Who Volunteers?
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Transcript Who Volunteers?
University of Jyvaskyla
Summer School
Volunteer Management in the EU
Gordon Macfadyen
Northumbria University, UK
Lecture Overview
Why sport needs volunteers.
The economic importance of volunteers.
The non-economic importance of volunteers.
Types of voluntary organisations.
Who volunteers?
Why do people volunteer?
Why Sport Needs Volunteers
‘The voluntary sector provides what the private
sector will not, and the public sector can not’.
Big government and big business do not always
act in the best interests of common people.
Cuts to public funding and social programmes.
Pooling resources.
Making things happen.
Economic Importance
EU – 100 million people engaged in volunteering.
$400 billion contribution to the global economy.
Typically 3-5% of GDP.
Globally 140 million FTE.
Volunteers would be 9th most populous nation.
21% of volunteers do so in sport.
Non-Economic Importance
Promotes values (EU values):
– civic participation … solidarity … social cohesion.
Volunteers are more credible, legitimate, sincere.
Can be more objective and critical.
Have more control … therefore less stress (??)
May be more innovative.
Good for PR!
Voluntary Organisations
An organised group of people:
– Formed to further some common interest
– Membership is not mandatory or hereditary
– Exists independently of the state.
(Sills, 1972)
An association:
– “a formally organised named group, … whose
members … are not financially recompensed for their
participation”
(Knoke, 1986)
Voluntary Organisations
INSTRUMENTAL
EXPRESSIVE
For members
Performance
– Players associations
For others
– Sport federations
– Most sports clubs
Sociability
– Most sports clubs!
Ideological
– ‘Christians in Sport’
Who Volunteers?
Sex:
52% of women; 45% of men.
Race:
52% of whites; 36% of non-whites.
Education:
Age:
71% of HE; 36% of school qualif’ns
55% of 35-54 year-olds; 34% of over-75s
Income: 69% of >$100k; 35% of <$10k
(Hodgkinson, Weitzman, et al, 1996)
Why Do People Volunteer?
Utilitarian Incentives (for a ‘use’/purpose):
– Household Production
– Human Capital
Affective Incentives (for ‘feelings’/relationships):
– Friendship … fellowship … prestige.
Normative Incentives (satisfaction from doing good):
– Enhancing the health, happiness, welfare of others.
University of Jyvaskyla
Summer School
Volunteer Management in the EU
Gordon Macfadyen
Northumbria University, UK