Could Interdisciplinary Research be a Way to Re-think the Organization of Volunteers (original) (raw)
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The thesis forwards sociological reflections on the dialogue on volunteerism and development discourses – particularly the underlying assumptions of organized volunteerism and the factors affecting the discursive changes associated with it – through the experiences of organized volunteering groups. This is inspired by the recent international and national directives/laws declaring volunteerism as a strategy for development. Using grounded theory methodology and pakikipagkuwentuhan, the research explored the experiences of volunteers and program managers of Jesuit Volunteers Philippines, Associate Missionaries of the Assumption, University of the Philippines – Los Banos Ugnayan ng Pahinungod, and Dynamic Teen Company. Findings show that the dialogue between volunteerism and the development discourse has placed organized volunteerism in a struggle to balance two dimensions of impact: personal formation (transformation of volunteers), and the strategic or social impact of their work on the communities they serve. However, not all organized volunteering groups exhibit the same intensity of the struggle. The intensity of the prioritization for either dimension depends on the declared organizational goals and the nature of the organization itself, the structure of the organization vis-à-vis the community, and the pragmatic considerations in the communities as managers and volunteers try to operationalize formation through the concrete change-making works of the volunteers in concrete situations and communities. Moreover, the thesis explores the change processes associated with organized volunteering work as strategy for development. The process is highly pragmatic, wherein volunteers share their knowledge and skills, social capital, and inspire some members of the community by expanding lifeworlds of the people the volunteers work with. In understanding and making sense of the volunteer experience, the volunteers and managers generally refer to Filipino cultural concepts, while in more concrete discussions, the volunteers refer back to the declared institutional values espoused by the organized volunteer associations.
Volunteering Versus Managerialism: Conflict Over Organizational Identity in Voluntary Associations
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 2011
This qualitative field study examines how volunteering and managerialism shape the organizational identity of six patient organizations from six different European countries. Volunteers represent a large part of the workforce in most voluntary associations. Even though the phenomenon of volunteering is becoming more and more important for organizations and society alike, so far it has only been studied at the individual level. The authors draw on the theoretical concept of dual organizational identities to describe the two differing collective self-descriptions that were present in the patient organizations. Drawing on 34 narrative interviews and focus groups, the authors document the differing perceptions of volunteers and paid staff about their organization’s identity and show how the conflicting dimensions— volunteer identity and managerial identity —result in intraorganizational conflict.
Organizational, Motivational, and Cultural Contexts of Volunteering: The European View
2022
This open access book offers a comprehensive view of the phenomenon of volunteer work: it examines motivational factors and questions of corporate organization and the social environment. In particular, this is the first book to present volunteer work in detail as a psychosocial resource and a source of well-being that should not be overused or abused. The book is based on the authors' 15 years of research into volunteer work in Europe. It provides clear instructions on designing volunteer work tasks, and on where boundaries must be respected. The findings include insights into cultural and national differences, and offer practical advice on the organization of volunteer work. This book answers questions like: How do we understand voluntary work? How essential is it that this kind of work remains unpaid and carried out by so-called laypersons with special motives? And what follows from this for the interaction between voluntary work and professionalized, paid employment? The analysis draws on perspectives from wellbeing research, organizational and industrial studies, social work, and related social sciences.
Crisis of Volunteerism? The Analysis of the Causes of Volunteers Resigning from Volunteering
Zeszyty Naukowe Towarzystwa Doktorantów Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego. Nauki Społeczne, 2018
Voluntary work is mainly described as a vital contribution to more active civil society , community engagement – broadly defined – democracy. However, the abundant literature on non-governmental organizations has paid limited attention to inconsistency of volunteerism' leadership and management provided by non-profit sector. This paper reviews recent studies on volunteerism in non-governmental organizations , as well as provides commentary on them, based on the author's research. The main research question was: What are the causes of volunteers' resigning from working in the Third Sector? The method involving semi-structured interviewing covered the total of eighteen respondents. The research aimed at showing both the perspective of volunteers and coordinators managing voluntary work in non-profit organizations , describing the environment of ten non-governmental organizations. Conducted research proved that appropriate communication between non-governmental leaders and volunteers, based on mutual understanding of needs and incentives is the key postulate for efficient management in Third Sector. Even though the research did not provide evidence of a crisis of non-governmental leadership, the analysis showed significant changes in a way of thinking about voluntary work, the inconsistence of expectations and motivations as well as conflict situations on individual and institutional level. It led to concrete conclusions and a set of recommendations for NGO coordinators and leaders.
СONCEPTUAL BASES OF REGIONAL VOLUNTEERS' MANAGEMENT AS HUMAN RESOURCES
This article is dedicated to development of an effective approach to volunteering governance in a region. The study focuses on the Russian volunteers as a social community. Capabilities of public administration of volunteering development is investigated by casestudy realized in the Sverdlovsk region. The regional volunteering management system, its basic stakeholders and objective description of regional volunteers' community are described according to a survey of volunteers, expert interviews of regional NGO leaders and public officials. The analysis shows that volunteers can be considered as a resource of the regional management, however, volunteers as a social community have their specific resources. The research methodology is based on the theory of crosssectoral interaction and the stakeholder theory. We assume that the resources of volunteer social community should be taken into consideration in the process of regional management, also we should focus on the capabilities and interests of the volunteer social community members. The regional executive authority can influence volunteers by stakeholders. The third sector plays the most important part in this process: it should involve and integrate people, business, media, social service agencies, educational institutions and local governments. The article proposes a conceptual framework for regional volunteering management.
2010
Essential for the fulfilment of the organisational objectives of many in the third sector are volunteers. This report investigates the trends about the management of volunteers by comparing the results from a study (completed by Dr. Megan Paull in 1994) with one completed recently online. This initial research report is part of a larger project, which examines the management of volunteers, governance issues and social entrepreneurship issues in the volunteering sector. Volunteering WA has supported this research and encouraged member organisations to participate because the findings will enable organisations to better understand their own people and their volunteers. The need for greater accountability from donor bodies and government also provides an impetus to ensure that our member organisations are achieving their goals in an effective and caring way. The report first sets out to identify the approach used to collect information as well as explaining the main purpose of the rese...