Challenges In Volunteer Management

Volunteer management has many challenges, not the least of which is how we study it and view it. Academics examine it from a variety of disciplines and practitioners experience it in a variety of contexts. However both approaches have limitations. In academia we go to public administration schools to learn about public and nonprofit management, to business schools to apply the principles of private enterprise to nonprofit management, to sociology departments to study the phenomena of volunteerism, to psychology departments to understand the motives of volunteers, and economics departments to examine the value or economic worth of volunteerism. The liability of the academic approach is the segmentation of study and research into departmental areas. The study of volunteers and volunteerism needs to cross all of these organizational and discipline boundaries to be fully appreciated and understood as a field of interest. In contrast, practitioners view volunteer management from their own unique experiences. They try to gauge success in volunteer management based on what they have encountered in particular organizations, towns, cultures, and countries in which they work. As important as these insights are, they are difficult to generalize beyond local settings. Just because an individual has been successful in working with volunteers, it does not mean that the lessons learned in one situation can be translated to others under all conditions. The target audience for this volume is anyone who manages volunteers. The goal of the volume is to demonstrate the breadth of thought on volunteer management, both across disciplines and a wide range of settings in which volunteers work.

Recent years have seen an explosion in research on tourism volunteering. Volunteers are an essential part of tourism, whether they are volunteering in their local museum, at a sporting mega-event, as an airport ambassador, or travelling the global as a volunteer tourist. Managing Volunteers in Tourism reviews the latest research to highlight the key management issues and relate them to the tourism volunteering context. It includes previously under-researched forms of tourism volunteering such as meet-and-greeters, surf life-savers, conservation, festival, and information centre volunteers and volunTourists. 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. Real-life examples and case studies throughout this book provide an in-depth examination of the challenges facing those managing tourism volunteers, making this book indispensible for current and future managers in the tourism industry.

In order to effectively and consistently provide services to citizens, local governments have had to come up with creative ways for offering services demanded by their citizens. One popular approach became the creation of volunteer programs as local governments became increasingly reliant on volunteers. Volunteers are one means by which local governments help to increase meaningful engagement with citizens and help meet the increasing needs for public services with limited resources. On a broader scale, volunteers in public agencies provide a variety of services to fill gaps in creating and sustaining collective societal goods that otherwise might have been limited due to fiscal stress on local governments or eliminated. Public Sector Volunteer Management: Best Practices and Challenges adds to the understanding of how management practices may affect retention of volunteers. It provides an opportunity to add much-needed data to any discussion concerning volunteering at the local government level from the perspective of volunteer coordinators and aims to provide in-depth research on local government volunteer management practices. This book focuses on best practices identified as necessary for successful volunteer management in the public sector, specifically in a local government setting, making it a valuable text for researchers, academics, and students in the fields of public and nonprofit management, leadership, and human resource management.

An authoritative survey of different contexts, methodologies, and theories of applied communication The field of Applied Communication Research (ACR) has made substantial progress over the past five decades in studying communication problems, and in making contributions to help solve them. Changes in society, human relationships, climate and the environment, and digital media have presented myriad contexts in which to apply communication theory. The Handbook of Applied Communication Research addresses a wide array of contemporary communication issues, their research implications in various contexts, and the challenges and opportunities for using communication to manage problems. This innovative work brings together the diverse perspectives of a team of notable international scholars from across disciplines. The Handbook of Applied Communication Research includes discussion and analysis spread across two comprehensive volumes. Volume one introduces ACR, explores what is possible in the field, and examines theoretical perspectives, organizational communication, risk and crisis communication, and media, data, design, and technology. The second volume focuses on real-world communication topics such as health and education communication, legal, ethical, and policy issues, and volunteerism, social justice, and communication activism. Each chapter addresses a specific issue or concern, and discusses the choices faced by participants in the communication process. This important contribution to communication research: Explores how various communication contexts are best approached Addresses balancing scientific findings with social and cultural issues Discusses how and to what extent media can mitigate the effects of adverse events Features original findings from ongoing research programs and original communication models and frameworks Presents the best available research and insights on where current research and best practices should move in the future A major addition to the body of knowledge in the field, The Handbook of Applied Communication Research is an invaluable work for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and scholars.

Volunteers are the backbone of many an organization. This practical, hands-on guide, filled with useful tips and everyday examples, will help those responsible for volunteers successfully recruit and manage this invaluable resource. Anyone who supervises volunteers will find this book an indispensable guide for navigating the intricacies of managing unpaid workers. Underlying the content is the message that volunteers are a vital part of an organization's workforce and should be treated as valuable members of the team. Volunteers can work alongside paid staff members to help the organization run smoothly and efficiently—and cost effectively. The book is packed with easily implemented advice and proven techniques for successfully handling common situations. Concise and easy to read, it assumes neither previous volunteer management experience nor familiarity with business practices, yet even experienced volunteer managers will come away with fresh ideas and new approaches. To augment her own expertise and increase the diversity of viewpoints, the author interviewed volunteer managers from various types of organizations and shares their stories. Quotes and anecdotes throughout the book help readers relate to common problems and illustrate the challenges and rewards of managing volunteers.

Completely revised and expanded, the ultimate guide to starting—and keeping—an active and effective volunteer program Drawing on the experience and expertise of recognized authorities on nonprofit organizations, The Volunteer Management Handbook, Second Edition is the only guide you need for establishing and maintaining an active and effective volunteer program. Written by nonprofit leader Tracy Connors, this handy reference offers practical guidance on such essential issues as motivating people to volunteer their time and services, recruitment, and more. Up-to-date and practical, this is the essential guide to managing your nonprofit's most important resource: its volunteers. Now covers volunteer demographics, volunteer program leaders and managers, policy making and implementation, planning and staff analysis, recruiting, interviewing and screening volunteers, orienting and training volunteers, and much more Up-to-date, practical guidance for the major areas of volunteer leadership and management Explores volunteers and the law: liabilities, immunities, and responsibilities Designed to help nonprofit organizations survive and thrive, The Volunteer Management Handbook, Second Edition is an indispensable reference that is unsurpassed in both the breadth and depth of its coverage.

Volunteers are the backbone of many an organization. This practical, hands-on guide, filled with useful tips and everyday examples, will help those responsible for volunteers successfully recruit and manage this invaluable resource. Anyone who supervises volunteers will find this book an indispensable guide for navigating the intricacies of managing unpaid workers. Underlying the content is the message that volunteers are a vital part of an organization's workforce and should be treated as valuable members of the team. Volunteers can work alongside paid staff members to help the organization run smoothly and efficiently—and cost effectively. The book is packed with easily implemented advice and proven techniques for successfully handling common situations. Concise and easy to read, it assumes neither previous volunteer management experience nor familiarity with business practices, yet even experienced volunteer managers will come away with fresh ideas and new approaches. To augment her own expertise and increase the diversity of viewpoints, the author interviewed volunteer managers from various types of organizations and shares their stories. Quotes and anecdotes throughout the book help readers relate to common problems and illustrate the challenges and rewards of managing volunteers.

This handbook covers an introduction to volunteer management, planning for a volunteer programme, creating motivating volunteer jobs, recruitment, screening and interviewing, orientation and training, supervision, and volunteer and staff relations.