Skip to main content
Create an account for suggestions personalised to you and your organisation
Research and Reports
1 minute read

The Relationship Between Leadership Behaviors and Volunteer Commitment: The Role of Volunteer Satisfaction

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

Introduction

This document summarises research on the dynamics of leadership, job satisfaction, and commitment within volunteer organisations. It delves into how leadership styles, organisational culture, and volunteer motivation impact satisfaction and retention. The studies underscore the importance of empowerment, organisational learning, and specific leadership behaviours in enhancing volunteer engagement and commitment.

Benefits for Volunteer Organisations

For volunteer organisations and management practitioners, this document offers valuable insights into fostering a positive environment for volunteers. It highlights:

Leadership that focuses on enabling learning and innovation boosts volunteer satisfaction, which in turn, enhances their commitment to the organisation.

Encouraging a culture of learning and innovation among volunteers not only increases their satisfaction but also their affective commitment, leading to better organisational performance.

Understanding the mediating role of volunteer satisfaction between leadership behaviours and volunteer commitment can help organisations tailor their management practices to retain volunteers effectively.

Application

This document serves as a crucial resource for volunteer organisations aiming to improve volunteer engagement and well-being, ultimately contributing to sustained volunteerism and organisational success.

Benevene Paula , Buonomo Ilaria , West Michael. The Relationship Between Leadership Behaviors and Volunteer Commitment: The Role of Volunteer Satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, VOL 11, 2020 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.602466 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.602466, ISSN: 1664-1078

Downloads and sources

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

Resources

Foundations of Volunteer Management: Lead Team Effectiveness

Boost leadership in volunteer teams with modules on cohesion, innovation, performance, and communication. Aligned with BSBLDR414, this e-learning supports confident, inclusive leadership and effective issue resolution.
2 minute read
The Knowledge Base, National Volunteer Management Activity Project, Volunteering ACT, The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA
Guides

Guide to onboarding

Practical guide to help organisations onboard volunteers effectively and support a positive start to volunteering.
1 minute read
Volunteering ACT
General
Be Collective
Tech

Be Collective

A volunteer management & community engagement platform. Be Collective is all about empowering volunteering and the organisations supporting volunteering to build stronger, more sustainable networks for doing good.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Social media Event management Donations
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
INVOLVE
Tech

INVOLVE

Volunteer management a headache? INVOLVE simplifies everything! Automate tasks, gain instant insights, schedule visually, track hours effortlessly, and collaborate seamlessly. Built in Australia, your data's safe. Focus on your purpose, not admin.
Volunteer database Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Event management
scheduled

Understanding the National Strategy for Volunteering Webinar

This session explores the Strategy’s priorities, progress and future direction, highlighting key opportunities and challenges for volunteering in Australia. Ideal preparation for conference attendees and anyone contributing to the next Action Plan.
Volunteering Queensland
Free
scheduled

Panel Discussion: The Value of a Diverse Volunteer Workforce

Develop a deeper understanding of diversity and how it relates to inclusion.
The Centre for Volunteering
Free
scheduled

Paying Volunteers and Board Members: What Not-for-profits Need to Know - Oct 2026

A plain-language legal webinar on paying volunteers and board members, covering key legal issues, governance considerations, and best-practice tips to help your organisation make confident, informed decisions.
Justice Connect's Not-for-profit Law Training
A$49.00