| Abstract: | This is a case study of a volunteer programme in a community welfare centre in St Petersburg, Russia. It is suggested that the successful and long‐term activation of its 900 volunteers can be credited to the programme's structural and managerial characteristics. These include: a formal and hierarchical structure and management; clearly defined privileges and obligations; small working groups called ‘brigades’; a comprehensive support system for volunteers and a variety of volunteer opportunities and participation benefits. Advantages and limitations of the programme are discussed, as well as the applicability of some of its principles to other settings. The research demonstrates the importance of contextual and socio‐cultural variables to the debate on the relevance to volunteer work of managerial principles applied with paid employees. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications |
