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Beyond ‘mission drift’: The implications of professionalization on crisis volunteers.

Leanne Greening Orcid Logo

European Group for Organizational Studies

Swansea University Author: Leanne Greening Orcid Logo

Abstract

The voluntary sector provides significant economic value to the economy (NCVO 2020; Fanklin et al 2020), as well as making a significant contribution towards tackling the grand challenges of society. Despite this, the voluntary sector remains under-researched and voluntary ‘work’ under-theorised. Wr...

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Published in: European Group for Organizational Studies
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68763
first_indexed 2025-01-30T11:20:33Z
last_indexed 2025-03-04T05:37:53Z
id cronfa68763
recordtype SURis
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spelling 2025-03-03T12:51:29.5043416 v2 68763 2025-01-30 Beyond ‘mission drift’: The implications of professionalization on crisis volunteers. f464397c7ade3fc61192336aa8c1d7ca 0009-0008-7465-7714 Leanne Greening Leanne Greening true false 2025-01-30 CBAE The voluntary sector provides significant economic value to the economy (NCVO 2020; Fanklin et al 2020), as well as making a significant contribution towards tackling the grand challenges of society. Despite this, the voluntary sector remains under-researched and voluntary ‘work’ under-theorised. Writing in the field of voluntary sector studies, O’Toole(2013: 12) acknowledges: “with virtually no interpenetration with organization studies, there exists a relatively small, emergent specialist literature on volunteers, voluntary organizations and not-for-profit associations”. More narrowly, there is an acute lack of attention and critical engagement with the ‘volunteer experience’ which inhibits comprehensive understanding of volunteering efforts and the significance that those engaged attach to their activity in relation to the self. The purpose of this paper is to capture the ‘existential experience’ of volunteers who are ‘working’ in the context of crisis hotlines. This paper examines the nature of volunteer ‘work’ and the extent to which it provides value and meaning in the lives of volunteers. Reflecting on 40 semi-structured interviews with volunteers, this paper revealswhat happens to the ‘meaning’ of volunteering following change and ‘professionalisation’ (a project which has a very distinctive purpose and set of values). It posits that the twin pressures of improved efficiency, accountability and legitimacy against the desire of volunteers to preserve the case organisation’s traditional mission and values risks threateningthe engagement, commitment and retention of volunteers. Conference Paper/Proceeding/Abstract European Group for Organizational Studies 0 0 0 0001-01-01 Theme: Organizing – The beauty of imperfection Location: Vienna university of economics and business COLLEGE NANME Management School COLLEGE CODE CBAE Swansea University 2025-03-03T12:51:29.5043416 2025-01-30T11:19:16.2066867 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Management - Human Resource Management Leanne Greening 0009-0008-7465-7714 1
title Beyond ‘mission drift’: The implications of professionalization on crisis volunteers.
spellingShingle Beyond ‘mission drift’: The implications of professionalization on crisis volunteers.
Leanne Greening
title_short Beyond ‘mission drift’: The implications of professionalization on crisis volunteers.
title_full Beyond ‘mission drift’: The implications of professionalization on crisis volunteers.
title_fullStr Beyond ‘mission drift’: The implications of professionalization on crisis volunteers.
title_full_unstemmed Beyond ‘mission drift’: The implications of professionalization on crisis volunteers.
title_sort Beyond ‘mission drift’: The implications of professionalization on crisis volunteers.
author_id_str_mv f464397c7ade3fc61192336aa8c1d7ca
author_id_fullname_str_mv f464397c7ade3fc61192336aa8c1d7ca_***_Leanne Greening
author Leanne Greening
author2 Leanne Greening
format Conference Paper/Proceeding/Abstract
container_title European Group for Organizational Studies
institution Swansea University
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Management - Human Resource Management{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Management - Human Resource Management
document_store_str 0
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description The voluntary sector provides significant economic value to the economy (NCVO 2020; Fanklin et al 2020), as well as making a significant contribution towards tackling the grand challenges of society. Despite this, the voluntary sector remains under-researched and voluntary ‘work’ under-theorised. Writing in the field of voluntary sector studies, O’Toole(2013: 12) acknowledges: “with virtually no interpenetration with organization studies, there exists a relatively small, emergent specialist literature on volunteers, voluntary organizations and not-for-profit associations”. More narrowly, there is an acute lack of attention and critical engagement with the ‘volunteer experience’ which inhibits comprehensive understanding of volunteering efforts and the significance that those engaged attach to their activity in relation to the self. The purpose of this paper is to capture the ‘existential experience’ of volunteers who are ‘working’ in the context of crisis hotlines. This paper examines the nature of volunteer ‘work’ and the extent to which it provides value and meaning in the lives of volunteers. Reflecting on 40 semi-structured interviews with volunteers, this paper revealswhat happens to the ‘meaning’ of volunteering following change and ‘professionalisation’ (a project which has a very distinctive purpose and set of values). It posits that the twin pressures of improved efficiency, accountability and legitimacy against the desire of volunteers to preserve the case organisation’s traditional mission and values risks threateningthe engagement, commitment and retention of volunteers.
published_date 0001-01-01T05:26:22Z
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score 11.444473

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