Literature Review

Amanda Evans

Literature Review

September 18, 2013

            Many programs, non-profit and otherwise, function with the assistance of volunteers.  Volunteers are often times easy to bring in the door for a one or two-day shot but finding the trick to keep the volunteers returning seems to escape those most in need of the support.  So what does it take to retain volunteers?  How do we keep volunteers coming back?  Some agencies seem to know the trick so what can we learn from them?

            It is important to note that agencies vary so much in purpose that sometimes it can be difficult to make ideas universal.  These articles review some specific ways certain agencies retain volunteers but I think that they all offer ideas that can be extended beyond just the field they work within.  Agencies of any content can use these ideas.

            In the first article by Jacobson, Carlson, and Monroe, research was done within the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC.)  This article focuses on how the FCW was able to continue to meet the needs of the program while facing budget cuts and staff shortages.  The FWC completed a study to see what the motivation was behind those who volunteered.  They also wanted to explore the satisfaction of those who participated within the program.  Through their research, the FWC feels they are able to offer suggestions to other nature-based programs.  I would suggest that what they could take it a step further and the ideas they were able to latch onto are important ideas I all programs that use volunteers, not just those that are nature-based.

            The FWC focused on two main ideas.  Why were volunteers motivated to volunteer in the first place and then what kept them there?  The FWC found that the motivation for most of the volunteers was to help the environment.  This makes sense seeing as how this is a nature-based program. 

How does this idea travel across all genres?  The FWC was able to tap into a population that had the desire to help the environment, which was also their mission.  In order to keep volunteers, we must first do a better job of matching volunteers with programs that meet and match their beliefs and ideas.  We must find volunteers who are not there for the volunteer hours but are there for the passion of what the program is doing. 

This article also mentions that jobs, such as secretary or paperwork, that seem less associated with the mission need to be discussed with volunteers so that they can see how that aspect of their work is still supporting the environment.  This is true with all volunteer opportunities.  Usually the volunteer work is  not glamorous, so we need to help volunteers see how each piece fits together to help the big picture.  This understanding may encourage longer participation than the feeling of, “Oh, I don’t help, I just answer phones.”

The FWC also looked at the satisfaction of the volunteers.  They found that volunteers enjoyed the opportunities to talk among each other and exchange ideas with their fellow volunteers.  They were able to take these ideas and apply them to the program.  This allowed empowerment and engagement to occur.  Volunteers were able to not just be in the moment but were able to become part of the program.  They also were given recognition for the appreciation of their time.

These ideas can be used across the spectrum in that the volunteers were given the opportunity to have some say and share their ideas within the program.  Allowing volunteers to give input and have a sense of empowerment is key in keeping volunteers satisfied.  Keeping them challenged and allowing them to problem-solve keeps them coming back.  Recognizing their efforts and their time is important too.  Everyone enjoys appreciation being shown.

Another article, by Garrity, focused more on volunteering with the purpose of gaining employment or skills for employment.  It discusses a volunteer fire department’s incentives for volunteers.  They offer them opportunities to volunteer while furthering the education they may need to eventually be paid.  They are volunteering in a field they are passionate enough about to make a career out of it.

While this idea is clearly not feasible for most volunteer situations, the root of the idea is reproducible.  What skills are we able to give volunteers that can be used in other arenas?  Are we clearly stating these skills when we work with volunteers?  Are we selling the benefits clearly enough that volunteers can see the personal gain, if that motivation is needed?

The third article I reviewed, by  Vecina. Chacón, Sueiro and Barrón looked at how work satisfaction could be compared to volunteer satisfaction.  While often work motivation is monetary, we know this cannot translate over to volunteer situations.  So, do they relate?  This study looked at the piece engagement plays.  Similarly to the first article, if volunteers are enjoying what they doing and involved in something that matches their interests, they are more likely to stay.  The article compared volunteers on the basis of just engagement alone and then also the three component method (vigor, dedication, and absorption.)

I believe there is huge importance in vigor, dedication, and absorption.  I think all three of those words can be applied to volunteer work.  These are traits we need in our volunteers.  We need, not just involvement, but engagement.  We need volunteers that do not just show up but show up and work and are there with all their hearts.  The study found that this model was the model that seemed to, not only retain volunteers, but retain volunteers who have satisfaction and good work ethic.

A second article, by Boezeman and Ellemers, looked at similar factors, comparing work satisfaction to volunteer satisfaction.  What they found was similar to the previous article.  Satisfaction is important whether it is a paid position or volunteer work.  The point that is very important from this article is that satisfaction in volunteer work is more important than satisfaction in career.  Most of us have to continue working in order to keep our homes and cars or to eat.  Volunteer opportunities are people giving their own time with no monetary gain.  Satisfaction is even more important because people do not have to volunteer.  The satisfaction piece is very important to keep volunteers returning.

Boezeman and Ellemers also note that intrinsic satisfaction is important.  The satisfaction found in volunteer work is not monetary, as previously noted, but has to be found within.  This is where the role of those facilitating the programs need to offer support and empowerment to volunteers, in order to help them tap into the satisfaction they get from volunteering.  The satisfaction could be from helping the environment, helping others, or perhaps gaining skills.  Whatever the reason, they need to be able to find satisfaction within it.

Jorge Barazza also offers some ideas in his article that relate to the others.  A few of these articles have talked about how satisfaction is important and matching the mission of what is important to the individual and what is important to the program with which they are volunteering.  Barazza discusses how the expectations going into a volunteer situation are key in retaining volunteers. As I stated in the beginning, we need to be sure we are matching volunteers with programs that are appropriate for them. 

Starting a new volunteer opportunity can be exciting but also scary and intimidating.  Communication at the beginning of the volunteer experience is important so as to set appropriate expectations.  If volunteers are coming in excited, we want to keep them excited.  The excitement can be sustained when we help volunteers establish realistic expectations of the experience. 

The article also discusses that if a person goes into an experience with positive emotions, they are more likely to have a positive experience.  This ties back to the motivation piece in the first article.  If someone is just doing volunteer work for the sake of volunteer hours, they are probably less likely to have a positive emotion going into the experience.  If they are volunteering with a cause that they do not fully support, they may also have a negative outlook on the situation.  This helps point out the importance of appropriately matching volunteers with volunteer opportunities and helping volunteers find that intrinsic satisfaction. 

These articles all give important ideas that can be directly applied to the field, whether they match the specific field or not.  We need to help volunteers find an appropriate volunteer opportunity so that their expectations are appropriate and they are not dissatisfied.    We also need to allow opportunities for volunteers to feel empowerment.  They need to have opportunities to discuss ideas and build on what they are doing.  Volunteers need to be able to identify benefits in what they are doing.  Whether they can identify personal gain or community gain, they need to find the purpose in what they are doing.  Lastly, engagement is important.  Volunteers need to be fully engaged in order to find their intrinsic satisfaction.  When we start talking about these issues and thinking about them when working with volunteers, we are looking at retaining volunteers and having better run volunteer programs.

General Themes	Implications
Volunteers need to find opportunities that match their personal beliefs and goals.	If a volunteer can work for a cause they believe in, they are more likely to continue volunteering.
Volunteers need opportunities to talk with peers and build and implement ideas.	Volunteers who can take ownership in their project and really feel the difference they are making are more likely to remain.
Volunteers need to be able to identify benefits to themselves and their community.	Volunteers who can find meaning in their work and see what gains they are making, as well as the purpose they are working toward, are more likely to stay.
Volunteers need to be engaged, not just involved.	Volunteers who can become engaged will work with vigor and dedication.

Resources

Barraza, J. (2011). Positive emotional expectations predict volunteer outcomes for new volunteers. Springer Science Business Media, LLC, 35, 211-219. doi: 10.1007/s11031-011-9210-4

Boezeman, E. J., & Ellemers, N. (2009). Intrinsic need satisfaction and the job attitudes of volunteers versus employees working in a charitable volunteer organization. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 82, 897-914. doi: 10.1348/096317908X383742

Garrity, T. J. (2012). Using educational incentives to retain volunteer firefighters. Fire Engineering, 165(10), 12. Retrieved from http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-165/issue-10/departments/volunteers-corner/using-educational-incentives-retain-volunteer-firefighters.html

Jacobsen, S. J., Carlton, J. S., & Monroe, M. C. (2012). Motivation and satisfaction of volunteers at a florida natural resource agency. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 30(1), 51-67. Retrieved from http://js.sagamorepub.com/jpra/article/view/2542

Vecina, M. L., Chacon, F., Sueiro, M., & Barron, A. (2012). Volunteer engagement: Does engagement predict the degree of satisfaction among new volunteers and the commitment of those who have been active longer?. Applied Psychology, 61(1), 130-148. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-0597.2011.00460.x

Literature Review- Andjulon Richardson

COMMENTED ON BERANDA AND SHERRY'S LITERATURE REVIEWS

Literature Review of Volunteer Retention

Andjulon J. Richardson

Ball State University

Introduction

The retention of volunteers has become one of volunteer agency and programs’ developing concerns. Volunteer retention mainly deals with ensuring that those who take part of volunteering return to volunteer again. However the question remains as to why volunteer retention is important to begin with. The overall nature of volunteering alone can be seen as reason to investigate what factors increase volunteer retention. Volunteering itself enhances the foundational structure of society, and perpetuates cohesiveness among society. The role retention plays is to ensure continuation of this cohesiveness. This paper seeks to analyze the literature that surrounds the topic of volunteer retention, as well as provide synthesis and recommendation to increase retention in the future.

Themes

           

There has been extensive research and publication of materials concerning the retention of volunteers, and there are a few resounding themes that resonate.  These themes included promotion of a sense of community involvement for retention of volunteers, how well the volunteer fits within a volunteer organization, how well an organization shows its appreciation for its volunteers, and the various incentives used to entice volunteers to stay. For instance, Carolyn Bourke stated, “Twenty six per cent of the Fairfield volunteers surveyed said that meeting and getting to know people was one of the most valuable aspects of the volunteering experience. Volunteers also need to feel a connection with the people in the organization and to be treated as if they belong (Bourke, 2009)”.

            In addition Dan McCole, Jeffery Jacobs, Betsy Lindley, and Leo McAvoy stated “results showed a strong link between an individual’s sense of community toward his or her work organization and year-to-year retention and offer guidance to managers of seasonal employees interested in addressing retention issues within their organizations (McCole, Jacobs, Lindley, & McAvoy, 2012)”. This particular statement further illustrates the theme that volunteers who feel a strong sense of community increase the rate of retention.

            Another article that addresses the theme that the fit of the volunteer with an organization strongly dictates how likely retention is to occur states “From the perspectives of both the employee and the organization, the fit between the individual and the organization is also critical to continued involvement and productivity (Kim, Chelladurai, & Trail, 2007)”.  This particular statement addresses notion that if an individual fits well within the framework of a volunteering organization, there is a strong indication that retention would occur.

            As mentioned previously, there has been publication of materials that support the theme that organizations that show an appreciation toward their volunteers are more likely to retain those volunteers. For instance, Ciara D’wyer and Virpi Tirmonen state, “there is a growing recognition that the recruitment and retention of volunteers is largely dependent on organizations showing an appreciation for and striving to meet the multiplicity of motivations which each volunteer brings to their voluntary work (O'Dwyer & Timonen, 2009)”.

             The final theme to be analyzed is the incentives that come along with volunteering, such as a sense of giving back to the community. According to Selina Khoo and Rich Engelhorn, some of the indications of retention included “wanting to do something worthwhile, wanting to help make the event a success, wanting to help create a better society, and wanting to give back to the community (Khoo & Engelhorn, 2011)”.

Implications

            Based on the various literature on retention, we can concur that volunteer retention is increased when (a) volunteers have a sense of community, (b) organizations show an appreciation for their volunteers, (c) there is a good fit between the volunteer and the organization, and (d) the various incentives volunteers receive as part of their service. These implications can serve volunteering organizations as a starting point for determining a suitable and effective method for retaining its volunteers.

            With regards to the first implication of volunteer retention, this paper seeks to suggest ways in which an organization can increase the sense of community that volunteers have. As with many of the other implications, there will be multiple prongs to the delivery of these solutions. Bringing a sense of community to those who participate in volunteering can be a daunting task. Especially when dealing with individuals who are not from the community in which the volunteering event is taking place, organizations can find that enhancing a sense of belonging within a short time frame can be rather difficult.

            To address the implication that retention is increased when volunteers feel a sense of community, the first step to this would be to implement initiatives at the organizational level. Volunteering organizations should organize icebreaker activities and orientations that promote interaction and discussion among those who are volunteering and the community. These activities could range from cookouts to more formal, information gathering sessions. In this regard, volunteers are offered a chance to get to know the members of the community. What this in turn does is put faces to the community, and makes the overall experience more personal. Personal relationships can be formed, and volunteers can begin to feel a deeper sense of community.

            Another initiative that organizations can implement in order to build a stronger sense of community among volunteers is to create alumni groups that comprise of volunteers that have participated within a particular community’s events. As volunteers put in more and more years of volunteer service, this will be designated as a certain status symbol that will be visible to others. For example, an organization could t-shirts that volunteers wear when conducting their volunteering service. Included on each of the t-shirts could be a number that signifies how many years each volunteer has conducted volunteer service. The signification of how many years of volunteering service solidifies both the volunteers’ as well as well as community’s notion of community togetherness.

            With regards to the second initiative, there are a couple ways in which organizations can go about showing appreciation towards their volunteers. The reasoning behind the show of appreciation is that if a volunteer feels that his or her work is valued and appreciated, then that particular person will be more likely to repeat their volunteering. The volunteer’s gratification does not come from monetary or other material compensation, but rather the knowledge that others merely appreciate what has been done.

            There are a couple of ways in which organizations can show appreciation towards their volunteers. The first way that an organization can show appreciation for its volunteers would be to hold an event that would recognize the efforts of the volunteers. This would not have to necessarily be an awards ceremony where trophies or medals were handed out. Rather this could be an event that celebrates the commitment made by the volunteers over the course of the volunteering event. Not only could the volunteers and other organizers be invited, but also members of the community and other stakeholders as well. This way, not only is there a show of appreciation by the organization that has put on the volunteering event, but there is also an opportunity for the community to show their appreciation as well. It is the conclusion of this paper that with the combination of both community and organization show of appreciation will imbed within the volunteer’s memory the appreciation of their volunteering service.

            Another way in which organizations can show their appreciation towards their volunteers is to provide the volunteer with something that is of value to the volunteer. However, while this can be an effective means of showing appreciation, this type of compensation can sometimes be taken out of context. For example, if an organization offers all volunteers a restaurant gift card for their volunteering service, this could easily be construed as having the wrong motivation for engaging in volunteering. In this case, volunteers were motivated not by the appreciation received, but rather the anticipated reward. However, this paper has a potential solution to this dilemma. Instead of enticing potential volunteers with the promise of a gift or reward for volunteering, the organization could surprise the volunteers at the end of the volunteering experience. This way, the reward comes after the volunteer has completed the volunteering activity, and the positive reinforcement ensures that the volunteer is likely to return.

            With regards to the implication that retention could be increased if the fit of the volunteer and organization is good, there are ways in which an organization can seek to impose this. One of the ways in which an organization can ensure that there is a good fit between the volunteer and the organization is to pre-qualify those who wish to volunteer for the organization prior to becoming a volunteer. By doing this, an organization is afforded the opportunity to screen potential candidates that do not align with the direction that the organization wishes to take its volunteering efforts. By obtaining volunteers that align with the company’s objectives, a company can be better assured that the volunteer will be more likely to return in the future.

            The final implication that can help ensure an increase in retention of volunteers is the application of various incentives to motivate individuals. This should not be confused with the concept of giving volunteers a gift to show appreciation. Rather, this is an attempt to provide volunteers with something that will be valuable that is not material in nature. For example, an organization can illustrate to its volunteers that educational benefits of volunteering, whether it be leadership skills or management skills. This implication merely seeks to enlighten volunteers of the inherent and subtle benefits of being a volunteer.

The Themes/Ideas of Literature	Application of Main Ideas into Practice
Idea 1- Volunteers need a sense of community	Provide activities and opportunities for volunteers and community to interact.
Idea 2- Volunteers need to be shown appreciation	Organizations should hold celebrations and recognition events.
Idea 3- There should be a good fit between the organization and volunteer	Pre-qualify volunteers to ensure a proper fit.
Idea 4- Utilize various incentives	Show volunteers the possible benefits for being a volunteer

Bibliography

Bourke, C. (2009). Working with Volunteers: Opportunity and Potential. Aplis , 22 (4), 181-183.

Khoo, S., & Engelhorn, R. (2011). Volunteer Motivations at a National Special Olympics Event. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly , 28, 27-39.

Kim, M., Chelladurai, P., & Trail, G. (2007). A Model of Volunteer Retention in Youth Sport. Journal of Sport Management , 21, 151-171.

McCole, D., Jacobs, J., Lindley, B., & McAvoy, L. (2012). The Relationship Between Seasonal Employee Retention and Sense of Community: The Case of Summer Camp Employment. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration , 30 (2), 85-101.

O'Dwyer, C., & Timonen, V. (2009). Doomed to Extinction? The Nature and Future of Volunteering for Meals-on-Wheels Services. Voluntas , 20, 35-49.