Understanding the volunteer market: the what,where, who and why of volunteering

Although the work of the voluntary sector is growing, the number of people volunteering is not increasing at a comparable rate. This paper argues that the key to an organisation's success in recruiting and retaining its volunteers is to have an understanding of its target group. As a means to developing this understanding the paper reviews the prior research on volunteering and outlines the current situation in the voluntary sector with regard to the donation of time. The review shows that those who volunteer are an extremely diverse group, active in a wide variety of contexts. This makes the definition of a volunteer a more complex task than one would expect. It also demonstrates that individuals and organisations may volunteer for reasons other than purely altruistic motives. Finally, the paper identifies gaps in this area of research and presents topics for further research. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications     

Financing the social economy: a case study of Triodos Bank

Nonprofit and voluntary sector organisations are taking an increasingly sophisticated approach to their financial management, including their banking requirements. While there have been signs that the mainstream commercial banks have been responding to those needs, recent years have also witnessed a number of initiatives taken by organisations with roots closer to the nonprofit and voluntary sector. One such organisation is Triodos Bank. This paper seeks to explain what Triodos Bank does, paying particular attention to those unusual features of its operations which are likely to be of interest to managers of nonprofit and voluntary sector organisations. It is suggested thatwhatTriodosdoesisbothinterestinginitself and indicative of ways in which social economy financing might develop in the future. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications     

The impact of the internet upon fundraising

Through research on a sample of the top 2000 charities, the Voluntary Organisations Internet Server (VOIS) revealed the potential for a major initiative to provide the opportunity for voluntary organisations to create a quality brand of information on the Internet by coming together on a collective site. The Internet is an ideal medium for voluntary organisations to get their message across, build relationships and raise funds. VOIS has been designed specifically to facilitate these activities and provide the means to a collective presence. While it is mainly large organisations that are using it at the moment, the Internet represents the opportunity for smaller organisations to have a substantial presence because of its democratic nature. VOIS has utilised the principle of economies of scale in order that all organisations can afford to have a useful presence on the Internet. This paper will examine fundraising activities that are already occurring on the Internet, analyse the strengths of the Internet as a marketing tool, explain how marketers can utilise these strengths and explain how VOIS has tried to facilitate these strengths within the features of its standardised site.     

The HR function in purchaser–provider relationships: insights from the UK voluntary sector

This article explores how inter-organisational relations with the state impact on the status of human resource (HR) professionals in voluntary organisations. It reveals a constrained and under-resourced HR function in voluntary organisations, implementing few strategic interventions. Explanations centre on the dynamics of power relations, institutional forces, the exercise of strategic choice and management of risk between purchasers and providers and their interaction with competencies among individual actors, attitudes of senior managers and the focus by voluntary sector managers on organisational mission. It warns that these external and internal factors will produce similar outcomes in sectors and economies characterised by arm's-length contractual relations.     

How responsive are charities to market needs?

Voluntary organisations have a unique set of stakeholders. Their services are paid for, not by their customers, but by ‘purchasers’ such as social services or grant-making trusts. This separation of customers from purchasers denies voluntary organisations a direct market mechanism for feedback on their services. As a result, charities are in danger of providing outdated poor-quality services for years, while convincing purchasers that they are still doing a good job. This paper examines the extent to which voluntary organisations do in fact respond to market needs, despite their undemanding environment. The paper draws on research from 15 national disability charities to explore the extent to which charities are market orientated, and to identify examples of best practice in the field. The paper concludes by identifying the critical role played by charity chief executives in urging their own organisations to adopt marketing principles. Copyright © 1999 Henry Stewart Publications     

A job to believe in: recruitment in the Scottish voluntary sector

The voluntary sector is an important source of employment in the UK and is increasingly providing services previously provided by the public sector. However, the ability of the sector to provide such services is dependent on the quantity and quality of suitable labour. This article examines recruitment issues in seven case‐study voluntary organisations offering social care in Scotland. Interviews were conducted with 137 managers and employees in these organisations. In addition, to assess potential labour supply, interviews and focus groups were conducted with careers advisers and potential employees. The findings suggest that, with a tightening labour market, uncompetitive pay and misconceptions about the sector, recruitment is a problem. However, job satisfaction is high for current employees, and potential employees whose values are commensurate with the sector might be attracted. The findings thus have relevance not just for the case‐study organisations, but for HRM in the voluntary sector generally.     

Sensitive groups and marketing communications

Marketing communications by organisations offering nonprofit and largely voluntary services to sensitive groups in the population raise issues and problems that are totally different and vastly more complex than the normal marketing of consumer goods and services for profit. This paper reviews bereavement care services as epitomising these issues and suggests that the analysis of communication networks offers the best way forward for describing and analysing these complexities. Using a self-completed diary, bereavement care organisations recorded communications they had made to, and received from, the bereaved and other organisations. The data highlight the problems of communication when offering voluntary services to sensitive groups.     

Philanthropy,social capital or strategic alliance? The involvement of senior UK business executives with the voluntary sector and implications for corporate fundraising

Although corporate fundraising is popular there has been very little discussion in the voluntary sector literature of its context. Using questionnaire data from senior executives representing one‐third of the FTSE350 companies, and in‐depth interviews with a number of top level business men, this paper reports the first UK survey of the personal involvement of senior executives with charities, voluntary and community organisations,[Walker, C. and Pharoah, C. (2000) ‘Making time for charity: A survey of top business leaders' involvement with voluntary organisations’, Charities Aid Foundation, Kent.] and pinpoints messages about corporate involvement which may help fundraisers develop corporate fundraising strategies. The data give the first indications of how many of the UK's top business executives give time to charity, how much time they give and what they do. It also addresses what there is to gain for and from the charity, the senior executive and their company. The results present a picture of widespread and enthusiastic involvement of senior executives with the voluntary sector; a picture of both a deep personal commitment and of a strong sense of corporate benefit. The survey also raises several important issues and implications for corporate fundraising: should charities be doing more to attract top executives into an active relationship with them? How can they do this? What are the pros and cons of an alliance between corporate figureheads and charitable organisations; how might this relationship be viewed by the public; and how might it best be managed? This paper draws on the results of the survey to illustrate and discuss these issues. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications     

How fundraising is carried out in US nonprofit organisations

A substantial number of nonprofit organisations in the USA report inflows of charitable contributions or grants without expenditures allocated to fundraising costs. This observation raises questions about how fundraising is carried out. Based on a survey of US charities, the paper observes that nonprofit organisations use a range of internal capacities and external relationships to conduct their fundraising. The use of staff members dedicated to fundraising is common, but much fundraising is still carried out by executive directors, volunteers and board members. Also, a substantial number of organisations engage external entities, including federated campaigns, support organisations and professional fundraising firms to generate contributions. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications     

Donor survival analysis: an alternative perspective on lifecycle modelling

There is considerable pressure on charities and voluntary organisations, both to reduce ‘wasted’ expenditure on administrative costs and unwanted mailings, and to deliver more and better services from their voluntary support. Modern tools allow organisations to tailor mailing requirements to individual needs easily and cheaply. Charities need to become ever more efficient: improving the response rates, while reducing overall expenditure on money‐raising activities. Simple means and summary statistics can be seriously biased and misleading for this type of data. Survival analysis is a good, sound and flexible tool to analyse length of time to next donation and membership data. This can lead to a better understanding and more efficient use of the available budgets. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications     

Combining work and informal care: the importance of caring organisations

Population ageing and rising costs of long‐term care mean that organisations will be confronted in the future with a growing number of employees who combine paid work with providing informal care to a relative or non‐kin. Combining work and informal care successfully partly depends on job and care‐related features, but more information is needed on the importance of organisational aspects in this regard. The impact of organisational support on work outcomes (work–care balance and perceived need for job adaptations) was studied among 1,991 employed informal caregivers in 50 different organisations. Multilevel logistic regression analyses revealed that a heavy care burden decreased the odds of combining work and care successfully. Caregivers who felt supported by colleagues and supervisors, and who worked in supportive organisations had higher odds of good work outcomes. The findings imply that organisations should be explicit about their concern for informal caregivers and be particularly aware of colleagues with heavy care responsibilities.     

Flexible work arrangements in Greece: a study of employee perceptions

The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to explore factors that affect employees' perceptions towards flexible work options; second, to examine whether the perceived benefits and barriers associated with work flexibility predict one's decision to participate in flexible work arrangements or not. A total of 362 Greek employees participated in the study to determine their attitudes towards flexible work practices. Univariate analyses of variance and logistic regression analysis were conducted with the aim of exploring the research hypotheses. It is found that attitudes towards flexible work options are dependent on gender, sector of employment and prior participation in a flexible work scheme. In general, women, public sector employees and employees who have participated in flexible work arrangements are more likely to perceive more benefits and fewer costs with regard to the use of work flexibility. Further analysis provided evidence that work–life balance benefits are stronger predictors of participation in flexible work practices. These findings suggest that employee-centred organisations that view flexibility as a valuable management tool, should deal with specific barriers that discourage people from taking up flexible work arrangements. Given the dearth of empirical research on work flexibility in Greece, the findings of this study provide the wider academic community with new insights on employees' perceptions of flexible work options.     

Learning and development opportunities as a tool for the retention of volunteers: a motivational perspective

The growing reliance on volunteers in Australia has heightened the need for non‐profit organisations to retain these valuable resources. However, the current literature on volunteer retention is limited. One potential way volunteers can be retained is by providing learning and development opportunities (LDOs). This study investigates the relationship between volunteer perceptions of LDOs, their motivations for volunteering, and retention. Analyses revealed significant main effects for LDOs and volunteer motivations on retention and several interactive effects demonstrating that LDOs can have differential effects on retention depending on the reasons for volunteering.     

Mobilising workers within inter‐organisational relationships in the UK voluntary sector

This article assesses the prospects for union membership growth in the UK voluntary sector. It examines the efforts of workplace activists to defend terms and conditions and recruit and retain members in two voluntary organisations in the context of the sector's close relationship with external state funding and regulatory bodies. The study confirms the importance of workplace activists in contributing to successful mobilisation. It also finds, however, that differences in inter‐organisational relations between the two organisations and state funding bodies that are shaped by product markets and competition are pivotal in explaining the variability in outcomes for union mobilisation efforts. The article has wider significance in telling us more about why union campaigns in areas of the economy characterised by close supply chain relations succeed or fail.     

Market segmentation - are UK charities making the most of the potential?

This paper discusses the findings of research carried out into the application of market segmentation in the charity sector. Four hundred and ten of the top performing charities (as ranked by income from voluntary donations) were surveyed to determine what techniques of segmentation they apply to their database. They were also asked to indicate how this information is used to inform and determine appropriate fundraising strategies. The findings show that with the exception of a few large organisations, the concept of market segmentation is as yet not utilised to its full potential in the development of successful fundraising strategy.     

The emergence of a new industrial relations actor—the role of the citizens’ Advice Bureaux?

How do employees seek representation and how is workplace conflict resolved in the absence of trade unions? This article contributes to this debate by suggesting that employees are seeking advice and representation outside the traditional labour movement and from voluntary organisations such as the Cititzens’ Advice Bureaux (CABx).     

The relationship between employee knowledge,personal contact and attitudes towards chronically ill co-employees within the banking sector

As chronic illnesses continue to be a burden in today's organisations, it remains a very crucial call for management to find ways to eradicate the associated organisational problems. While people of all ages are affected by chronic illnesses, there is a higher risk of the elderly developing chronic diseases. However, as much as chronic illnesses are inevitable among employees, there should be ways at least to curb negative social and goal achievement impact which they bring in organisations. In this regard, a survey was conducted to examine the relationship between employees' knowledge about, contact with and attitudes towards their co-employees with chronic illnesses within the banking sector. This is not a well-researched area from an International Journal of Human Resource Management (IJHRM) view and this work could make a useful additive contribution. Results indicated that employees' knowledge about and contact with individuals diagnosed with chronic illnesses were significantly related to better attitudes towards this population. The findings also revealed that knowledge was related to positive attitudes among employees who had more personal contact with individuals with chronic illnesses and such findings indicate the importance of exposing employees to information about chronic illnesses and direct practice experience with individuals who have these illnesses. Managerial implications for employees with chronic illness are discussed.     

浅析知识工作者的志愿性在企业管理中的价值

本文从知识工作者的志愿性入手,通过对知识工作者的特征进行分析,总结出知识工作者在工作中的"志愿性"。对现代企业而言,能否取得成功关键在于是否能够充分利用好知识工作者的这种志愿性,这种志愿性在企业管理中存在着独特的价值,这种价值能促进企业进行有效管理。     

Going global,feeling small: an examination of managers' reactions to global restructuring in a multinational organisation

This paper is concerned with examining the reactions of managers to the process of global restructuring in a large, multinational food-processing company. Much extant research concerning globalisation has focused on the wider economic, political and social outcomes. Perhaps surprisingly, relatively little attention has been given to how globalisation is experienced inside organisations. This paper examines how country-level managers have been affected by the move to a new global structure in their organisation. We present evidence of these managers feeling disempowered by global reorganisation and of a largely negative impact on their feelings towards the organisation they work for.     

Improving public trust in the voluntary sector: an empirical analysis

Public trust and confidence in the voluntary sector continues to be at the heart of the government's new policy agenda. A number of initiatives are currently under way to review how trust and confidence could be bolstered. In this study the authors review the findings of a major new study of how donors feel about voluntary organisations and the factors that drive trust therein. Managerial and public policy recommendations are offered in the light of the findings. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications