Motivation
Public vs. Private Compassion: Colored Ribbons, T-shirts, and SUVs
The UK think tank Civitas just announced a new publication with the intriguing title of Conspicuous Compassion: Why Sometimes It Really Is Cruel to Be Kind, by Patrick West. According to reviewers, West feels that people who wear colored ribbons to show empathy with worthy causes and mourn in public for celebrities they have never met are part of a growing culture of "ostentatious caring which is about feeling good, not doing good." He notes that none of these public displays help the poor, diseased, dispossessed or bereaved; instead they end up only “projecting one's ego, and informing others what a deeply caring individual you are.”
Susan and Steve ruminate on how public – and private – displays of emotion or politics relate to volunteering as we know it.
Susan examines the history and philosophy of ribbon-wearing, and goes on to muse about plastic forks, Oscar Wilde, SUVs, and individual responsibility.
Steve considers the practice of “keeping score,” the perceived difference between volunteers and activists, and Worthy versus merely Good forms of service.
Trailblazers and Troublemakers: Entrepreneurial Volunteers
Keyboard Roundtable participants from Australia, Canada, Rumania, the United Kingdom, and the United States discuss what an "entrepreneurial volunteer" really is (a pioneer or someone who doesn't like rules? a blessing or a nightmare?) and how a volunteer program manager can welcome and support out-of-the-box participants. Here's an excerpt from one of Abby Dyson's (UK) comments:
One area of discussion that I'm particularly interested in exploring, and finding solutions where there are obstacles, relates to that first group of volunteers that Rob identified which is, in my opinion, very similar to the final group that Linda refers to.
These are people who, for various reasons, are put off by the rules and bureaucracies that exist. One set of reasons may relate to a lack of understanding, time and/or willingness to navigate existing systems. Alternatively, perhaps as in the case of Linda's expected experience as well as Ioana's volunteer, there are people with a clear understanding of what they have to offer and/or want to achieve (often they don't have both) and an expectation that the organisations they work with will be able to accommodate them.
The first set of reasons will, I think, happily be tackled by Volunteering Managers seeking to, as Adaire says, "institute good volunteer management principles and practices" which will strip away the bad rules that may have developed over time as well as effectively communicate the need for good and necessary rules.
The second set of challenges are, I think, less likely to be embraced as the solutions are less clear, more challenging and time-consuming.
World Leisure's Volunteerism Commission
World Leisure, an international organization devoted to the scientific study and promotion of leisure, has as part of its structure several commissions devoted to matters consistent with this mission. One of these – the Volunteerism Commission – was founded to organize and encourage research in all countries on all aspects of volunteering that relate to leisure and, to the extent they are deemed useful there, to disseminate to the applied sector the world over relevant research findings in this area. The socio-economic context of leisure and volunteering is explored and a case made for viewing volunteering as leisure activity. The structure and programs of the Volunteerism Commission are then examined. A selected bibliography of theory and research in this area is presented as part of the reference list.
Is Volunteering Work or Leisure?
The field of volunteerism spends inordinate amounts of time arguing the finer points of just what is and what is not volunteering. Most readers are familiar with a range of concepts that strive to ‘define’ volunteering. Such concepts include volunteering being conducted
- without coercion,
- without monetary reward, and
- for the benefit of the community.
However, a much more fundamental question was posed recently on both the OzVPM (Australasia) and UKVPMs (United Kingdom) newsgroups, causing quite a reaction, and prompting us to share the thoughts of respondents with you all through this Keyboard Roundtable forum.
The question was, quite simply: ‘Is volunteering work or leisure?’
With the generous permission of the participants, we have compiled some of the key postings in this debate and hope e-Volunteerism readers will join in.
Mandated Volunteering: Oxymoron or Opportunity?
Susan and Steve explore the question:
Are people who are required to do unpaid service really "volunteers"?
Changing the Focus on Volunteering: An Investigation of Volunteers' Multiple Contributions for a Charitable Organization
Steven Farmer and Donald Fedor have taken a look at factors which make volunteers decide to continue and increase their contribution of volunteer time and effort to a particular organization. This issue is a serious one to effective involvement of volunteers, since the motivation of volunteers may be negatively affected by asking for too little involvement (thus creating a sense in a volunteer that their talents and time aren't being well used) or too much (thus creating both a sense of being overworked and a sense that the contribution they are making isn't "enough").
Where Have All the Leaders Gone?
The refrain is heard time and time again in the groups and organizations of modern society. Schools have been crying out for ages about the shortage of math and science teachers. Corporations have been wailing about the lack of skilled workers. Community issues go un-addressed for lack of passionate people. There is a leadership crisis; a volunteer crisis, a "can't find the person I need when I need them" crisis. Why such a shortage of people?
Yet people increasingly ask us, "Why aren't there more leaders?" Why are people reluctant to answer the cry for leadership? ... We believe this cautiousness results not from a lack of courage or competence but from outdated notions about leadership. (Kouzes, Posner. The Leadership Challenge)