Download Who Volunteers?

University of Jyvaskyla
Summer School
Volunteer Management in the EU
Gordon Macfadyen
Northumbria University, UK
Lecture Overview
 Why sport needs volunteers.
 The economic importance of volunteers.
 The non-economic importance of volunteers.
 Types of voluntary organisations.
 Who volunteers?
 Why do people volunteer?
Why Sport Needs Volunteers
‘The voluntary sector provides what the private
sector will not, and the public sector can not’.
Big government and big business do not always
act in the best interests of common people.
Cuts to public funding and social programmes.
Pooling resources.
Making things happen.
Economic Importance
EU – 100 million people engaged in volunteering.
$400 billion contribution to the global economy.
Typically 3-5% of GDP.
Globally 140 million FTE.
Volunteers would be 9th most populous nation.
21% of volunteers do so in sport.
Non-Economic Importance
Promotes values (EU values):
– civic participation … solidarity … social cohesion.
Volunteers are more credible, legitimate, sincere.
Can be more objective and critical.
Have more control … therefore less stress (??)
May be more innovative.
Good for PR!
Voluntary Organisations
An organised group of people:
– Formed to further some common interest
– Membership is not mandatory or hereditary
– Exists independently of the state.
(Sills, 1972)
An association:
– “a formally organised named group, … whose
members … are not financially recompensed for their
participation”
(Knoke, 1986)
Voluntary Organisations
INSTRUMENTAL
EXPRESSIVE
 For members
 Performance
– Players associations
 For others
– Sport federations
– Most sports clubs
 Sociability
– Most sports clubs!
 Ideological
– ‘Christians in Sport’
Who Volunteers?
Sex:
52% of women; 45% of men.
Race:
52% of whites; 36% of non-whites.
Education:
Age:
71% of HE; 36% of school qualif’ns
55% of 35-54 year-olds; 34% of over-75s
Income: 69% of >$100k; 35% of <$10k
(Hodgkinson, Weitzman, et al, 1996)
Why Do People Volunteer?
Utilitarian Incentives (for a ‘use’/purpose):
– Household Production
– Human Capital
Affective Incentives (for ‘feelings’/relationships):
– Friendship … fellowship … prestige.
Normative Incentives (satisfaction from doing good):
– Enhancing the health, happiness, welfare of others.
University of Jyvaskyla
Summer School
Volunteer Management in the EU
Gordon Macfadyen
Northumbria University, UK