TITLE:
Improving Volunteer Engagement in Nonprofit Healthcare Organizations
AUTHORS:
Sanja K. Hudson
KEYWORDS:
Competence Behavior, Psychological Needs, Volunteer Engagement
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.9 No.3,
May
31,
2021
ABSTRACT: Grounded
in the conceptual lens of Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, the
strategies nonprofit healthcare leaders use to reduce volunteer turnover were
explored in this single-case study. The participations included 5 nonprofit healthcare leaders from a
single organization in the Southwestern United States. Data were collected
using semistructured interviews, internal and external organizational
documents, and publicly available data. Analysis of internal and external
organizational documents and publicly available data were manually coded and thematically
organized. The use of a methodological triangulation process and member
checking increased the reliability of data interpretation. Using the thematic
approach, 3 themes emerged: volunteer recognition improved volunteer turnover,
open communication improved volunteer turnover, and relationship building
improved volunteer turnover. The findings from this study may contribute to positively social change by providing
nonprofit leaders with strategies to reduce volunteer turnover, enhance
operational processes, and improve organizational performance. The results of
this study indicated that nonprofit healthcare leaders who develop volunteer
engagement strategies could increase organizational success and develop
successful work habits among volunteers to improve economic growth in the
communities they serve.