Thirteenth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

The study is significant because the number of organizations that depend upon volunteer labour has grown and volunteering is characterized by specific features, including high turnover and low retention rates. In recent years a number of organizations have applied classic human resource management processes to volunteers and the applicability of these in this specific context has been questioned. A number of authors have expressed the view that volunteer workforces require volunteer (as opposed to) human resource management. Volunteer resource management adapts and complements classical human resource management. Volunteer resource management models have been effective at improving understanding of the volunteer recruitment and retention process. They have, however, not fully explored the mechanisms through which volunteers can be integrated into a workforce context to become effective insiders alongside paid employees. Three key theories that describe the process through which individuals are integrated into work places to become effective insiders (all applied in human rather than volunteer resource management contexts) are socialization, institutionalization, and assimilation. These theories provide the theoretical framework for this project. Positive outcomes that result from the effective integration of volunteers alongside paid employees include improved volunteer and paid employee retention, improved morale, lower turnover, and better service quality. This project contributes to theory and practice by improving understanding of the ways in which volunteers can be integrated into work places in the service sector to become effective insiders. The study considers the process of volunteer integration from the perspective of both volunteers and paid employees within the organization.