Anything else we should know about you to be a mega-sport event volunteer? From gender and person–job fit perspectives

20/06/2024

Country: Australia

Date Published: May 2024

Published in: Event Management, 28(1), 75-89.

Authors:

  • Eunjung Kim,School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, Australia
  • Liz Fredline, Shane Barry and Graham Cuskelly, Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management, Griffith University, Australia
  • Pam Kappelides,Department of Management and Marketing, La Trobe University, Australia

The paper can be purchased here: https://doi.org/10.3727/152599523X16907613842147

Contact Eunjung Kim at Edith Cowan University for more information: e.kim@ecu.edu.au

The paper explores the factors influencing the experiences and performance of volunteers in mega-sport events.  

Data were obtained from the online volunteer application form for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Two questions were used - gender, and the open ended question “Anything else we should know about you?”.  A total of 29,373 cases were analyzed by Leximancer. The results were analyzed by gender and according to person–job fit theory.

This study identified six important themes:

  • People (i.e., working with different people and having a friendly personality),
  • Experience (i.e., certain experience associated with a previous volunteer or paid position), love (i.e., love of the host city, sport, Games, and volunteering),
  • Sport (i.e., including involvement in sport along with sport knowledge),
  • Current situation (i.e., current study and occupation), and
  • Business (i.e., implying management skills especially in human resources).

For female volunteer applicants, people and love were identified as the most important themes, whereas business and sport were more likely to be prominent for male volunteer applicants.

The findings indicate that volunteers who perceive a strong alignment between their personalities and skills and their assigned roles tend to have higher job satisfaction and performance levels. This connection is especially significant for female volunteers, who excel when their skills match their roles well.

The study underscores the importance of considering volunteers' personalities, abilities and gender when assigning volunteer roles. By understanding the unique needs and strengths of each volunteer, managers can optimize performance and satisfaction, not only in sports but also across various volunteer sectors.