuenzi et al , 2021).…”