Abstract
We examine volunteer satisfaction with HRM practices, namely recruitment, training and reward in NPOs and attitudes regarding the appropriateness of these practices. The participants in this study are 76 volunteers affiliated with four different NPOs, who work in hospitals and have direct contact with patients and their families. Analysing aggregate results we show that volunteers are more satisfied with training, and consider the training strategies to be very appropriate. After identifying differences between organisations we discover that in some organisations volunteers are satisfied with rewards but they have negative attitudes regarding the appropriateness of the recognition strategies. We also identify the volunteers who are the most and the least satisfied.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Akingbola K (2006) Strategy and HRM in nonprofit organizations: evidence from Canada. Int J Hum Resour Manag 17(10):1707–1725
Andersen K (2003) Student volunteers: why hospitals must invest in their futures. Int J Health Care Qual Assur 16(2):6–13
Anheier HK (2000) Managing non-profit organisations: towards a new approach. Civil Society Working Paper 1:1–13
Becker B, Gerhart B (1996) The impact of human resource management on organizational performance: progress and practice. Acad Manag J 39(4):779–801
Blanchard JA (2006) Hospital volunteers: a qualitative study of motivation. Int J Volunt Adm 24(2):31–40
Bollen KA (1989) Structural equations with latent variables. Wiley series in probability and mathematical statistics. Wiley, New York
Brudney GL (1990) Fostering volunteer programs in the public sector. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco
Brudney JL (2005) Designing and managing volunteer programs. In: Herman RD et al (eds) The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership & management. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, pp 310–345
Brudney JL, Kellough JE (2000) Volunteers in state government: involvement, management, and benefits. Nonprofit Volunt Sect Q 29(1):111–130
Brudney JL, Nezhina TG (2005) What is old is new again: achieving effectiveness with volunteer programs in Kazakhstan. Voluntas 16(3):293–308
Byers ML, Kolstad DL, Volkema RJ, Karmel B (1976) An empirical investigation of satisfaction with volunteer work in a community health center. In: 36th Annual Meeting of the Academy Of Management, Kansas, 1976
Carvalho V, Souza W (2007) Pobres no Ter, Ricos no Ser: Trabalho Voluntário e Motivação na Pastoral da Criança. Rev Adm Contemp 11(2):113–134
Catano VM, Pond M, Kelloway EK (2001) Exploring commitment and leadership in volunteer organizations. Leadersh Organ Dev J 22(6):256–263
Clary RRD, Stukas A, Snyder M, Copeland J, Haugen J, Miene P (1998) Understanding and assessing the motivations of volunteers: a functional approach. J Pers Soc Psychol 74(6):1516–1530
Cnaan RA, Cascio T (1998) Performance and commitment: issues in management of volunteers in human service organizations. J Soc Serv Res 24(3/4):1–37
Costa CA, Chalip L, Green BC, Simes C (2006) Reconsidering the role of training in event volunteers’ satisfaction. Sport Manag Rev 9(2):165–182
Cunningham I (1999) Human resource management in the voluntary sector: challenges and opportunities. Public Money Manag 19(2):19–25
Cuskelly G, Auld C (2000) Volunteer management program—recruiting volunteers. Australian Sports Commission, Brisbane
Cuskelly G, Boag A (2001) Organisational commitment as a predictor of committee member turnover among volunteer sport administrators: results of a time-lagged study. Sport Manag Rev 4(1):65–86
Cuskelly G, Taylor T, Hoye R, Darcy S (2006) Volunteer management practices and volunteer retention: a human resource management approach. Sport Manag Rev 9(2):141–163
Cuthill M, Warburton J (2005) A conceptual framework for volunteer management in local government. Urban Policy Res 23(1):109–122
de León MCD (2002) La Incidencia Diferencial de los Factores Psicosocialesen Distintos Tipos de Voluntariado. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid
Doherty AJ, Carron A (2003) Cohesion in volunteer sport executive committees. J Sport Manage 17(2):116–141
Drucker PF (1990) As Organizações sem Fins Lucrativos. Difusão Cultural, Lisboa
Edwards D (2005) Understanding the organization of volunteers at visitor attractions. University of Western Sydney, Sidney
Farrell JM, Johnston ME, Twynam GD (1998) Volunteer motivation, satisfaction, and management at an elite sporting competition. J Sport Manage 12(4):288–300
Ferreira MR, Proença JF, Proença T (2009) Volunteers and management factors in nonprofit organisations: a brief literature review. In: Iberoamerican Academy of Management, Buenos Aires—Argentina, 2009
Field A (2005) Discovering statistics using SPSS, 2nd edn. Sage, London
Finkelstein MA (2008) Volunteer satisfaction and volunteer action: a functional approach. Soc Behav Pers 36(1):9–18
Grube JA, Piliavin JA (2000) Role identity, organizational experiences, and volunteer performance. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 26(9):1108–1119
Hager M, Brudney J (2004) Volunteer management practices and retention of volunteers. Volunteer management capacity study series. The Urban Institute, Washington
Hair JF, Anderson RE, Tatham RL, Black WC (1998) Multivariate data analysis, 5th edn. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey
Hartenian LS (2007) Nonprofit agency dependence on direct service and indirect support volunteers. Nonprofit Manag Leadersh 17(3):319–334
Holmberg E, Söderlung K (2005) Work for free. Jönköping University, Jönköping
Hotchkiss RB, Fottler MD, Unruh L (2009) Valuing volunteers: the impact of volunteerism on hospital performance. Health Care Manage Rev 34(2):119–128
Hsieh J, Curtis KP, Smith AW (2007) Implications of stakeholder concept and marketing orientation in the US Nonprofit. In: International Congress on Public and Non Profit Marketing, Braga, 2007
INE (2001) Número de Hospitais por localização geográfica; Anual—INE, inquéritos aos Hospitais
INE (2008) População residente com 15 e mais anos de idade (Série 1998) por Sexo, Grupo etário e Nível de educação; Anual—INE, Inquérito ao Emprego
Jäger U, Schmidt K, Beyes T (2007) Leading without formal power. In: 6th Workshop on the Challenges of Managing the Third Sector, Venice, 2007
Jago L, Deery M (2002) The role of human resource practices in achieving quality enhancement and cost reduction: an investigation of volunteer use in tourism organisations. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 14(5):229–236
Kemp S (2002) The hidden workforce: volunteers’ learning in the Olympics. J Eur Ind Train 26(2–4):109–116
Kulik L (2007) Predicting responses to volunteering among adolescents in Israel: the contribution of personal and situational variables. Voluntas—International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 18(1):35–54
Leandro ME, Cardoso DF (2005) Sociologia do Voluntariado. Instituto Ciências Sociais—Universidade do Minho, Braga
Manninen RP (1991) The benefits and bases of a hospital volunteer program. Hosp Top 69(4):1–8
Maroco J (2003) Análise Estatística, 2nd edn. EdiçõesSílabo, Lisboa
McCurley S (2005) Keeping the Community Involved. In: Herman RD et al (eds) The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership & management. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, pp 587–623
Murphy M (ed) (2008) Trends in volunteering. World Scout Bureau, European Regional Office
Nogueira-Martins MCF, Bersusa AAS, Siqueira SR (2010) Humanização e voluntariado: estudo qualitativo em hospitais públicos. Rev Saude Publica 44(5):942–949
Nunes F, Reto L, Carneiro M (2001) O Terceiro Sector em Portugal: Delimitação. Caracterização e Potencialidades, Lisboa
Paúl C, Martin I, Roseira L (1999) Comunidade e Saúde. Edições Afrontamento, Porto
Pereira A (2004) SPSS Guia Prático de Utilização, 5th edn. EdiçõesSílabo, Lisboa
Philips S, Little BR, Goodine L (2002) Recruiting, retaining and rewarding volunteers: what volunteers have to say. Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, Toronto
Ralston R, Rhoden S (2005) The motivation and expectation of volunteers on cycle trails: the case of the National Cycle Network, UK. Tourism Hospit Plann Dev 2(2):101–114
Selli L, Garrafa V, Junges JR (2008) Beneficiários do trabalho voluntário: uma leitura a partir da bioética. Rev SaúdePública 42(6):1085–1089
Sherer M (2004) National service in Israel: motivations, volunteer characteristics, and levels of content. Nonprofit Volunt Sect Q 33(1):94–108
Silverberg KE, Marshall EK, Ellis GD (2001) Measuring job satisfaction of volunteers in public parks and recreation. J Park Recreat Adm 19(1):79–92
Smith PC, Brannick MT (1985) The Job in General (JIG) scale. Department of Psychology. Bowling Green State University, Ohio
Spector P (1997) Job satisfaction. Sage, Thousand Oaks
Vecina MLJ, Chacón FF, Sueiro MA (2009) Satisfacciónen el voluntariado: estructura interna y relaciónconlapermanenciaenlasorganizaciones. Psicothema 21(1):112–117
Vecina MLJ, Chacón FF, Sueiro MJA (2010) Differences and similarities among volunteers who drop out during the first year and volunteers who continue after eight years. Span J Psychol 13(1):343–352
Watson MR, Abzug R (2005) Finding the ones you want, keeping the ones you find. In: Herman RD et al (eds) The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership & management. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, pp 623–660
Willis E (1991) Managing volunteers. In: Batsleer J, Cornforth C, Paton R (eds) Issues in voluntary and non-profit management. Addison-Wesley, Wokingham, pp 82–95
Wilson A, Pimm G (1996) The Tiranny of the volunteer: the care and feeding of voluntary workforce. Manag Decis 34(4):24–40
Wood VR, Lawrence BC, Hunt SD (1986) Social responsibility and personal success: are they compatible? J Bus Res 14(2):193–212
Woods TB (2006) The rhetoric of volunteerism: strategies to recruit and retain volunteers in nonprofit organizations. Georgia State University, Georgia
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendices
Appendices
1.1 Appendix 1–Tests of between-subjects effects
1.2 Appendix 2–Tukey’s HSD
1.3 Appendix 3–Means
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ferreira, M.R., Proença, T. & Proença, J.F. Organisational influence on volunteer satisfaction and attitudes towards HRM practices: the case of hospital volunteers. Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark 9, 27–42 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12208-011-0071-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12208-011-0071-z