Abstract
Volunteering plays a significant role in Australia's vibrant sports culture. According to a report by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) in 2019, over 2.3 million Australians aged 15 and above volunteered in sports and physical activity organizations. It is evident that sports volunteering remains an integral part of Australia's sports ecosystem, enhancing the nation's passion for sports while nurturing a spirit of volunteerism. (ASC, 2019). However, community clubs experience challenges in recruiting enough volunteers for their activities and, in turn, have difficulties retaining them (Kennedy, 2021). This can be due to several factors, such as increased compliance demands in many community sports clubs (Casey et al., 2023). Existing literature on volunteer attraction and retention is underdeveloped, and a systematic literature review is needed.
Conducting a systematic literature review on the recruitment and retention of community sports club volunteers is a valuable endeavour for several compelling reasons. Firstly, such a review can provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research in this area, allowing you to identify trends, best practices, and gaps. Secondly, community sports clubs rely heavily on volunteers to function effectively, making recruitment and retention strategies vital for their sustainability (Brown et al., 2019). Finally, this review can shed light on the evolving landscape of volunteerism in the context of sports clubs, considering factors such as changing demographics, technological advancements, and societal trends (Nissen et al., 2021).
Numerous systemic reviews have been published in this area (see Kim, 2018); however, the focus of these reviews is on sports event volunteers. Sports event volunteering differs significantly from community sports club volunteering in scope, duration, motivation, and responsibilities (Brown et al., 2019; Davis et al., 2018; Nissen et al., 2021; Smith & Davis, 2019; Ringuet-Riot et al., 2016; Warner et al., 2011). Thus, the objective of this systematic literature review is to examine the research trends and identify future research directions in volunteer recruitment and retention in sports organizations.
For the purpose of the review, papers were analysed from 2005 to 2023 from databases such as Scopus, Informit, ProQuest One Business, Business Source Complete & Google Scholar. This resulted in 51 papers. The finding of this systematic literature review synthesizes the research trends, such as key variables, theories, and research methods. Further, the review pinpoints the gaps in the existing literature and presents further research directions to enhance our understanding of volunteer recruitment and retention.
Conducting a systematic literature review on the recruitment and retention of community sports club volunteers is a valuable endeavour for several compelling reasons. Firstly, such a review can provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research in this area, allowing you to identify trends, best practices, and gaps. Secondly, community sports clubs rely heavily on volunteers to function effectively, making recruitment and retention strategies vital for their sustainability (Brown et al., 2019). Finally, this review can shed light on the evolving landscape of volunteerism in the context of sports clubs, considering factors such as changing demographics, technological advancements, and societal trends (Nissen et al., 2021).
Numerous systemic reviews have been published in this area (see Kim, 2018); however, the focus of these reviews is on sports event volunteers. Sports event volunteering differs significantly from community sports club volunteering in scope, duration, motivation, and responsibilities (Brown et al., 2019; Davis et al., 2018; Nissen et al., 2021; Smith & Davis, 2019; Ringuet-Riot et al., 2016; Warner et al., 2011). Thus, the objective of this systematic literature review is to examine the research trends and identify future research directions in volunteer recruitment and retention in sports organizations.
For the purpose of the review, papers were analysed from 2005 to 2023 from databases such as Scopus, Informit, ProQuest One Business, Business Source Complete & Google Scholar. This resulted in 51 papers. The finding of this systematic literature review synthesizes the research trends, such as key variables, theories, and research methods. Further, the review pinpoints the gaps in the existing literature and presents further research directions to enhance our understanding of volunteer recruitment and retention.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand Conference |
| Place of Publication | Canberra |
| Pages | 91 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 29 Nov 2023 |
| Event | 29th SMAANZ CONFERENCE. Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand : Facing the Future: Academic Research Supporting Industry Practice - University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia Duration: 29 Nov 2023 → 1 Dec 2023 Conference number: 29 |
Conference
| Conference | 29th SMAANZ CONFERENCE. Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| City | Canberra |
| Period | 29/11/23 → 1/12/23 |
Keywords
- Volunteers
- Sporting organisations
- Retention