Student details | Name | Kristy-Anne Rix | Student Number | S2839420 | Course | Communication Media | Unit details | Unit code | Com16 | Unit name | Developing research and analytical skills | Unit tutor | Guy | Assessment Item details | | Due date | | Word count | 2162 | Extension granted | □ No □ Yes | Extension date | | Is this a resubmission? | □ No □ Yes | Resubmission date | | ACADEMIC INTEGRITY DECLARATION Breaches of academic integrity (cheating, plagiarism, falsification of data, collusion) seriously compromise student learning, as well as the University’s assessment of the effectiveness of that learning and the academic quality of the University’s awards. All breaches of academic integrity are taken seriously and could result in penalties including failure in the course and exclusion from the University. Students should be aware that the University uses text-matching software to safeguard the quality of student learning and that your assignment will be checked using this software. I acknowledge and agree that the examiner of this assessment item may, for the purpose of marking this assessment item: 1 reproduce this assessment item and provide a copy to another Griffith staff member; and/ 2 submit this assessment item to a text-matching service. This web-based service will retain a copy of this assessment item for checking the work of other students, but will not reproduce it in any form. Examiners will only award marks for work within this assignment that is your own original work. I, hereby certify that : 1 except where I have indicated, this assignment is my own work, based on my personal study and/or research. 2 I have acknowledged all materials and sources used in the preparation of this assignment whether they be books, articles, reports, lecture notes, or any other kind of document or personal communication. 3 I have not collaborated with another student or person in planning, developing and writing this assessment item. 4 this assignment has not been submitted for assessment in any other course or at any other time in the same course. 5 I have not copied in part or in whole or otherwise plagiarised the work of other students and/or other persons. 6 I haven’t made this piece of work available to another student. Providing this declaration falsely is considered a breach of academic integrity. I have retained a copy of this assessment item for my own records. Date: _____________23.11.2012_____________. (Type your name above as an electronic signature) |

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Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY……………………………………………………………………………4

RESEARCH QUESTION……………………………………………………………………………..5

RESEARCH………………………………………………………………………………………...…5

LIERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………………………………………5

FINDINGS……………………………………………………………………………………………7

DISCUSSION………………………………………………………………………………………..9

CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………………....12

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………..…...13

Executive summary

Sporting events are progressively dependent on episodic volunteers for the effective delivery of an event. According to Pauline (2011) there is a continuous flow in the organisation of sporting events, along with a plea for volunteers. Pauline (2011) asserts that in order to cater for this demand, event organisers should adopt appropriate recruitment and retention strategies to better understand the points of satisfaction for volunteers and what influences their future intentions to volunteer.
While there exists a plethora of research to understand the enthusiasm of volunteers, examining the antecedents of volunteer satisfaction as well as intent to persist has been narrow (Pauline 2011).
This study explores the dynamics influencing volunteer satisfaction as well as intentions to continue as a volunteer for future sporting events from an elite men’s golf event on the Professional Golf Association (PGA) circuit (Pauline 2011). It is shown in the work of Pauline (2011) that, results specified that overall; volunteers were pleased with their experience and willing to return although were disappointed with the level of communication between the volunteers and organisation. This study also found that stability of service influenced volunteer satisfaction (Pauline 2011). According to Pauline (2011) these findings have implications to not only increase the theoretical considerations of sport volunteerism, but recognise the factors that sport event organisers need to concern themselves with in relation to; recruitment, management and retention of volunteers for successful operations of events.

Research question (or hypothesis)
What influences a volunteer to return to the same sporting event?

Research (including methodology)

In an effort to develop a thorough understanding of “What influences a volunteer to return to the same sporting event” I examined the satisfaction of volunteers at an elite professional men’s golf event on the Professional Golf Association (PGA) tour. Drawing predominately on research conducted by Pauline (2011) my primary purpose was to explore the antecedents of volunteer satisfaction for both experienced and first time volunteers and the impact of such factors on intent to remain as a volunteer at a sporting event. This article from Pauline (2011) along with several other related articles, were derived from Google Scholar.

Literature review

Previous research in relation to satisfaction of volunteers at different events has provided evidence which suggests that satisfaction is multi-faceted and can be linked to organizational management elements, as well as: motivation, commitment and intrinsic and external benefits (Costa et al. 2006).
Costa et al. (2006) examined volunteers with International Journal of Event the Sunbelt Indy Carnival, an Indy Car race held annually on the Gold Coast, Australia, to classify antecedents of volunteer satisfaction for that event. Through path analysis, Costa et al. (2006) established that beyond just the actual event, training was imperative for satisfaction as it delivered the opportunity for volunteers to share their experiences and opinions. In doing so, this contributed to their sense of community at the event itself, which definitely impacted their level of satisfaction (Costa et al. 2006).

In order to establish a consistent and reliable instrument that recognised volunteer satisfaction as multifaceted, Galindo-Kuhn and Guzley (2001) designed the Volunteer Satisfaction Index (VSI) using previous hypotheses from numerous studies. The tool consisted of 40 items and measured five extents of volunteer satisfaction: group integration, participation efficacy, communication quality work assignment, and organizational support. Reliable with previous literature, the volunteers reported higher than average levels of satisfaction. The findings also produced positive results in regards to supporting the reliability and legitimacy of the VSI.

Boezeman and Ellemers (2007) along with Chacon et al. (2007) and several others have also integrated the multi-dimensional model of the Volunteer Satisfaction Index into their research. Boezeman and Ellemers (2007) findings have suggested that beyond the practicality of the instrument, satisfaction can impact other aspects such as: commitment and intent to remain. Boezeman and Ellemers (2007) found that pride in the organization and respect from the organisation foretells organisational commitment amongst volunteers.

Understanding not only volunteer satisfaction, but also future intention to volunteer is vital because of the volatile nature of volunteerism. It is plausible to make the assumption that if volunteers do not have a satisfying experience they would leave one organization to volunteer at another. Downward and Ralston (2006) examined post event volunteering intentions in their research approximately one year after the event and determined that 85% and 68% of those individuals were interested in being involved with another major sports event and another major event in general, while 43% increased their interest in voluntary work in general. Specific to golf event volunteers, MacLean and Hamm (2007) acknowledged eight reasons for individuals intending to remain golf volunteers which were (1) being linked to a professional golf event (2) social influences (3) promoting women’s golf (4) retirement (5) improving club level golf (6) community promotion (7) a love of the game of golf and (8) availability.

Findings

The instrument used to measure volunteer satisfaction was the Volunteer Satisfaction Index designed by Galindo-Kuhn and Guzley (2001). The scale contained 40 items, and measured five dimensions (containing eight items each) of volunteer satisfaction, these included: organizational support, communication quality, group integration, work assignment, and participation efficacy (Pauline 2011). In addition to items evaluating satisfaction, the questionnaire also incorporated three items designed to measure behavioural intent to remain with a Likert scale, from 1 (certainly not) to 7 (certainly). Lastly, the instrument built in items designed to collect demographic information such as: gender, age, employment status, marital status, educational level, income, golf experience, and previous volunteer experience (Pauline 2011).

According to Pauline (2011) expressive statistics exposed the significance of each of the 40 items in prompting the satisfaction of volunteers. The results specified that overall satisfaction was between “satisfied” and “very satisfied” (M = 5.78, SD = .68) showing that the volunteers were virtually very satisfied with the service at the 2009 Turning Stone Championship. More specifically, as all 40 items were studied, respondents cited their relationship with other volunteers as vital (Pauline 2011). Pauline (2011) noted that volunteers were unsatisfied with the communication quality. The lowest five satisfaction items all ranged within this area. Volunteers were also apprehensive with the limited recognition they received for their efforts. Pauline (2011) reveals how this is indicative of the participants ranking “How often the organisation acknowledges the work I do” as the least satisfying item.
In regards to examining the effect of previous sport volunteer experience on satisfaction, an ANOVA exposed a noteworthy difference for the work assignment factor [F (1,203) = 4.97, p< .05] (Pauline 2011). Volunteers with former sport event experience (M=5.88, SD=.67) recorded significantly higher on the work assignment satisfaction factor than non-previous sport event volunteers (M=5.64, SD=.83) (Pauline 2011). The ANOVA did not reveal any substantial differences (p> .05) amongst the volunteers on the four remaining factors participation (efficacy, group integration, organizational commitment, and communication quality).

Whether a relationship existed between prior sport volunteer experience and intent to volunteer for future events was the final research reviewed. According to Pauline (2011) results showed a significant difference in future volunteering intentions among volunteers with and without previous sport event volunteering experience [F (1, 203) = 3.37, p<.05]. Pauline (2011) explains how volunteers with no earlier experience (M = 5.78, SD = .53) were considerably more likely to volunteer for the event in the future than those with previous sport event experience (M = 5.79, SD=.72). Examining this deeper, Pauline (2011) reveals that they differed significantly in the extent to which they desired to be involved in comparison to their contribution to the golf event, [F (1, 203) = 29.75, p<.001]. New volunteers wanted to being involved to a slightly greater extent (M=5.35, SD=1.30) and were also more likely to extend their level of volunteering in the community than former volunteers (M=4.61, SD = .67 vs. M = 4.41, SD = .83, respectively), [F (1, 108) = 12.09, p< .001]. Discussion
The outcomes of this study presented a number of areas for discussion, as it confirmed some of the earlier research on volunteer satisfaction at sporting events, but also exposed some distinctive aspects as well.
While previous literature has considered overall satisfaction, Pauline (2011) took her study further by examining the affiliation between satisfaction, previous volunteer experience and behavioural intentions to remain for future events and community volunteering. Thus, the more specific purposes of the existing study involve not only discovering the antecedents of volunteer satisfaction for both first time and experienced volunteers but also, its effect on the intent to remain as a volunteer at a sport event associated with the Professional Golf Association event circuit as well as other volunteer contribution opportunities (Pauline 2011).
Consistent with previous research, Pauline’s (2011) study revealed evidence that volunteers were satisfied and felt their work was beneficiary. Pauline (2011) noted, the volunteers commented that they were most satisfied by having the opportunity to benefit others through their commitment to the event. This supports the construct Galindo- Kuhn and Guzley (2002) named participation efficacy.
Pauline (2011) highlighted that volunteers were mostly satisfied with the experience, although disappointed with the lack of information and inefficient communication between the volunteers and the management. This appeared to be the major concern in the present study and according to Galindo-Kuhn and Guzley, (2002) is significant not only for volunteer satisfaction, but also event management.
Relative to satisfaction, the outcomes of the present study also confirmed the more time spent volunteering at the event, the higher level of satisfaction. Pauline (2011) signified that this could have been influenced by the rewards program that the event staff implemented for which volunteers received incentives (e.g. restaurant gift certificates and rounds of golf tickets for the event). This could have also contributed to the volunteers feeling appreciated, although Pauline (2011) does note that further research needs to explore specific influences of rewards provided contributing to satisfaction.

For sporting event managers, this study provided an understanding of the level of satisfaction for the volunteers at this particular event, the influence of experience and time and identified the topics that need to be examined more thoroughly to improve the general experience. As noted in the work of Pauline (2011) such findings have numerous implications to ensure a constructive experience for returning volunteers and first timers. For sporting event managers, such information can be useful in designing strategies for managing events and recruiting event volunteers (Pauline 2011). Silverberg et al (2001) signified the need to understand volunteer satisfaction in an effort to: assist managers, retention, avoid costly recruitment, and volunteer management processes. Pauline’s (2011) study builds on this understanding by further distinguishing the respective satisfaction facts and future intentions of volunteers from a professional golf event. Event managers should strive for volunteers that have a desire to give back to the community and want to immerse themselves in the sport setting. As these individuals appear to have a greater level of satisfaction and higher intent to return in the future, this can decrease the time required of event managers in training, recruiting and managing volunteers.
Beyond the time commitment for volunteer management, retention of volunteers is crucial to the success of sporting events thus volunteer managers must work to do everything possible to ensure that volunteer satisfaction remains strong (Du 2009).

There are quite a few limitations to this research that should be recognised as well as recommendations for future research. Firstly the results of this study relate to the volunteers of the 2009 Turning Stone Championship event, thus generalising from the conclusions is limited to that population or similar populations of sport event volunteers (Pauline 2011). Secondly, Pauline (2011) acknowledged that it is likely that these results reflect a response bias to the degree that individuals who had a positive experience were more incline to respond.
Another limitation of the current study is enquiring about future behavioural intentions tied with reference to a specific event (2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship). Further research may endeavour to measure more broadly future volunteer intentions (e.g. social services, other sport events and community) as well as specific ones (Pauline 2011).
According to Pauline (2011) another area to consider for further research is, although questioning participants about their intent to remain is appropriate for this study, a study should also explore the actual percentage of volunteers who went on to volunteer for the event the following year. In addition it would be beneficial to gain insight into volunteer’s level of involvement for other sport events and the extent of involvement in comparison to previous years (Pauline 2011).

Conclusion
In summary, given the significance of keeping volunteer workers and the important role they play in the running of sport events, such exploration is critical to episodic events that rely on their assistances. With high operation expenses connected to events as well as the growing demands of everyday life, volunteer leaders need to be effective in recruitment and holding efforts. By targeting and understanding volunteer satisfaction as well as the different populations, effective event management can be influenced considerably.

References
Boezeman, E & Ellemers, N 2007, ‘Volunteering for charity: Pride, respect, and commitment of volunteer workers’, Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 92 pp. 771-785.

Chacón, F, Vecina, M, & Dávila, M 2007, ‘The three-stage model of volunteer’s duration of
Service: Social Behaviour and Personality’, vol. 35, pp 627-642.

Costa, A, Chalip, B, Green, B & Simes, C 2006, ‘Reconsidering the role of training in event volunteers satisfaction’, Sport Management Review, vol. 9, pp. 165-182.

Downward, P& Ralston, R 2006, ‘The sports development potential of sports event
Volunteering: Insights from the XVII Manchester Commonwealth Games’, European Sport
Management Quarterly, Vol. 6, pp. 333-351.

Du, M 2009, ‘Job satisfaction among volunteers of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games’, Asian Journal of Physical Education & Recreation, vol. 15, pp. 29-34.

Galindo-Kuhn, R & Guzley, R 2001, ‘The volunteer satisfaction index: Construct definition, measurement, development, and validation’, Journal of Social Service Research, pp. 28, 45-68.

MacLean, J & Hamm, S 2007, ‘Motivation, commitment, and intentions of volunteers at a large Canadian sporting event’, Leisure vol. 31, pp. 523-556.

Pauline, G 2011, ‘Volunteer satisfaction and intent to remain: An analysis of contributing factors among professional golf event volunteers’, International Journal of Event Management Research, vol.6, pp.10-36.

Silverberg, M 2001, ‘Measuring job satisfaction of volunteers in public parks and recreation’, Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, vol. 19, pp. 79-92.