TY - JOUR
T1 - Volunteering research in Australia
T2 - A narrative review
AU - Kragt, Darja
AU - Holtrop, Djurre
PY - 2019/5/29
Y1 - 2019/5/29
N2 - Objective: Australian research on volunteering is rich and diverse, but also increasingly fragmented. In an attempt to promote a more integrated study of volunteering, we review volunteering research conducted in Australia, using volunteering journey as a framework. Specifically, we summarise literature on volunteer characteristics, motivations, benefits, psychological contract, commitment, and withdrawal. Method: A comprehensive review yielded 152 studies on volunteering conducted in Australia. Results: We find that volunteers have distinct characteristics, such as being older, better connected, employed, and residing in rural areas. There are a variety of reasons that prompt individuals to volunteer, and this motivation does change over time. Volunteering leads to better psychological well-being, as well as increases in social and human capital. Volunteer expectations and commitment are key drivers of ongoing volunteering. Finally, stress, work–family conflict, and negative interactions with others lead to volunteer withdrawal. Conclusion: A lot is known about volunteering, however, future advancement of the field will depend on better integration across disciplines and domains. Currently, volunteering is viewed as a set of distinct stages, and a more integrated approach is required. We also note a lack of theoretical and methodological rigour in many Australian studies on volunteering.
AB - Objective: Australian research on volunteering is rich and diverse, but also increasingly fragmented. In an attempt to promote a more integrated study of volunteering, we review volunteering research conducted in Australia, using volunteering journey as a framework. Specifically, we summarise literature on volunteer characteristics, motivations, benefits, psychological contract, commitment, and withdrawal. Method: A comprehensive review yielded 152 studies on volunteering conducted in Australia. Results: We find that volunteers have distinct characteristics, such as being older, better connected, employed, and residing in rural areas. There are a variety of reasons that prompt individuals to volunteer, and this motivation does change over time. Volunteering leads to better psychological well-being, as well as increases in social and human capital. Volunteer expectations and commitment are key drivers of ongoing volunteering. Finally, stress, work–family conflict, and negative interactions with others lead to volunteer withdrawal. Conclusion: A lot is known about volunteering, however, future advancement of the field will depend on better integration across disciplines and domains. Currently, volunteering is viewed as a set of distinct stages, and a more integrated approach is required. We also note a lack of theoretical and methodological rigour in many Australian studies on volunteering.
KW - benefits
KW - motivation
KW - narrative review
KW - volunteer retention
KW - volunteering
KW - withdrawal
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066500166&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/ajpy.12251
DO - 10.1111/ajpy.12251
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85066500166
JO - The Australian Journal of Psychology
JF - The Australian Journal of Psychology
SN - 0004-9530
ER -