Retention of Volunteers in the Context of Motivation Theory
Volunteer Retention in the Context of Motivation Theory
Margaret Naylor, RN, MRCNA, AMPA, M Ed, M Internet Comm, B A, B Nurs.
St John Ambulance Australia [ACT]
May 2012
Abstract
This paper examines the literature addressing the underlying factors in long term commitment of volunteers to community service organisations. It places the reasons given by volunteers for both joining and staying, into the context of motivation theory. It is motivation theory that provides a foundation for understanding what attracts volunteers to community service, what factors encourage them to stay long term and what causes them to leave. The paper concludes that when those factors are interpreted from the perspective of motivation theory, managers of volunteers will be able to establish practices that will have a positive effect on retention while avoiding negative practices, to the benefit of both the organisation and its volunteer workforce.
Introduction
There is a considerable body of research that examines the underlying factors in long term commitment of volunteers to community service organisations. In general, these studies identify reasons that volunteers stay or leave, with remarkably consistent outcomes. The studies then recommend that management should provide members with what they say they want [such as opportunities for training, acquisition of new skills, helping the community]. With the exception of Rick Lynch [Lynch 2000], who related volunteering to motivation to some extent, the authors stop there. They do not take the next step of exploring further the lists generated by the research, in order to interpret the meaning and discover what specific management practices are beneficial. This paper takes that next step by placing those lists of reasons into a context of motivation theory,
Volunteer Characteristics
The ABS (2001:44) definition of a volunteer is: “someone who willingly gives unpaid help in the form of time, service or skills, through an
Margaret Naylor, RN, MRCNA, AMPA, M Ed, M Internet Comm, B A, B Nurs.
St John Ambulance Australia [ACT]
May 2012
Abstract
This paper examines the literature addressing the underlying factors in long term commitment of volunteers to community service organisations. It places the reasons given by volunteers for both joining and staying, into the context of motivation theory. It is motivation theory that provides a foundation for understanding what attracts volunteers to community service, what factors encourage them to stay long term and what causes them to leave. The paper concludes that when those factors are interpreted from the perspective of motivation theory, managers of volunteers will be able to establish practices that will have a positive effect on retention while avoiding negative practices, to the benefit of both the organisation and its volunteer workforce.
Introduction
There is a considerable body of research that examines the underlying factors in long term commitment of volunteers to community service organisations. In general, these studies identify reasons that volunteers stay or leave, with remarkably consistent outcomes. The studies then recommend that management should provide members with what they say they want [such as opportunities for training, acquisition of new skills, helping the community]. With the exception of Rick Lynch [Lynch 2000], who related volunteering to motivation to some extent, the authors stop there. They do not take the next step of exploring further the lists generated by the research, in order to interpret the meaning and discover what specific management practices are beneficial. This paper takes that next step by placing those lists of reasons into a context of motivation theory,
Volunteer Characteristics
The ABS (2001:44) definition of a volunteer is: “someone who willingly gives unpaid help in the form of time, service or skills, through an