Demographics,Personality Traits,Roles, Motivations,and Attrition Rates of Hospice Volunteers

ABSTRACT

The authors conducted a review of prior research on hospice volunteering. The results show that, in most cases, the hospice volunteer is a white, married, middle-aged, financially comfortable, unemployed, female who has some college education, strong religious beliefs and has experienced the loss of someone close (see Tables 1 and 2). The results also show that hospice volunteers tend to share certain personality traits reflecting compassion, tolerance, empathy and sensitivity among others. Volunteers tend to fulfill four roles: direct patient support, education, clerical assistance, and professional services (Bunn 1985). Motivations for volunteering and for continuing one's work as a volunteer appear to be for both personal and altruistic reasons. Primary reasons for discontinuing volunteer service include burnout, communication problems, unrealistic expectations, and insufficient use of the volunteer staff. Gaps in this area of research are identified and topics for further research are presented.     

Marketing Management in Nonprofit Organizations: A Customer Analysis of Church Volunteers

ABSTRACT

Volunteers who work in nonprofit organizations serve an important role in our society, as evidenced by their economic impact. Nonprofit organizations which rely on volunteers are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain sufficient numbers of volunteers to fulfill their missions. Faced with this situation, managers need to become more marketing oriented in their approach of dealing with their volunteers. A manager's first step in becoming more marketing oriented is obtaining a better understanding of the organization's volunteers. This article presents an example of a customer analysis of a specific group of volunteers–church volunteers, to test the efficacy of this approach in better understanding a target group of volunteers. Collecting data from survey respondents, comparisons are made between church volunteers and non-volunteers, between church volunteers and secular volunteers, and between church members who volunteer in their churches and church members who volunteer in secular organizations. The findings support the utility of such a customer analysis in helping a manager develop a more accurate mental model of the organization's volunteers.     

Beyond Just Being There: An Examination of the Impact of Attitudes,Materialism, and Self-Esteem on the Quality of Helping Behavior in Youth Volunteers

ABSTRACT

Young people represent a strong and growing source of volunteers for not-for-profit organizations (NPO) and are an important focus for NPO marketing efforts. Using helping behavior theory, this paper reports a study conducted with a sample of teenagers to examine influences on their decision to volunteer and their goal setting for fund-raising. The relationship between three individual variables (attitude toward the organization, self-esteem, and materialism) and the quality of helping behavior provided was found to be mediated in large part by attitude towards the actual volunteering task. Implications for NPO marketing and future research are discussed.     

Reasons for not volunteering: overcoming boundaries to attract volunteers

ABSTRACT

Research on volunteering has mainly focused on the explanatory demographics and functional motives to volunteer, but little is known about the reasons that people might have not to volunteer. However, these reasons need more academic attention, as they form the barriers that organizations have to overcome when attracting new volunteers. We examine a sample of 1248 respondents on whether they volunteer, are interested in volunteering, or have no interest to volunteer. We verify whether demographic differences exist between these groups. By means of an exploratory factor analysis, we analyze the reasons not to volunteer for those who have no interest to volunteer. This complements earlier research by focusing on the barriers that people might have, instead of the benefits of volunteering that have extensively been documented.     

Food insecurity,customer to volunteer transition and self-concept repair: a free store example

ABSTRACT

Food insecurity poses profound threats to self-concept which impacts on physical and mental health. Two Free Stores specialising in food rescue were selected for this research. Drawing on the narratives of 34 volunteers, we examined the working practices of the Free Stores and the personal experiences of the volunteers. The Free Stores adopted the operational principles of a store format, absence of means testing and customer to volunteer transition to modify the social context from whence the threats derive. Involvement with the Free Stores provides the recipients and volunteers with multiple strategies for self-concept repair to restore positive self-views. The operational principles are effective for gaining insights into the creation and transformation of the personal and social identities of the volunteers.     

The Positive Impact of Individual Core Values

The role of values in organizations has been a highly researched topic (Collins in Good to Great, HarperCollins, New York, 2001; Collins and Porras in Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, HarperCollins, New York, 1997; Frederick and Weber 1990; Kouzes and Posner, The Leadership Challenge, 4th ed, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2007; Pattison et al. Emerging Value in Health Care: The Challenges for Professionals, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Philadelphia, 2010). However, little research has focused on values in health care settings. In addition, the research that has been done has focused on values from an organizational perspective, not from an individual perspective. Based on these two factors, in addition to the maturation and growth of the hospice industry and the researcher’s prior studies on hospice leadership and organizational practices, a research study was conducted to evaluate the core values of hospice professionals. Another key driver of the research was the expressed difference identified by leaders within the hospice industry that values of individuals new to hospice were different than those who have worked in the industry longer. A web-based survey was utilized to gather core values and demographic data from hospice professionals. Data were collected over a one-year period and involved 531 hospice professionals from 33 states. The demographic information collected was similar to comparative data from previous hospice studies. The top three core values identified in the study were family, faith, and love, and represented 76 % of all responses. No statistically significant identifiable differences, based on demographic variables, were found. Based on the findings, no support was found for the perceived differences noted by leaders working in the hospice industry. However, it identified that hospice professionals regardless of demographic characteristics appear to hold similar values as being important. Based on the findings, core values appear to be an area of commonality versus difference among hospice professionals and could serve as a focal point for building a positive organizational culture. Further research is suggested to evaluate the unique meaning of the key values identified by hospice professionals in the study. In addition, replication of the study in other health care settings would be encouraged.     

Volunteer Brand Equity? Exploring the Adoption of Employee Brand Equity (EBE) Dimensions to Understand Volunteers’ Contributions to Build Nonprofit Organizations’ Brands

ABSTRACT

Given the importance of volunteers as key assets of formal volunteering organizations, this paper explores the adoption and adequacy of Employee Brand Equity (EBE) models to understand volunteers’ contributions to Nonprofit Organization (NPO) brand equity. Methodologically this research embraces a mixed-methods approach by combining data from exploratory interviews with experts from the NPO context and from a survey to 227 Portuguese volunteers from 28 formal volunteering organizations. This paper adds to the literature by applying for the first time EBE dimensions to the context of formal volunteering institutions. Hence, it provides a first step to the development of a Volunteer Brand Equity Model, by characterizing each dimension and validating its importance in the context of NPOs. From a practitioners’ viewpoint, this paper calls attention to the importance of embracing internal marketing strategies to attract and retain volunteers in a sustainable way and provides a practical tool for Volunteer Brand Equity analysis in NPOs.     

Volunteer Service as Symbolic Consumption: Gender and Occupational Differences in Volunteering

Volunteering is presented as part of the resource attraction function of nonprofit marketing, a type of helping behavior, and a form of symbolic consumption. From a sample of volunteers, findings show that male and non-working volunteers are more likely than female and working volunteers to spend more time on volunteering and to volunteer for more number of organizations. Females and working volunteers are significantly more empathetic than males and non-working volunteers. Male and female volunteers and working and nonworking volunteers are also differentiated in terms of their values. Managerial implications are discussed.     

Young Adult Volunteers: Recruitment Appeals and Other Marketing Considerations

The long‐term survival of nonprofit charitable organizations depends on the recruitment and retention of today's young adults. A segmentation strategy proposed for retirees which was consistent with previous research on volunteer motivation was found to also be relevant for the young adult market, especially if implemented with consideration of this segment's unique interests and characteristics. In addition, young adults were found to be most inclined to volunteer for organizations that were either local and personal or nationally renowned. Organizations benefiting children were also highly regarded. The higher a college student's grade point average (GPA), the more likely they were to indicate an intention of volunteering in the future. Those most likely to volunteer in the future also exhibited higher teamwork and mentoring trait scores. The young adult market was found to be multidimensional and best approached with a variety of appeals.     

Participation in Philanthropic Activities: Donating Money and Time

The 1994 Independent Sector Survey of Giving and Volunteering conducted by the Gallup Organization was used to study the propensities with which people are solicited for money or time as well as the probabilities that people will volunteer time or donate money or property, given they have been solicited or not solicited, utilizing a two-stage probit analysis. Forty-five percent of respondents were asked by philanthropic organizations to volunteer time in 1994. Of those, 80% did volunteer. Some 78% of respondents were asked to donate money or property in 1994. Of those, 85% donated some money or property. Human, social, and cultural capital explained those who were solicited to volunteer. The same variables plus income variables determined whom to be solicited for donating money or property. Human, social, and cultural capital and income variables accounted for more variation in the probabilities to volunteer or donate, given respondents were not asked to contribute, than the probabilities to volunteer or donate, given respondents were asked to contribute.     

The nonprofit case for corporate volunteering: a multi-level perspective

ABSTRACT

This article argues that the nonprofit case for corporate volunteering is complex, requiring a multi-level perspective on the outcomes for nonprofit organizations (NPOs). To develop this perspective, we adopted an inductive research approach, conducting 39 exploratory semi-structured interviews with NPO staff. We argue that NPO scholars and practitioners should disentangle individual and organizational-level outcomes resulting from interactions between corporate volunteers and NPO staff, as such micro-dynamics ultimately affect NPO services. Moreover, these outcomes are subject to conditions at the organizational level (e.g. involvement of intermediaries), as well as at the individual level (e.g. type of assignment). Our study highlights the complexity that should be considered when addressing the fundamental question of whether corporate volunteering contributes to the ability of NPOs to provide their services, and under what conditions. We therefore propose that corporate volunteer management within NPOs is inherently, albeit contingently, intertwined with the services that these organizations provide.     

NGO Project Managers' Perception of the Sustainability of Development Projects: Empirical Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT

Developmental organizations have increasingly focused on primary beneficiaries' participation and collaboration with stakeholders as critical factors to sustainability of project activities. Hypotheses that these factors affect project managers' estimates of probable sustainability of project activities have been tested in this study. The study used survey data from a sample of 126 Non-governmental organizations from Sub-Saharan Africa through e-mail and the internet. Five indicators of primary stakeholder's participation were tested and found reliable as a measure of overall participation. The ordered probit regression analysis was used to examine relationships between probable sustainability and independent variables. The five-item participation scale (beneficiary consultation, decision-making, volunteering work, project initiation and interactive participation) was the most significant variable affecting expected sustainability of project activities. No single indicator of participation was equally related. Government support and community projects variables were also significant predictors of expected sustainability.     

Volunteer High Performance Work Systems and Service Performance: An Empirical Study of Beijing Olympic Volunteers

This study examines the key human resources factors that affect volunteers’ service performance from the perspectives of volunteers and managers in the Beijing Summer Olympic Games of 2008. Survey data were collected from 1,727 volunteers and 243 managers at the Beijing Olympics test events held at 10 venues between November 2007 and April 2008. Regression analyses and a moderation test were combined to test the hypotheses. A set of high performance work systems (HPWS) for volunteers in the Beijing Summer Olympic Games were developed which include performance management, training, recognition, teamwork and volunteer participation. Volunteer HPWS were positively related to psychological empowerment, which was in turn positively related to service recovery performance. Moreover, transformational leadership moderates the relationship between volunteer HPWS and psychological empowerment in such a way that the relationship is stronger when transformational leadership is at a higher level than when it is at a lower level. Implications and limitations were also discussed.     

Segmenting Dissatisfied Restaurant Customers Based on Their Complaining Response Styles

ABSTRACT

This study attempts to segment dissatisfied restaurant customers based on their complaining response styles and to identify socio-demographic variables that discriminate those segments. Findings suggest the presence of two customer clusters with distinct response styles; namely “talkers” and “voicers.” The results indicate that all restaurant customers respond to a dissatisfactory dining experience. Most of them utilize multiple responses to dissatisfaction. Of the demographic variables examined, only dining out frequency and marital status were found to be potent variables.     

Recruiting and Retaining Older Adult Volunteers: Implications for Practice

There is an increased interest in the promotion of volunteering within nonprofit organizations. In this paper organizational supports for recruiting and managing volunteering among older adults are explored. The paper describes an intervention comprising an intergenerational reading program delivered by volunteers in eight schools in the Republic of Ireland. The research draws on qualitative data from a mixed-methods research project (2009–2011) that evaluated outcome and process aspects of the reading program. The qualitative data was collected from a group of older volunteers aged 55 years and older. This present study frames the empirical findings within a volunteering framework that involved deductively analyzing the data using attributes associated with “volunteerability” and “recruitability.” Through this analytical framework a number of features were identified as contributing to greater knowledge of marketing strategies to recruit and retain volunteers within nonprofit organizations. The paper concludes with a set of core practice messages for organizations that rely on volunteers in the delivery of their service.     

Advertisement Style and the Recruitment of Charity Volunteers

ABSTRACT

Affective, cognitive and conative reactions to (i) altruistically focused, and (ii) egoistically orientated recruitment advertisements for charity volunteers were measured and related to individual differences in altruistic disposition among three sets of respondents. The first sample comprised 51 existing charity shop volunteers; the second consisted of 100 members of the general public who had undertaken some form of voluntary activity during the previous two years; while the third was made up of 100 people who had not completed any voluntary act over the same period. It emerged that although less altruistically inclined people responded more positively to advertisements which emphasised the material and emotional benefits of volunteering, it was not the case that people who displayed high altruistic tendency were more attracted by altruistic recruitment messages. Apparently, individuals with highly altruistic dispositions also preferred recruitment advertisements which listed the egoistical advantages accruing to voluntary work.     

浅论高校“义工”学分制的实施及其完善——以成都理工大学为例

“义工”,也称志愿者,即指利用个人闲暇时间自愿为社会提供无偿服务的人。成都理工大学结合学校教学实际,成立了义工服务组织,实行了“义工”学分制,为高校思想政治理论课实践教学改革探索出一条新路,但还需进一步完善。美国高校的“义工”服务,其在服务态度上更多强调自愿性;在服务内容上更加强调专业优势;在义工组织建设上寻求建立稳定、有效的融资机制;在政府角色定位上,政府发挥主导作用,并努力在全社会培育义工服务的社会氛围,这些为成都理工大学“义工”学分制的进一步完善提供了可资借鉴的经验。     

Consumers' perceptions of mail‐order speciality foods

The objectives of the study are to examine consumers' perceptions of speciality food mail‐order products on the basis of a mail survey of “active” and “inactive” mail‐order shoppers. The paper identifies a profile of mail‐order shoppers, examines the influence of perceived risk and the effectiveness of risk relievers, derives the dimensions of perceived benefits and establishes consumer segments based upon benefits sought.

The results reveal a distinct profile of active in‐home shoppers with resped to demographic and lifestyle variables.

Shoppers perceive higher levels of risk with mail‐order shopping compared to in‐store shopping. Appropriate risk relievers are identified for both active and inactive groups.

Consumers' perceptions of the benefits of mail‐order emphasis quality, uniqueness and convenience. However, underlying these attributes are four main dimensions of customer relations and service, convenience, nostalgia and uniqueness.

Furthermore, it is possible to identify two segments of active mailorder shoppers in terms of a produd‐oriented group and a mail‐order‐oriented group.     

Gendering the voiced complaining behavior of customers in small restaurant environments: A case of college students in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT

Understanding gender-related nuances connected to customer complaining behavior in a valuable market segment in a low-income economy is strategically important to customer relationship management practitioners in the hospitality industry. Using customer complaining behavior taxonomies and Eagly’s social role theory, this quantitative study examines how selected demographic variables, attitude toward complaining, customer loyalty, and likelihood of success affect the verbal complaining behavior of a sample of college students in Zimbabwe in restaurants contexts. The findings revealed that all the proposed predictors had statistically significant effects on voiced complaining. In addition, the gender variable moderated the influence of the non-demographic predictors. Interestingly, the likelihood of success variable had a negative influence on the respondents’ propensity to complain verbally. Based on this evidence, it is concluded that gender is integral to how college students react to service failure in restaurant environments. Consequently, marketers of related services should implement customized gender-sensitive customer complaint handling and service recovery strategies.     

Examining Employee—Service Personality Congruence

Abstract

Recent research indicates that service personality, conceptualized as the set of human characteristics associated with the service firm, plays an important role in services marketing. Research further indicates that the congruence between customer personality and service personality influences important outcome variables. Specifically, customer-service personality congruence has been shown to influence service quality perceptions, subjective disconfirmation, and word of mouth intentions. The current study extends this line of research by considering how employee-service personality congruence (ESPC) influences job outcome variables including service delivery, job satisfaction, intentions to leave, and organizational commitment. Empirical data, gathered from a sample of financial services employees, support hypothesized relationships between ESPC and these outcome variables. Furthermore, personality traits from the Five-Factor Model of personality (Costa & McCrae, 1992) are shown to play an important role in ESPC perceptions. Managerial implications and directions for future research are discussed.