Volunteering

What drives and retains it? An analysis of motivational needs together with organizational policies and practices

Bibliographic Data

ID12645569
AuthorsFouzia Ashfaq (0000-0002-4530-2083, National College of Business Administration and Economics, corresponding author), Mattiullah Butt (0000-0003-0793-8715, National College of Business Administration and Economics), Sehrish Ilya (0000-0001-9717-8726, Lahore College for Women University)
Year2020
Volume21
Issue2
Pages189-205
Publication date2020-10-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Research Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1443-9883 • E-ISSN: 1448-0980
PublisherEmerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1108/qrj-04-2020-0024
OpenAlexW3094769135
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited49

Purpose Drawing on expectancy theory, this research explores how and when volunteers’ motivational drives for volunteering relate to organizational policies and practices. The paper analyses four areas of motivational association – affiliation, beliefs, career development and egoistic motives – together with organizational human resource (HR) policies and practices. Design/methodology/approach The study used a qualitative approach and through 17 interviews of the volunteer managers associated with 13 non-profit organizations (NPOs) examined that how through HR policies and practices, an NPO efficiently taps motivational drives of volunteers and maintains their spirit of volunteering. Findings The findings of the study indicated that the same behaviour may serve different functions for different individuals. Most of the motivational drives need to be tapped with specific tasks and events to become a source of fulfilment for volunteers, this plays a vital role in their decisions to continue volunteering. NPOs’ HR practices without volunteers’ motivation cannot serve any purpose. In the same vein, volunteers’ motivation cannot sustain for a longer period if it is not properly linked with organizational HR practices. Research limitations/implications The research findings may lack generalizability because of the selected research approach. Originality/value A great part of existing research, not previously captured in literature, is focussed on the assessment of the motivational underpinnings with respect to HR policies and practices

Expectancy theory · Generalizability theory · Human resources · Management · Originality · Political science · Public relations · Value (mathematics · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Psychology · Social Psychology · Tourism, Volunteerism, and Development

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