Russell Hoye

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.

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.

Sport management : principles and applications

Preface 1. Sport management 2. The role of the state in sport development 3. Nonprofit sport 4. Professional sport 5. Strategic sport management 6. Organizational structure 7. Human resource management 8. Leadership 9. Organizational culture 10. Financial management 11. Sport marketing 12. Sport governance 13. Performance management Bibliography

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.

Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, and Social Connectedness as Mediators of the Relationship Between Volunteering and Well-Being

ABSTRACT This study examines the potentially mediated relationship between volunteering and well-being. Using survey data from a random sample (N = 2,990) of the population of the state of Victoria, Australia, three hypotheses were tested: Volunteers will report higher well-being than nonvolunteers; volunteers will report higher self-esteem, self-efficacy, and social connectedness than nonvolunteers; self-esteem, self-efficacy, and social connectedness will mediate the relationship between volunteer status and well-being. Results supported the hypotheses and showed that self-esteem, self-efficacy, and social connectedness were all significant mediators of the volunteering–well-being relationship. Increased social connectedness associated with volunteering was found to be the strongest first step in these pathways. This points to the importance of social connection for well-being, but future research using longitudinal designs is required to further test these relationships and provide the capacity for evidence of causality.

Motivations to Volunteer and Their Associations With Volunteers’ Well-Being

Volunteerism is a key form of community involvement that can provide both physical and mental health benefits for volunteers as well as positive outcomes for the community. However, volunteers become involved for different reasons and recent studies suggest that other-oriented volunteers may accrue greater health benefits than self-oriented volunteers. To investigate this possibility, we surveyed 4,085 Australian volunteers about their motivations using the Volunteer Functions Inventory, together with their well-being using measures of self-esteem, well-being, self-efficacy, social connectedness, and social trust. As predicted, these individual differences in well-being proved to be differentially associated with other-oriented and self-oriented motivations. Furthermore, other-oriented motives were positively correlated, and self-oriented motives were negatively correlated, with satisfaction and intentions to continue. We discuss implications of these patterns for organizations that work with volunteers.

Commitment, Involvement and Performance of Voluntary Sport Organization Board Members

Abstract This paper explores the relationships between board member commitment, involvement and perceived performance within voluntary sport organizations. The paper specifically examines these relationships within the context of country race clubs in Victoria, Australia. After controlling for the effects of board-member age, it was found that commitment and involvement accounted for 31% of the variance in perceived board member performance. Affective commitment was found to be the most significant predictor of perceived board member performance, followed by tenure and the number of hours individuals devote to their board member role. These findings further extend our understanding of the drivers of individual board member performance within voluntary sport organizations.

Governance of Nonprofit Leisure Organizations

Abstract This paper presents an overview of nonprofit governance models and illustrates how these models could be adapted for the context of nonprofit leisure organizations. Governance models examined include Houle’s traditional model, Carver’s policy governance model and an Executive led model. To ensure the most appropriate governance frameworks are in place to enhance the effectiveness of nonprofit leisure organizations, this paper explores the contingency issues of categorizing nonprofit leisure organizations on the basis of inclusion of executive and volunteer involvement and the continuum of organizations from public benefit to member benefit.

Social Capital And Sport Policies In Australia

Abstract This article analyses how the concept of social capital and related themes of social inclusion, social connectedness and community well-being manifest within sport policies of Australian state governments and how this illustrates a high degree of policy transfer among policy agencies. The article argues that government policy makers appear to have made a number of unfounded assumptions about the relationship between sport and social capital. The article concludes with a discussion of how the use of social capital in these policies illustrates a high degree of policy transfer due to institutional similarities between policy agencies and trans-state communication.