VOLUNTEERISM AT URBAN PARK AND RECREATION AGENCIES:  EXAMINING THE ROLE OF VOLUNTEERS’ SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, MOTIVATIONS, ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY, AND SATISFACTION ON VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION OUTCOMES

Trauntvein, Nate

VOLUNTEERISM AT URBAN PARK AND RECREATION AGENCIES: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF VOLUNTEERS’ SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, MOTIVATIONS, ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY, AND SATISFACTION ON VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION OUTCOMES

Open Access

Author:: Trauntvein, Nate
Graduate Program:: Recreation, Park and Tourism Management
Degree:: Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:: Dissertation
Date of Defense:: June 30, 2011
Committee Members:: Andrew Justin Mowen, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Andrew Justin Mowen, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Alan R Graefe, Committee Member
Deborah Lee Kerstetter, Committee Member
Patreese Donette Ingram, Committee Member
Keywords:: Leaders and Non-leaders
Park and Recreation
Volunteer
Process Model
Abstract:: Public park and recreation agencies have a history of using volunteers to provide leisure services to their constituencies. These agencies are facing ever-growing budget cuts and are being forced to rely on volunteers to maintain facilities and offer programs. As park and recreation agencies are relying more on volunteers to provide services, they are attempting to reach out to socio-demographically diverse constituents. Recruiting and retaining a diverse volunteer work force may be the most realistic way for public agencies to keep up with these sociodemographic changes. Budget reductions are influencing volunteer management and oversight in park and recreation agencies. As these agencies are losing staff, they are relying more on volunteer leaders to direct and organize on the ground efforts. Park and recreation agencies, not only need to recruit and retain a diverse volunteer labor force, but they also need to recruit and retain volunteer leaders. Park and recreation volunteer managers and researchers need to better understand their current sociodemographic diversity and leadership in order to retain and possibly recruit new volunteers and leaders. Using the conceptual framework of the Volunteer Process Model (VPM) this study examines the sociodemographic differences that exist between park and recreation volunteers in a large urban park and recreation department. Further, it examines differences that exist between volunteer leaders and non-leaders. Finally, this study examined the combined influence of all the stages of the VPM on volunteer consequences. To examine these differences, data was collected from Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation volunteer leaders and general volunteers. Using both a mail survey and email online survey 182 volunteer leaders and 149 non-leaders completed a questionnaire. The mail survey had a response rate of 30.5%, while the online survey had a response rate of 15.3%. Demographically, respondents were female (57%), white (86%), had 4-year college degrees or more (72%), on average were 53 years old, and did not have children under the age of 18 living their homes (79%). On average, respondents had volunteered for their respective volunteer organizations for 9.9 years and spent 12.8 hours per month volunteering. Most respondents volunteered for at least one other volunteer organization (79%). Volunteers from different sociodemographic backgrounds were motivated, experienced and had significantly different levels of involvement in their volunteer efforts. Females, people of color, people with children living in their homes and people with less than a 4-year college degree had the highest levels of volunteer involvement and were more likely to be volunteer group leaders. This is contrary to previous research, which suggests that volunteer leaders are more likely to be well-educated, white, males. When examining the combined effect of the VPM on leaders and non-leaders, the VPM explained a significant amount of the variance for both groups. For leaders, the VPM explained less of the variance in LOI (17%), however, it did explain 20% of the variance in organizational identity (OID). For non-leaders the experiences, parental status, and gender explained 32% of the variance in LOI. Female and parents had higher levels of LOI than males and people without children when accounting for all other antecedents, experiences, and proximal consequences. These results have both managerial and conceptual implications. For leaders and non-leaders being satisfied with participation efficacy was very important. Volunteers with the highest level of involvement not only feel that they are needed, but they then feel satisfied that they are making a valuable contribution. Managers strive to provide situations where volunteers can make a notable difference, and in cases where this is not possible they should encourage and acknowledge the volunteer efforts. Volunteer leaders develop a strong sense of identity with the organizations that they lead. They tend to view the organizations successes and failures as their own. This can be a very positive consequence for volunteer managers. The more leaders identify with their organizations the higher their level of involvement.

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