Managing the volunteer organization : strategies to recruit, content, and retain volunteers

Abstract

Volunteer work is unpaid work, without any obligations, for the benefit of others and/or society (e.g., Meijs, 1997; Pearce, 1993). Due to the specific nature of this work, volunteer organizations can only address non–material features to recruit, content, and retain volunteers. Building on social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) and the social identity based model of cooperation (Tyler, 1999; Tyler & Blader, 2000) this dissertation presents a conceptual framework that argues that status evaluations concerning the volunteer organization as well as one’s own position within the volunteer organization contribute positively to psychological engagement and cooperation of individual (prospective) volunteers. Furthermore, in line with and extension of this conceptual framework, in this dissertation organizational features are identified that may help engage and commit volunteers by inducing a sense of organizational and/or individual value. These insights point to concrete interventions that can empower volunteer organizations.