Conference Paper/Proceeding/Abstract 57 views
The changing experiences of work among unpaid volunteers
Leanne Greening
Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data
Swansea University Author: Leanne Greening
Abstract
Within the current context of a politically driven pursuit for welfare pluralism, increased voluntary sector service provision characterises the current climate (Broadbridge and Parsons 2003). The consequent expectations placed upon voluntary organisations to become effective and efficient ‘alternat...
| Published in: | Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68761 |
| Abstract: |
Within the current context of a politically driven pursuit for welfare pluralism, increased voluntary sector service provision characterises the current climate (Broadbridge and Parsons 2003). The consequent expectations placed upon voluntary organisations to become effective and efficient ‘alternative providers’ of services to the state squeeze these organisations of their resources and push them to the limits of their capabilities. These conditions cultivate a tough and demanding operating environment and underscore the challenges that voluntary organisations face in their management of, and adaptation to, change (Bode and Brandsen, 2014). This paper adopts a process-oriented approach that seeks to deepen our understanding of how people volunteer, that is, the nature and process of their involvement. Reflecting on 40 semi-structured interviews with volunteers, this paper begins to unpick the complexity that surrounds volunteer commitment and retention and sheds light on what this means in a voluntary context where ‘workers’ are not bound to the organisation by the usual ties of employment (Kim et al. 2009). This paper prioritised volunteer narratives and focussed on how volunteers conceptualised theirvoluntary practice and (re)negotiated their volunteer roles and identities during times of change anduncertainty. Furthermore, it gave insight into sustained volunteer commitment and moved the theory beyond a simple explanation of the phenomenon’s occurrence or non-occurrence. In adopting an intra-organisational approach, the research indicates that an ‘exchange’ takes place between thevolunteer and the organisation and in return for unpaid, emotional labour, volunteers gain a strong sense of meaning and identity through their voluntary pursuits. |
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Theme: Civil Society and participationLocation: Aberystwyth University, |
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Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |