Volunteer engagement: drivers and outcomes on non-profits' co-creation of value

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Manuel Matos (Author) FEP; Teresa Fernandes (Author) FEP

Journal

Title: International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing

Vol. 18 No. 4

Pages: 471-490

ISSN: 1865-1984

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 8 Citations

Scopus - 11 Citations

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Social sciences

FOS: Social sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00T-FFY

DOI: 10.1007/s12208-021-00282-7

Abstract (EN): Engagement plays a key role for most organizations. Establishing close relationships with consumers and other stakeholders - thus promoting their loyalty and participation in the value creation process - has become an element of competitive advantage. Extant literature has focused consumer-brands relationships in commercial contexts; yet, when it comes to non-commercial or non-profit contexts - where communities of decidedly engaged individuals voluntarily invest their time and energy to a cause - research is still in its infancy. This study sets out to understand how non-profit organizations (NPO) can generate a sense of engagement among volunteers and which volunteers' behaviours - associated with that psychological state - entice value co-creation with NPO. Group interviews were carried out with volunteers to gain insights on drivers and outcomes of Volunteer Engagement (VE). Value congruence between volunteers and NPO, a sense of community, as well as perceptions of competence and autonomy, were identified as drivers of VE. The study further validated the impact of VE not only on somewhat predictable outcomes, such as NPO loyalty and advocacy, but also on the co-creation of value with NPO through the recruitment of new volunteers and the development of new ideas for service innovation.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 20