Organizational change and volunteers
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Organizational Change and Volunteer Engagement
Impact of Organizational Transformation on Volunteer Commitment
Organizational change can significantly impact volunteer commitment and motivation. The transformation of Prevention Point, a San Francisco-based syringe exchange program, from an illegal group to a socially sanctioned service organization, provides a clear example. This shift led to a formalization process that ultimately undermined volunteer commitment by transferring responsibilities from volunteers to a new management structure1. This case highlights the delicate balance between formalizing operations and maintaining volunteer engagement.
Volunteer Motivation and Performance Management
Understanding volunteer motivation is crucial for managing change effectively. Volunteers are driven by various factors, including personal values, social connections, and the desire to contribute to a cause. Effective volunteer management involves recognizing these motivations and aligning them with organizational goals. Strategic Volunteer Resource Management (VRM) is an approach that helps maintain high volunteer engagement by addressing these motivations and managing volunteer performance during organizational changes2.
Organizational Socialization of Volunteers
The process of organizational socialization is essential for integrating volunteers into an organization. The Volunteering Stages and Transitions Model (VSTM) outlines five phases of volunteer socialization: nominee, newcomer, emotional involvement, established volunteering, and retiring. Each phase involves different activities, emotions, and perceptions that shape the volunteer experience. Understanding these phases can help organizations support volunteers through transitions and maintain their engagement3.
Role of Volunteer Managers in Organizational Change
Employees who are assigned the role of volunteer managers without prior training can face significant challenges. Their perceptions, expectations, and potential conflicts in this role can affect the effectiveness of volunteer management. For instance, in a large public library system, employees' responses to managing volunteers influenced organizational performance. Proper training and support for these managers are crucial for successful volunteer integration and management4.
Developing and Re-Developing Volunteer Roles
Volunteers often need to adapt their roles in response to organizational changes. This process involves initial role learning and ongoing role development. For example, zoo docents had to modify their role expectations and attitudes after changes in the zoo's operations. Effective role development requires a balance between organizational socialization efforts and volunteers' individualization attempts5.
Organizational Characteristics and Volunteer Engagement
Organizational characteristics, such as resources, capacity, and the value placed on volunteers, can predict volunteer engagement. In age-friendly supportive service initiatives, factors like budget size and staff receptivity to volunteers influenced volunteer involvement. Interestingly, having a larger staff was associated with lower volunteer involvement among older adult participants, highlighting the complex dynamics between organizational structure and volunteer engagement7.
Managing Change to Build Volunteer Capacity
Change in volunteer roles can either enhance the volunteer experience or create tensions. A study on enhancing volunteer capacity found that half of the volunteers experienced changes in their roles, but only a quarter wanted to be involved in these changes. This suggests that effective change management should consider volunteers' perceptions and expectations to improve support and maintain engagement8.
Perceived Organizational Support and Volunteer Outcomes
Perceived organizational support plays a critical role in volunteer engagement and retention. In a German environmental nonprofit organization, volunteers' perception of organizational support and their acceptance of the organization's vision were key factors in promoting engagement and reducing turnover. This underscores the importance of fostering a supportive environment and aligning volunteers with the organization's vision9.
Conclusion
Organizational change can have profound effects on volunteer engagement and commitment. By understanding volunteer motivations, supporting their socialization, providing proper training for volunteer managers, and managing role development effectively, organizations can navigate changes while maintaining a committed and engaged volunteer workforce.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Doing Syringe Exchange: Organizational Transformation and Volunteer Commitment
Organizational transformation in Prevention Point, a syringe exchange program, led to a decline in volunteer commitment due to a shift in responsibility from members to a new management structure.
Observational StudyVolunteers and Change Management
Nonprofit leaders must understand volunteers' motivations and retention to effectively manage them during change management.
The volunteer stages and transitions model: Organizational socialization of volunteers
The Volunteering Stages and Transitions Model (VSTM) explains the five phases of organizational socialization, revealing transformations in volunteer work, emotions, attitudes, and relationships.
Observational Study
Highly CitedInadvertent Volunteer Managers
Inadvertent volunteer managers, employees assigned to volunteer management responsibilities without prior training or experience, can negatively impact organizational performance due to role perceptions, expectations, and conflict.
Developing and Re-Developing Volunteer Roles
Zoo docents initially learned and developed their roles through socialization efforts and individualization, then re-developed them during ongoing assimilation in response to organizational changes.
Observational StudyOrganizational change in a community of faith
Organizational change in a community of faith with a volunteer workforce can be challenging, but the paper explores the process and its implications for voluntary organizations.
Organizational Characteristics and Volunteering in Age-Friendly Supportive Service Initiatives
Organizational resources, capacity, and value placed on volunteers are associated with volunteering in age-friendly supportive service initiatives, but the impact differs for older adult participants compared to community members.
Observational StudyChange in Volunteering Roles Managing Change to Build Volunteer Capacity
Effective management of change in volunteer roles can build capacity and sustainability in organizations, but poorly managed change can limit involvement and negatively impact the volunteer experience.
Observational StudyPerceived Organizational Support and Volunteer Outcomes: Evidence From a German Environmental Nonprofit Organization
Perceived organizational support positively impacts volunteers' engagement and retention, with volunteers' acceptance of the organization's vision playing a key role in their engagement and intention to leave.
Organizational Identity Development in Sport Volunteers
New volunteers in community sport organizations form their organizational identification over a single season, becoming similar to returning volunteers, with variations in content and evolution.
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