The Value and Management of Volunteers in today’s Tourism and Events Industry Presenter: Meghan Griffin Post Graduate Researcher, Limerick Institute of.

The Value and Management of Volunteers in today’s Tourism and

Events Industry 

Presenter: Meghan GriffinPost Graduate Researcher,

Limerick Institute of Technology

[email protected]

Overview

• Introduction to Research Concept• Scope and History of the Voluntary Sector• International Year of the Volunteer (IYV)• Secondary Research Findings• HRM Processes• Conclusion and Implications• Future Research Strands

Introduction to Research Concept

• Aim: To develop a conceptual Human Resource Management Framework for Volunteer Management in the Tourism and Events industry

• Volunteers are vital to the success of both Mega and Micro Events

• Significant development in the sector over the last decade

• Recession has led to a drastic ascend in volunteer registrations

Scope and History of the Voluntary Sector

• Volunteering is a global pervasive but multifaceted phenomenon

• Ireland & Great Britain-Volunteering developed in the early 1900’s from a Catholic ethos

• Later developed into community and state supported organisations

• Hungary- contrasting perspective on the development of volunteering (Non-Christian led)

International Year of the Volunteer (IYV)

• International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development (IVD)- 1985

• Concept of the IYV emerged under UN policy• Fundamental principal was to help tackle

world-wide problems and draw in more volunteers

• Four main goals of the process; promotion, recognition, facilitation and networking of volunteer service

• Launched on IVD 1998

Secondary Research Findings

• Deficiencies in the literature regarding the management of paid workers versus the management of the voluntary workforce

• Lack of stability in Volunteer Management • Taylor and McGraw (2006) – identified

conflicting management practicesDetailed Selection Criteria 0.41 mean differenceStaff Selection and Training

Secondary Research Findings Contd.

• Attraction, Retention and Reactivation• Bales (1996) Oxfam Study

• Neglects to take account of the decision to stop volunteering and the possibility of re-volunteering

• Potential for further Development

Secondary Research Findings Contd.• Allen (2003) identified a

‘cultural gap’ between the volunteering community and the corporate world

• Observes the business case and the social case for corporate volunteering

• Annual Fundraising Report- Corporate = 0.8% of income

• HR in Fundraising

5 Components of the proposed Social Case:

HRM Processes

• Core focus of Research- Commercial Viability• Cuskelly, Taylor, Hoye and Darcy (2006)-

Seven HR/ Volunteer Management Constructs;

HRM Processes Contd.

• Clary, Snyder, Ridge, Copeland, Stukas, Haugen & Miene (1998)

• Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI);

Conclusion and Implications

• The importance of the Volunteers within the Tourism and Event Industry

• Development of the voluntary sector over the past number of years

• Impact of the international celebration of volunteer efforts

• Secondary research findings to date • HRM processes were derived from the literature

and suggested to accompany future exploration into the area of volunteer management

Academic and Practitioner Implications

Academic

• Potential development in the Volunteer Management literature

• Enhanced understanding of the HRM literature

• Application of existing practices to the volunteer management literature

Practitioner• Improved Management

Practices

• Increased awareness of the importance of HRM processes

• Further research into the development of a conceptual volunteer management framework

Future Research Strands

• Potential to provide invaluable insight into the prospective benefits which could be derived from the development of a conceptual HR volunteer management framework

• Accounting for the variable nature of the Industry

Future Research Strands

• A range of primary research interventions to include;

Face to face interviews with volunteer managersVolunteer Surveys pre and post eventOn-site ObservationsCase Study Analysis

QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK ARE WELCOMED

Thank you

Meghan Griffin [email protected]