Research Digest

Research Digest

Volunteer Management Progress Report [USA] 2016

This is the report of a late 2015 survey of mainly USA managers of volunteers with data on the survey respondents, their major challenges, professional development needs, job roles, responsibilities, salaries, satisfaction with their role, and intent to stay in the role.

Research Digest

The positive impact of volunteering on health

Three papers showing the positive impact of volunteering for older people. [Japan, USA, and UK] (2016)

Research Digest

The Management of Volunteers in the National Trust [UK] (2016)

What does it mean to manage volunteers at two medium sized National Trust houses in the UK? This study explores the views of managers and volunteers and identified five themes of management with recommendations for future action.

Research Digest

Matching expectations for successful university student volunteering (2017)

This paper identifies the importance of expectation formation and matching for hosts and students, and highlights the role of universities in facilitating matchmaking.

Research Digest

Evaluating the volunteer infrastructure legacy of the Olympic Games: London 2012 and Sydney 2000 (2016)

This is the report of a project funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) advanced research grant programme. The project examines how Olympic volunteer programmes can lead to post-Games volunteer legacies for host cities through engagement with the established volunteer infrastructure in host cities before, during and after the events

Research Digest

Are corporate volunteers' self-reported skill improvements real?

This study compared self-reported skill improvements with before- and after-volunteering managerial assessments in the workplace. Four work-related skills showed real improvements while these results were independent of any demographic or employment criteria.

Research Digest

Giving and Volunteering in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Indigenous Communities (2016)

This important report identifies issues around volunteering in Australian culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and Indigenous communities, with clear messages for organisations wishing to improve activity with these communities.

Research Digest

Developing Generation-Based Volunteer Management Practices (2016)

This thesis researched recruitment, retention, and management practices satisfaction from a small group of volunteers from a perspective of generational differences. It presents some generation-specific practices which could be used by managers of volunteers for recruitment, recognition, and retention.

Research Digest

Youth volunteering in Australia: An evidence review (2015)

This is a comprehensive review of the current knowledge, issues, and statistics on youth volunteering in Australia. It is very valuable for anyone or any organisation working with, or intending to develop, youth volunteers.

Research Digest

2016 Deloitte Impact Survey: Building leadership skills through volunteerism (Deloitte USA)

This article could be valuable for any volunteer organisation seeking to encourage businesses to develop a corporate volunteering program.