Skip to main content

What are you looking for?

Enter keywords to search across resources, guides, training, tools, and more.

Create an account for suggestions personalised to you and your organisation

Research and Reports
1 minute read

Paradoxes Within the Management of Volunteers

Meeting National Standards and Strategy Seal Meeting National Standards and Strategy What's this?

Introduction

This document delves into the intricate world of managing volunteers within third-sector organisations, offering a fresh perspective by applying paradox theory. It suggests that the challenges and tensions faced in volunteer management are not just hurdles but integral parts of organisational dynamics.

A New Approach to Volunteer Management

The research introduces a "dramaturgical" approach, inspired by Kenneth Burke's pentad, to better understand the complex interplay between different actors, audiences, and moral frameworks in volunteer organisations. This approach sheds light on the competing demands and expectations, providing a systematic way to navigate through them.

Benefits for Volunteer Organisations

For volunteer organisations and management practitioners, this document is invaluable. It encourages embracing the inherent paradoxes in volunteer management, promoting creativity, resilience, and organisational learning. By adopting this tension-centered perspective, managers can foster a more nuanced understanding of their roles and the dynamics within their organisations, ultimately leading to more effective and adaptive management practices.

Application

This document is a must-read for those looking to deepen their understanding of volunteer management and explore innovative ways to address its inherent challenges.

la Cour, A., Hustinx, L. & Eliasoph, N. Paradoxes Within the Management of Volunteers. Voluntas 34, 442–451 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-023-00578-8


Downloads and sources

More about the authors




Contribute to the Gateway


More like this

Articles & Reports

Young People as Volunteers: A guide to moving beyond traditional practices

This report by Volunteering Queensland offers strategies for engaging young volunteers, highlighting the importance of a flexible culture, networking, and partnerships. It includes case studies of successful organisations and emphasises the benefits of youth involvement in community activities.
1 minute read
Volunteering Queensland
Youth or Student, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) +1 more
Resources

Understanding Disability

This article, guides and online courses offer information on disability awareness for volunteers and volunteer managers, promoting inclusive volunteer environments.
1 minute read
The Knowledge Base, The Centre for Volunteering, People with Disability Australia
Resources

Governance

This information and weblinks explains governance in organisations, including key roles, resources for volunteers, and best practices.
1 minute read
The Knowledge Base, The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering Queensland
VIKTOR Lite
Tech

VIKTOR Lite

VIKTOR Lite enables volunteer involving organisations to recruit volunteers via a range of websites run by local governments, state peaks, local volunteer resource centres, Volunteering Australia and SEEK Volunteer.
Volunteer database Recruitment Onboarding / training Reporting
Volaby
Tech

Volaby

Volaby is an end-to-end volunteer and people management platform, enabling organisations to do more with less! Built from the collective voice of our volunteer managers using the platform, Volaby helps you automate and simplify the volunteer and manager experience to save time and scale impact.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Event management
SEEK Volunteer
Tech

SEEK Volunteer

SEEK Volunteer helps connect people to volunteering opportunities that enrich their communities, lives and careers.
Recruitment
scheduled

Navigating Professional Boundaries

This workshop discusses the infrastructure needed to support you in navigating professional boundaries, and how to develop strong relationships with your team.
Volunteering Victoria
FREE
scheduled

Targeted Recruitment and Engaging Young People

Volunteering Victoria
FREE
scheduled

National Standards Deep Dive: Standard 7

Take a deep dive into Standard 7 of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement
The Centre for Volunteering
Free