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
Create account
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

Visit source

More about the authors

Contribute to the Gateway

Leave feedback

Was this resource useful?

Make a Suggestion

If you find a great resource that isn't in the directory or want to provide feedback on the Volunteering Gateway, drop us a line!

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

Volunteer Motivations and Barriers

This webinar and guide explores volunteer motivations (helping others, social connection) and barriers (time, distance) to help organisations attract and retain volunteers.
1 minute read
The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering ACT, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA, The Knowledge Base
Resources

Self Care

These workbooks, videos and fact sheets promote self-care for mental health, including tips for breaks, mindfulness, and exercise resources.
1 minute read
The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering ACT, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA, The Knowledge Base
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
Rosterfy
Tech

Rosterfy

Rosterfy is an end-to-end volunteer management software solution, that helps organisations streamline their volunteer management and engagement. Rosterfy offers automated solutions to manage volunteers efficiently.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Social media Event management
VIKTOR
Tech

VIKTOR

VIKTOR is a volunteer recruitment system designed to run a referral service for volunteers. It allows you to create and advertise volunteer roles, enter volunteers and match them to roles offered by your members.
Volunteer database Recruitment Reporting
scheduled

Intro to the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement

This workshop guides participants through the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement, Australia’s best practice roadmap for volunteering professionals.
Volunteering Victoria
–
FREE
scheduled

Introduction to the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement

This workshop guides participants through the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement, Australia’s best practice roadmap for volunteering professionals.
Volunteering Victoria
–
FREE
scheduled

Exiting and Transitioning Volunteers 'It's not always as simple as it seems'

This workshop will explore the different reasons and circumstances that may lead to a volunteer transitioning out of their role. Work through different scenarios to build your understanding of this space and leave with practical tools, resources and a plan for managing this moving forwards.
Volunteering SA&NT
–
Free