Graham Cuskelly

Volunteer management practices and volunteer retention : a human resource management approach.

This study used a human resource management (HRM) approach to examine the efficacy of volunteer management practices in predicting perceived problems in volunteer retention. Participants were a sample of 375 Australian Rugby Union clubs from across the country. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the properties of a hypothesised reflective measurement model with seven volunteer management constructs (planning, recruitment, screening, orientation, training and support, performance management, and recognition). The efficacy of volunteer management practices was tested using regression analysis.

Volunteer retention in community sport organisations

An important factor in the operation of community sport organisations is the retention of volunteers. The purpose of this paper is to examine and explain trends in volunteer participation and retention using continuity theory (Atchley, 1989, 1999). Within the context of government policies aimed at increasing participation in community sport, a secondary analysis of a data series from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2002) is used to illustrate recent volunteer and player participation trends in sport. This paper argues that government policies aimed at increasing participation in organised sport may not be achievable given apparent decreases in the volunteer work capacity of the community sport system. Problems such as the uneven distribution of volunteer work in sport and the relatively small and decreasing proportions of people volunteering in specific roles in sport are discussed. Based on continuity theory (Atchley, 1989, 1999), this paper develops a ‘transition‐extension’ hypothesis that aims to explain the recruitment and retention of players and ex‐players as volunteers in community sport organisations. It concludes by outlining some directions for further research.

Organisational Commitment as a Predictor of Committee Member Turnover among Volunteer Sport Administrators: Results of a Time-Lagged Study

Many sport organisations that rely on the services of volunteers experience difficulties in the retention of their volunteer labour force. Organisational commitment has been demonstrated to be a significant predictor of task performance, absenteeism and turnover among employees in work organisations. Using a time-lagged research design, the purpose of this study was to examine the temporal influence of organisational commitment and perceived committee functioning in predicting committee member turnover behaviour among volunteers in community sport organisations. Data from a one-year, three-wave longitudinal study of volunteer administrators (N = 262) were used in a discriminant function analysis. It was found that organisational commitment and perceptions about committee functioning measured closest to the time that turnover occurred, were significant but not strong predictors of whether a volunteer stayed with or left the committee of their organisation. It was concluded that organisational commitment was a stronger predictor of turnover than perceived committee functioning, particularly when measured at a point closer to when the turnover occurred, and that organisational commitment may moderate the influence of perceived committee functioning on volunteer turnover behaviour.

Board–Executive Relationships within Voluntary Sport Organisations

This paper explores the relationship between board performance and board-executive relationships within voluntary sport organisations. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with 21 executives, board chairs and board members from seven voluntary sport organisations. Results revealed that four elements of the board-executive relationship were perceived to be associated with effective board performance. These elements included board leadership, trust between the board and the executive, the control of information available to the board, and responsibility for board performance. The paper explores each of these elements, and the implications for governing boards of voluntary sport organisations.

Using Psychological Contract Theory to Explore Issues in Effective Volunteer Management

Abstract Psychological contract theory is used here to explore the set of expectations and obligations that community sport club volunteers regard as part of their volunteering experience. In the first phase of the research, focus group interviews were conducted with 98 community sports club administrators about the methods used to manage volunteers and the organisational expectations of the volunteers. In phase two, 48 general volunteers were interviewed about their expectations and perceptions of the clubs volunteer management practices. The findings indicate that club administrators and volunteers place different emphases on the transactional, assurance of good faith and fair dealing, and intrinsic job characteristic components of the psychological contract. Notably, club administrators had substantial expectations of volunteers in relation to adherence to professional, legal and regulatory standards. Volunteers were primarily concerned with doing rewarding work in a pleasant social environment that was able to fit within their often tight time restrictions. The implications of these findings for volunteer management processes and practice in community sport clubs are discussed.

Board power and performance within voluntary sport organisations.

This paper explores the relationship between board members’ perceptions of board performance and the patterns of power that exist within the boards of voluntary sport organisations. Based on the work of Murray, et al (1992) five patterns of board power were investigated; the executive dominated board; the chair dominated board; the fragmented power board; the power sharing board; and the powerless board. Each of these patterns of board power was found to exist within voluntary sport organisations; This extends the debate in the sport management literature that has tended to view the board‐executive relationship as a simple dichotomy of volunteer or executive led. The results indicated that the members of ineffective boards were more likely to describe their board as either fragmented, powerless or led by the chair of the board, than were the members of effective boards. Higher levels of board performance were associated with the perception of lower levels of board powerlessness and fragmentation. Suggestions for future research are made concerning why these variations occur, how these power patterns emerge within boards and their impact on board performance.

Changing Levels of Organizational Commitment amongst Sport Volunteers: A Serious Leisure Approach

Abstract Taking a serious leisure approach, a sample of volunteer administrators in community sport organizations were surveyed about their level of organizational commitment and their reasons for initially volunteering and continuing to volunteer. The aim was to explore the dynamics of changing levels of commitment in relation to initially volunteering and continuing to volunteer. Based on their reasons for volunteering, the respondents were categorized as either marginal or career volunteers on two separate occasions. For many respondents, their reasons for volunteering changed from when they initially volunteered to the reasons they had for continuing. Levels of organizational commitment also changed over time and declined for both marginal and career volunteers, but the results suggested that career volunteers are more highly committed than their marginal counterparts. It was concluded that, from time to time, volunteers may re‐evaluate their reasons for volunteering and that as their reasons for volunteering change, so does their level of organizational commitment. Though less committed than career volunteers, marginal volunteers who continued to volunteer held a positive attitude toward their community sport organization.

Predicting the behavioral dependability of sport event volunteers

The dependability of volunteers in completing work assignments can impact upon the financial and operational success of major sport events and presents a significant challenge for event organizers. Despite the short-term nature of many events and the apparently manageable level of commitment, volunteers sometimes exhibit less than satisfactory levels of compliance to assigned tasks. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study examined the behavioral dependability of operational-level volunteers at major sport events. A preevent and postevent survey protocol was used to gather data from volunteers (n = 391) at five events. The study measured the attitudes and beliefs of event volunteers and their self-reported level of behavioral dependability. Using multiple regression analysis, the study found that a number of attitudinal beliefs about volunteering, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predicted behavioral dependability. It was concluded that the TPB was a useful theoretical framework for conceptualizing and predicting the behavior of major event volunteers but the generalizability of these findings was limited because the significant predictors of dependability were not consistent across all of the events studied.

Volunteers and leisure: Evidence of marginal and career volunteerism in sport.

(1997). VOLUNTEERS AND LEISURE: EVIDENCE OF MARGINAL AND CAREER VOLUNTEERISM IN SPORT. World Leisure & Recreation: Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 11-18.

Toward a Multidimensional Framework of Capacity in Community Sport Clubs

Community sport clubs are a type of membership association largely run by member volunteers who organize and deliver opportunities for recreational and competitive sport participation. These clubs are where people are most likely to engage in organized sport, and have become a focus for achieving social policy objectives. It is important to understand the structures and processes that enable these organizations to meet their member-focused mandates. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework of organizational capacity in this context by uncovering critical elements within multiple capacity dimensions, namely, human resources, finance, infrastructure, planning and development, and external relationships. Focus groups with presidents of 51 sport clubs across Ontario revealed key strengths and challenges that impact the ability of these organizations to achieve their sport delivery goals. Variation by club size was observed. Implications for practice and future research on community sport clubs and membership associations are presented.