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Modelling the volunteer experience: Findings from the heritage sector
... A number of authors confirm these two categories, terming them 'pro-social' (e.g. Smith 2002;Lockstone-Binney et al. 2010). Altruism is also a motivator (Musick et al. 2000) and may lead to the volunteer learning as well (Wootton 2017). ...
... A volunteer's age may affect motivation (Lockstone-Binney et al. 2010). Smith (2002) found that older volunteers were primarily seeking social opportunities; younger volunteers primarily sought work experience. Conversely, Omoto et al. (2000) suggest that younger volunteers seek social rewards and older volunteers enact altruism or community concern. ...
... We used Stebbins' (1996) motivation groups (as has prior literature, such as Smith 2002;Musick et al. 2008;Lockstone-Binney et al. 2010), sorting the respondents' options into (i) an altruistic measure 'to help the community', (ii) three personal rewards ('personal satisfaction', 'to broaden my skills' and 'may lead to paid work') and (iii) two social rewards ('to build a public profile' and 'professional responsibility') (see Table 2). We derived a mean rank for each group/measure and used repeated measures analysis of variance to test whether the mean rank differed between groups. ...
Disasters tend to stimulate the creation of spontaneous informal activity by self-organising voluntary groups and individuals. This has been demonstrated by the transnational surge of volunteer activity in the aftermath of countless disasters worldwide that have varied in both size and nature. Yet despite the universality and inevitability of volunteer behaviour, research into the phenomenon of voluntarism following the occurrence of a natural disaster has only been lightly examined. This paper presents a scoping review of the available literature on the emergence of local and international volunteerism following the occurrence of a natural disaster. Four major themes were identified in the literature: (i) motivational drivers of volunteerism in post-disaster contexts; (ii) volunteer typologies; (iii) opportunities and challenges presented by the informal volunteer; and (iv) extending volunteerism.
... These communalities include a focus examining volunteer profiles, motivations and expectations (Bosserman, 1992;Brown & Lehto, 2005;Deery, Jago, & Shaw, 1997;Edwards, 2005;Farrell, Johnston, & Twynam, 1998;Holmes, 2003;Propst, Jackson, & McDonough, 2003;Ralston & Rhoden, 2005;Strigas & Newton Jackson Jr, 2003;Twynam, Farrell, & Johnston, 2002/03;Uriely, Schwartz, Cohen, & Reichel, 2002); experiences and satisfaction (Farrell et al., 1998;Silverberg, Marshall, & Ellis, 2001;Smith, 2002); aspects of commitment (Cuskelly, Auld, Harrington, & Coleman, 2004;Elstad, 2003;Green & Chalip, 2004); comparisons between paid staff and volunteers (Jago & Deery, 2002;Thibault et al., 2002); and trends and management issues in volunteering settings (Cuskelly, Taylor, Hoye, & Darcy, 2006;Edwards & Graham, 2006;. Mirroring the event studies documented in Table 1, most volunteer research conducted in leisure settings focuses on a single organisation or event (exceptions include Cuskelly et al., 2004, Handy et al., 2006Holmes, 2003;Smith, 2002), limiting comparisons across multiple contexts. ...
... These communalities include a focus examining volunteer profiles, motivations and expectations (Bosserman, 1992;Brown & Lehto, 2005;Deery, Jago, & Shaw, 1997;Edwards, 2005;Farrell, Johnston, & Twynam, 1998;Holmes, 2003;Propst, Jackson, & McDonough, 2003;Ralston & Rhoden, 2005;Strigas & Newton Jackson Jr, 2003;Twynam, Farrell, & Johnston, 2002/03;Uriely, Schwartz, Cohen, & Reichel, 2002); experiences and satisfaction (Farrell et al., 1998;Silverberg, Marshall, & Ellis, 2001;Smith, 2002); aspects of commitment (Cuskelly, Auld, Harrington, & Coleman, 2004;Elstad, 2003;Green & Chalip, 2004); comparisons between paid staff and volunteers (Jago & Deery, 2002;Thibault et al., 2002); and trends and management issues in volunteering settings (Cuskelly, Taylor, Hoye, & Darcy, 2006;Edwards & Graham, 2006;. Mirroring the event studies documented in Table 1, most volunteer research conducted in leisure settings focuses on a single organisation or event (exceptions include Cuskelly et al., 2004, Handy et al., 2006Holmes, 2003;Smith, 2002), limiting comparisons across multiple contexts. ...
... A focus of sociological research has been on how volunteering fits between paid work and leisure, emerging out of broader debates on the relationship between work and leisure (Parker, 1971;Rousseau, 1978;Wilensky, 1960Wilensky, , 1961Zuzanek & Mannell, 1983) and the bearing of work generally on society. Various researchers have noted that volunteering is a leisure activity (Parker, 1997;Holmes, 2003;Smith, 2002). This approach was expounded by Henderson (1981;1984), who sought to find out what motivates people for leisure and, therefore, what might motivate them to volunteer. ...
Leisure has been widely examined within the context of social science theory. This article adopts a broad approach, examining a range of social science disciplines and applying them to specific phenomena located within the leisure field, namely, volunteers and volunteering in leisure settings. In a disciplinary sense, the sociological view focuses upon the conceptualisation of volunteering as leisure, the psychological view seeks to understand motivations driving volunteering, while the perspective of economists supplements these standpoints in terms of why people volunteer and further examines the value of volunteer contributions. Comparative analysis of the perspectives enunciated within these key disciplines provides for a fuller picture of the status of research relating to leisure volunteers and volunteering. Accordingly, this article aims to identify gaps in current knowledge, draws out conclusions for an improved understanding of this area as well as to enhance comprehension of disciplinary contributions to the study of leisure phenomena.
... A wider literature on the profile of volunteers and the nature of volunteering, including The 1997 National Survey of Volunteering, provides much background detail on wide-ranging aspects, such as participation and employability dimensions (Davis Smith, 1998;Hirst, 2000). Within the tourism literature, most studies relate either to volunteers and the maintenance of recreational tourism facilities (Caldwell & Andereck, 1994;Goodlad & McIvor, 1998;Heindrich, 1990;Holmes, 1999;Kay, 1997;Lord & Lord, 1997;Mattingly, 1984;Smith, 2002) or to major hallmark events (J. A. Burns & Mules, 1986;Mules & Faulkner, 1996;Richie & Aitken, 1984) However, many of these have not specifically addressed event preplanning of volunteer recruitment, composition, and expectations in relation to the successful management of an event. ...
... There is substantial research on the factors that typically influence volunteer satisfaction and retention levels (Bretell, 2000;Elstad, 1997Elstad, , 2003Farrell et al., 1998;Galindo-Kuhn & Guzley, 2001;Getz, 1991;Gidron, 1983;Kemp, 2002;Nakajima, 2000;Ronningen, 2000;Smith, 2002;Williams et al., 1995). These are summarized in Table 1. ...
... The appropriate management of the volunteer force is not only critical to their motivation, retention, and the level of hospitality they convey, but also to contributing to their perceived satisfaction with the volunteer experience and the event itself. It also has implications for the ability to develop a base of future volunteers in the community and to fully embrace the potential of volunteering as a contribution to the sustainable development of local communities (Smith, 2002). ...
The XVII Commonwealth Games in Manchester, from July 25 to August 4, 2002, was the largest Commonwealth Games (the Games) and multisporting event ever held in the UK and required the recruitment and training of the largest volunteer workforce in the UK in recent decades. While much has been written about volunteering within different contextual backgrounds, and in relation to large-scale events, little research has addressed the issue of expectations of volunteers and their attitude towards functional management during the run up to a major international event. Using a qualitative research approach with focus groups this study addresses these issues. In terms of expectations, a number of key factors were identified in relation to the recruitment, training, and other management dimensions of the Games that have implications for volunteer motivation, responses to the psychological contract, and the long-term impact of a major event.
... However, heritage volunteers are beginning to receive attention. Previous heritage volunteer research across the non-profit, public and private sectors has focused on museums (Edwards, 2006;Graham, 2000;Graham and Lennon, 2002;Howlett, Machin, & Malmersjo, 2005; Institute for Volunteering Research, 2005), libraries (Cookman, 2001;Cookman, Haynes, & Streatfield, 2000); literary heritage attractions (Smith, 2003), historic properties (Holmes, 2003;Smith, 2002), and The National Trust (Brewis, 2004;Holmes & MacFarlane, 2000;Institute for Volunteering Research, 1998). However, few works focus specifically on heritage railway volunteers. ...
... National Trust, the largest heritage organisation in the UK with 49,358 volunteers, found that 52% were aged over 65 years (Brewis, 2004). Graham (2001), Holmes (2001Holmes ( , 2003 and Smith (2002) also remarked on the relatively older profile of museum and heritage attraction volunteers and concurred with Millar's (1991) assertion that heritage volunteering has developed separately from other forms of volunteering. Age (30% 55 -64; 35% 65-74; and 7% 75 or over), gender (57% female), colour (96% white Caucasian) and disability (9%) were found to be the key features in the profile of UK museum, library and archive volunteers (Howlett et al., 2005). ...
... The findings largely support other studies with regard to the profile of heritage volunteers in other sectors: the respondents are generally white Caucasian, aged 55 and over, and retired (cf. Graham, 2001;Holmes, 2001Holmes, , 2003Howlett et al., 2005;Smith, 2002). Therefore, heritage railway managers need to design recruitment strategies in preparation for a time when the current workforce is no longer able or willing to work in the most physically demanding roles (cf. ...
Heritage transport is the focus of academic research less often than other heritage tourism types, especially with regard to volunteer motivation. Thus, the present study extends the literature by examining heritage railway volunteers' initial motivations for volunteering and their demographic profile. The associations between the key variables of age, gender and employment experience and volunteers' initial motivations are analysed. Quantitative data were collected using a deductive methodological approach to design a postal survey employing systematic sampling (n = 252). Five preliminary hypotheses were set up based on the findings from the literature. The data analysis procedures employed principal components analysis and descriptive statistics, and then a series of statistical comparisons involving chi-square tests, Mann–Whitney U-tests and t-tests. Key findings included six motivational dimensions: altruism, for me (work substitute), social/affiliative, instrumental (hobbies), for me (relaxation/change) and instrumental (skills). It is argued that an understanding of these dimensions, and the motivational differences with regard to demographic profiles, can help heritage railway managers to plan for targeted recruitment to address organisational needs and best ensure the longevity of heritage transport tourism attractions.
... Identifying the stakeholders Smith (2002) provides a useful conceptual model of the interrelationships that contribute to the volunteer experience within the heritage industry (see Figure 2). This model can also be applied to the library world, and was used as a basis by which to identify key stakeholder groups that would be investigated in this particular research. ...
... Those groups deemed at greater risk of social exclusion (such as black and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, people with long-term illness, or lacking formal qualifications), are already under-represented compared to the population as a whole when considering participation rates in volunteering (Teasdale, 2008: 2). It was evident that many of the volunteers questioned were predominantly retired, exhibiting a strong work ethic and civic duty, with previous links to the library service, and one may argue that such a presence of the usual suspects may deter others from volunteering locally, and therefore work against the development of a fully inclusive library service (Smith, 2002). Although this may not necessarily be a problem, Pateman and Williment (2013) warn that using volunteers to plug gaps in public library provision may result in social exclusion, in that the service is further polarised, attracting users who are similar to the incumbent volunteers, thereby deterring those who feel that they do not belong to this group. ...
English public libraries are increasingly adopting a hybrid approach to volunteer use, whereby volunteers plug the gaps created by reductions in paid staff, in response to local authority cuts arising from the Conservative Government’s austerity measures. This article builds on an initial phase of research reported in a previous article from 2015, which examined library service managers’ views of volunteering in public libraries using a Delphi study method. The second phase of research uses a case study method to investigate a variety of stakeholder views regarding public library volunteer use, using interviews, focus groups and surveys, thereby providing a complex picture of understandings and meanings. Results indicate that there is a clear mismatch of opinions relating to this phenomenon, in addition to a number of unintended consequences, directly attributable to the challenges identified. Key consequences of volunteer use relate to social exclusion, reductions in service accountability and quality, and a blurring of the boundaries that exist within the library, causing tensions for all stakeholders. Formal and informal strategies for ensuring these consequences are minimized are vital for library professionals who may be managing these volunteers, and a carefully planned volunteer relationship management strategy is suggested, which underpins the volunteer use equation, ensuring a mutually beneficial arrangement for all. A series of key recommendations are discussed that may help to counter some of the challenges identified, and provide a possible way forward for library professionals having to deal with this complex situation.
Accepted full text available at http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/32413/ originally published 15th December 2017.
... Ugyanakkor nem lehet figyelmen kívül hagyni, hogy a szabadidő a fesztiválönkéntességnél is fontos aspektus, hiszen az önkéntes tevékenység az egyén szabadidejében történik (Clary et al. 1998;Holmes 2003;Parker 1997;Smith 2002). Ezt a megközelítést Henderson (1981;1984) fejtette ki, aki arra kereste a választ, hogy mi motiválja az embereket a szabadidő eltöltésére, és ebből következően mi motiválhatja őket az önkéntességre. ...
A hazai legnagyobb könnyűzenei fesztivál, a Sziget Fesztivál, húszéves fennállása óta sikeresen követi a nemzetközi trendeket, nem csak kulturálisan, hanem az önkéntesek foglalkoztatása terén is. A rendezvény lebonyolítása során egyre nagyobb szerepe van a fesztivál önkénteseknek, ez mind az önkéntesek növekvő számában, mind pedig az önkéntesek feladatait szervező Fesztivál Önkéntes Központ munkájában tetten érhető. A fesztiválönkéntesség egy sajátos esete az epizodikus önkéntességnek. Tanulmányunk a Sziget Fesztivál fiatal önkéntesei példáján mutatja be azokat a motivációs tényezőket, ahol eltérés van az epizodikus önkéntesség különböző formái között ezen fajtája és az önkéntesség egyéb formái között. Kutatásunkat 2022 nyarán végeztük a Sziget Fesztivál önkéntesei körében kérdőíves módszerrel, az érvényes válaszok száma 311 volt. A korábbi, nemzetközi epizodikus önkéntesek körében végzett motivációs vizsgálatok eredményeivel egybehangzóan a Sziget Fesztivál önkéntesei számára is vezető motivációs tényező az elismertség és a társas interakció voltak. Ezt a motivációs bázist javaslatunk szerint a munkaszervezéskor érdemes szem előtt tartani az ellentételezésként nyújtott fesztiválbelépőn felül is. Kutatásunk fontos eredménye, hogy az epizodikus önkéntesség gyakorisága szerint megfigyelhető volt némi eltérés a motivációk sorrendjében és erősségében aszerint, hogy első alkalommal vagy visszatérő epizodikus önkéntesről van-e szó. A 25 év feletti fesztivál önkéntesek, akik más szervezeteknél rendszeresen végeztek önkéntes munkát jóval nagyobb hangsúlyt fektettek az önkéntes munka önbecsülésben betöltött szerepére, mint a kevésbé gyakori önkéntesek.
... Sin embargo, las edades de los voluntarios son diferentes en la mayoría de los países. En el caso europeo, como se ha dicho, hablamos de personas jubiladas a partir de los 55 años según el régimen de jubilación de cada país [British Association of Friends of Museums, 1998;Holmes, 2003;Smith, 2002]. En el caso de España, desde 1993, la Confederación Española de Aulas de la Tercera Edad (CEATE), cuenta con más de 1.500 voluntarios culturales entre los 55 y los 90 años que atienden programas en espacios culturales [Jornada Laguna, 2012, pág. ...
Se presenta la experiencia de formación de voluntarios en el yacimiento del Alto de la Cruz de Cortes de Navarra (España), una comunidad que se ha implicado para dar a conocer su patrimonio cultural, olvidado durante años y recuperado en la actualidad, gracias a la acción de los arqueólogos investigadores, el sector político y la comunidad, orgullosa de su legado cultural.
... The relationship among them was one topic that has drawn much attention (e.g., Lee et al., 2014;Bachman et al, 2016). While these studies (e.g., Doherty, 2009, Smith, 2002 have explored many aspects of volunteer experience like relationship among volunteer satisfaction, commitment, and future intention, as well as volunteer experience influence factors, research on volunteer experience from an 'insider' perspective is lacking. ...
There has been little research conducted to date which identifies issues related to cross-cultural volunteer experience at events. The purpose of this study was to explore the first author’s volunteer experience at events in two countries, focusing on a schema for cross-cultural experience developed for different cultural contexts. Auto-ethnographical data was recorded during the first author’s volunteer experience at the 2015 World Press Photo Exhibiton (2015WPPE) and the 2016 Shandong Province Entrepreneurship Programs Exhibition (2016SPEPE). The schema framework guided data analysis of key perceptions and understandings. This analysis identified several knowledge structures which influence individual volunteer’s expectations and interpretations of experience.
... The relationship among them was one topic that has drawn much attention (e.g., Lee et al., 2014;Bachman et al, 2016). While these studies (e.g., Doherty, 2009, Smith, 2002 have explored many aspects of volunteer experience like relationship among volunteer satisfaction, commitment, and future intention, as well as volunteer experience influence factors, research on volunteer experience from an 'insider' perspective is lacking. ...
Using 2015 World Press Photo exhibition as a case study, the purpose of this paper is to explore a Chinese volunteer's experience in New Zealand by an 'insider' account. Auto-ethnographical data was recorded during the first author's three weeks' volunteer experience in Wellington. The personal narrative is represented in three stages of the event: (1) pre-event, (2) during-event, and (3) post-event. A reflective analytic process was conducted to the daily journals upon finishing the volunteering activity. It highlighted the differences of volunteer experiences in two countries thematically. The main contribution of the interpretation of an 'insider' account was it opened the discussion of cross-cultural volunteering experience at international events. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research.
... The relationship among them was one topic that has drawn much attention (e.g., Lee et al., 2014;Bachman et al, 2016). While these studies (e.g., Doherty, 2009, Smith, 2002 have explored many aspects of volunteer experience like relationship among volunteer satisfaction, commitment, and future intention, as well as volunteer experience influence factors, research on volunteer experience from an 'insider' perspective is lacking. ...
... Although the management of heritage membership associations has previously been examined (Hayes & Slater, 2003;Slater, 2004) and volunteers in the UK heritage sector have been the subject of several studies (Edwards, 2005;Holmes, 2003;Orr, 2006;Smith, 2002), the behavior of members and the relationship between membership and volunteering remains underresearched. This is surprising as the most recent studies of volunteer participation report that 90% of UK museums involve volunteers (Resource, 2002), that volunteers outnumber paid staff by 2:1 and comprise an estimated 25, 000 individuals (Creigh-Tyte & Thomas, 2001). ...
Previous studies of membership associations identify differences between passive and active participation and also identify both sociodemographic and motivational factors as influencing participation. Extant research has, however, relied on cross-sectional survey data which does not capture the whole picture of an individual's memberships. This article reports on a mixed-methods study of members of voluntary associations in the UK heritage sector to examine patterns of participation. The data reveals intensity of participation ranging from passive to active membership and we identify a new form of engagement: substituters. We find motivation to be the main influence on participation level and identify a new group of members based on their motivation: hobbyists. The data also reveals barriers to participation, including distance to the heritage site, aging, work and family commitments, and participation in other membership or voluntary associations. Last, members display varying levels of participation over time within the same association.
... While the UK museums sector involves a large number of volunteers, with 92% of museums involving volunteers (Resource, 2002), research has focused on older socially-motivated volunteers (Smith, 2002;Holmes, 2003) and the experiences of younger, experience-seekers have been overlooked, with no recent data on this phenomenon. These younger, experienceseekers form a significant subsection of the volunteer workforce, with the National Trust for England and Wales finding that 21% of their volunteers hoped their activities might provide a route to full-time employment (The National Trust, 1998). ...
Kirsten Holmes is Course Leader for the MA Arts and Heritage Management at the University of Sheffield, UK. Her research, including her PhD, has focused on various aspects of volunteering in the cultural sector and volunteering for leisure. Her other research interests include managing people in museums and the arts and the pedagogy of vocational learning. She is a member of the Leisure Studies Association's executive committee. Abstract Aspiring museums professionals frequently have to volunteer independent of formal study programmes, in order to gain paid work in the UK museums sector. However, volunteering for work experience has been largely ignored by previous studies of museum volunteers. This paper reports on a postal questionnaire and interviews with both volunteers and managers to gain insight into the extent of work experience volunteering and the experiences of these would-be museum workers. A key problem for museums is the resources needed to provide meaningful internships. For volunteers, a good internship is almost entirely due to luck and finding a mentor. However, the lack of entry level posts, combining with a shortage of apparently suitable applicants for paid positions means that museums may be facing a recruitment crisis.
La figura del voluntariado del patrimonio cultural ha pasado desapercibida a pesar de haber estado muy presente en las últimas décadas. Es ahora cuando no sólo se está visibilizando sino que, incluso, se ha convertido en un agente impulsor de iniciativas de gestión, de forma pareja al desarrollo de la socialización del patrimonio. España posee una enorme cantidad de bienes patrimoniales y una variedad impresionante. No obstante, el desapego social hacia estos, probablemente por una falta de estrategia de comunicación global, ha favorecido, hasta hace poco tiempo, un escaso
interés en la conservación y gestión del patrimonio cultural entre la ciudadanía.
The purpose of the study was to examine event design and attendees’ satisfaction in Cross River State. The specific objectives were to: examine the relationship between event design dimensions such as safety, ambience, hospitality significantly influence attendees’ satisfaction in Cross River State. The research design for this study was survey and descriptive design. The population of this study comprised attendees of the selected events in Cross River State from June – September, 2023, from the three Senatorial Districts of Cross River State. The study adopted the convenient sampling technique. Primary data were gathered for the study. The results of the data analysis were conducted using structural equation model. Based on the analysis of the results, it was revealed that safety significantly influence attendees’ satisfaction in Cross River State. Ambience significantly influence attendees’ satisfaction in Cross River State. Event hospitality significantly influence attendees’ satisfaction in Cross River State. Based on the findings, the study recommended that Event managers should improve on event safety in order to protect tourists and their belongings through the introduction of CCTV camera at all event sites. Also, recommended that Event managers should improve on event environment and invariably elicit the desire positive behavior from current and prospect attendees of events. Finally, hospitality in event design plays a crucial role in ensuring customer satisfaction. Therefore, management should create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for guests, anticipating their needs, and providing exceptional service throughout the event through training of service personnel.
We are entering a new era of leisure. Quality rather than quantity is now the focus of researchers, policymakers and managers. Technological change, an ageing population and a harsh economic climate are changing the values and practices of leisure, as well as the relationship between leisure, society and the individual. Contemporary Perspectives in Leisure uses a variety of disciplinary approaches to introduce the most important trends in contemporary leisure in the Twenty-First Century. With contributions from some of the leading international figures in modern leisure studies, the book examines key philosophical and theoretical debates around leisure, with reference to concepts such as happiness, enjoyment and quality of life, as well as the most interesting contemporary themes in leisure studies, from youth leisure and 'dark' leisure to technology and adventure. Understanding changes in leisure helps us to better understand changes in wider society. Contemporary Perspectives in Leisure is a perfect companion to any course in leisure studies, and useful reading for any student or scholar working in sociology, cultural studies, recreation, tourism, sport, or social psychology.
The book develops through three distinct sections, the first of which begins by introducing the concept of volunteering and considering the variety of volunteer forms and settings within tourism. The next part picks up the organisational approach and examines volunteer program design and planning, volunteer motivation, recruitment and selection, training and development, reward and retention, and diversity management. The final part consists of ten case studies from leading international researchers and practitioners identifying best practice and key management challenges.
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The growing number of volunteers in the heritage sector indicates a desire for a leisure experience by pursuing a subject interest with like‐minded people. Millar and others have suggested that volunteers are the ‘ultimate frequent visitors’, and as the day visitor market for museums and heritage attractions declines, this paper offers the repositioning of ‘heritage visiting’ from day visits to longer term connections with particular heritage attractions via volunteering. It draws on Stebbins’s concept of serious leisure as a way of reading museum volunteering as a leisure practice and argues that museum volunteering is a way of practising heritage as leisure that is ‘self‐generated’, with museum volunteers active in constructing their own identities. According to the concept of ‘serious leisure’, museum volunteers become part of a social world inhabited by those knowledgeable about heritage and history. The paper concludes by examining the adequacy of Stebbins’s P‐A‐P system for analysing the power relations between museum professionals and volunteers in the museum social world.
It is generally acknowledged that an understanding of the motivations and expectations of volunteers is an important first step in planning for their management. However, these considerations have been overlooked with regard to volunteers on trails. This paper presents an exploratory study of the motivations and expectations of trail volunteers, focusing on a case study of volunteer rangers on the National Cycle Network in the United Kingdom. Empirical data were collected through focus groups and analysed by template analysis. A concern for the environment, commitment to sustainable transport, love of cycling and affiliation with an organization's values emerged as the main motivations. The volunteers expected to be deployed appropriately, with regard to task and location, and receive recognition for their efforts. It was concluded that incorporating these factors into the planning process would improve the recruitment and retention of volunteers, and increase volunteer-organization commitment.
Volunteers play a pivotal role in the tourism sector, contributing invaluable human resources to museums, visitor attractions, visitor information services and small and large-scale events. Recognition is being increasingly afforded to the role flexibility can play in efforts to attract and retain volunteers, given that volunteers appear to be more and more attracted to opportunities that provide them with a degree of flexibility in choosing how often and in what way they contribute to organisations. This paper combines an organisational and volunteer perspective to provide an exploratory insight into the flexibility options made available to and preferred by volunteers working within the tourism sector. The implications of adopting a flexible approach to volunteer management are highlighted and areas for future research discussed.
Government's engagement with tourism and in the development of the sector is widely accepted but academic debate about the form and level of such involvement is limited. This is particularly the case when specific facets of state engagement, relating for example to support for human resource development (HRD) in tourism, are concerned. The purpose of this paper is to explore the substantially neglected role of the state and its agencies in creating an enabling environment for effective HRD within tourism, through policy and planning as well as the delivery of actual HRD initiatives. In this paper, we briefly address the contested role of government in economic development and, in particular, in HRD. We address the nature of tourism as a sector within the economy and identify its salient features in terms of the key themes in this paper. The role of human resources in enabling tourism businesses, destinations and countries to operate effectively and competitively in the contemporary global economy is addressed and the paper considers the impact that tourism's defining structural and operational characteristics have on the role of people. Finally, building on the experience of the Irish Republic over the past 40 years, we will consider whether government and its agencies can play a useful role in guiding policy and delivering programmes that act to enhance the quality and productivity of people in the delivery of products and services to guests within tourism and, if they can, how this role can best be defined and operationalised.
Volunteers make contributions across the breadth of tourism, both as volunteer tourists and as volunteers supporting tourism within their local community, such as through visitor attractions and events. While tourism volunteering as a research field is growing, these two groups of volunteers have largely been considered separately with little crossover of research or researchers. This paper proposes a model of tourism volunteer engagements as a means of conceptualising types of tourism volunteering, settings, and time contributions more holistically and inclusively. Using this model as a framework, we set out the current state of research on tourism volunteering, demonstrating that, to date, researchers have concentrated on key types of tourism volunteering and settings, and within these, focused on dominant time contributions, roles, and perspectives, and prevailing methods and approaches. By identifying gaps in extant research we call for more critical research and challenge researchers to ‘go beyond’ and create a wider‐ranging and more inclusive research agenda. By taking up the challenge to ‘go beyond’ we argue that this nascent research field can mature and indeed develop a wider‐ranging and more inclusive research agenda that embraces both the diversity and commonalities of tourism volunteering.
Aspiring museums professionals often have to volunteer outside of formal study programmes in order to gain paid work in the UK museums sector. Volunteering for work experience however, has been largely ignored by previous studies of museum volunteers. This paper aims to provide an insight into the extent of volunteering for work experience and the experiences of these would-be museum workers. The paper presents the result of a postal questionnaire and interviews with both volunteers and managers. A key problem for museums is the resources needed to provide meaningful work experience. For volunteers, a worthwhile work experience placement appears to be almost entirely due to luck and finding a mentor. Voluntary experience therefore seems to be more about developing contacts than learning museum-specific skills. Recommendations are made for improving the volunteers’ experience.
Volunteers within tourism settings are of growing interest. Research to date has been fragmented either focusing on individuals volunteering in their community (i.e., hosts) or tourists volunteering at a destination (i.e., guests). In this paper, the tourism and leisure literature on volunteering is synthesized and the host and guest streams of volunteering critiqued according to four defining dimensions: setting, time commitment, level of obligation, and remuneration. These dimensions are refined using interview data to propose a model of tourism volunteering where host and guest volunteering are related rather than distinct. A simple host-guest dichotomy misses the shared and distinct complexities of tourism volunteering.
The Department of Internal Affairs commissioned this systematic literature review to assist the Lottery Grants Board and its distribution committees to make distribution decisions that are evidence-based, and to focus on the most effective interventions. This literature review summarises academic and practitioner research and evaluation from New Zealand and overseas – mostly Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States – on what works to encourage participation in volunteering and to support the management of volunteers. This literature review focuses on what works for managing formal volunteering carried out through the structure of an organization. This is a ‘workplace’ model for involving and managing volunteers, but it recognises that there is a diversity of volunteers and voluntary organisations. Over 1 million New Zealanders participate in volunteering and the government’s vision is that citizens will actively volunteer, be supported and valued. The term ‘volunteering’ is a European word and different cultures in New Zealand use other terms related to obligations and contributing to the common good which encapsulate similar actions (e.g. the Māori concept of mahi aroha). The review highlights research on volunteering in areas funded by the Lottery Grants Board, for example, community and social services, and environment and heritage.Gaskin’s Model of Volunteer Involvement has four stages: the doubter, starter, doer, and stayer. These stages – and the transitions between them – are used to structure the discussion of what works to encourage and support volunteering.The key success factors which research and evaluation tell us work for encouraging and supporting volunteers are: Seeing the involvement of volunteers as a series of stages – from non-volunteer to committed volunteer – helps organisations understand the process of managing volunteers.At a national level, understanding that the motivations and barriers to participation vary and that volunteering should be a fulfilling experience. Government and peak sector bodies should promote a positive image for volunteering. At an organisational level: adopting elements of good volunteer management practice, including: support and communication, insurance coverage, written policies and procedures, recruitment and screening, orientation and training for volunteers, risk management and recognition of volunteers. At the same time, recognising that each organisation will have specific needs in this respect; investing time and money into volunteering infrastructure, including a manager of volunteers; targeted recruitment, carefully matching volunteers to roles, respond to enquiries and maintain a positive organisational image and culture; investing in resources into orientation and relevant ongoing training that is accessible and ensure that staff and stakeholders are also trained in working with volunteers; and adopting practices to retain volunteers, but also to recognise that there are personal, organisational and contextual factors that contribute to volunteers staying as well as leaving the organisation.
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