HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Human Resource Management

STRATEGIES of HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

IN A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Abstract

This study examines key human resource management strategies for volunteers in a non-profit organization that have a positive impact on volunteers' job satisfaction, high performance, and leads to increased volunteer retention and overall organizational performance. Prior studies have focused on the organization's perspective on volunteer management rather than the volunteer's viewpoint. This research was conducted as a case study exploring a "specific bounded" system, a large non-profit organization that provides programming and services to 18,000 members in 21 counties. The results showed that communication of the mission and vision of the non-profit organization, recruitment; training and volunteer development, performance management, volunteer relations, and recognition and rewards are key human resource management strategies that will improve volunteer job satisfaction, high performance, volunteer retention, and overall organizational performance. This research can serve as a roadmap for non-profit organizations to improve volunteer job satisfaction, high performance, volunteer retention, and overall organizational performance.

Chapter 1

Introduction to the Problem

Volunteers are considered essential for the success of many non-profit organizations. Taylor, Mallinson, and Bloch noted that organizations rely on volunteers to effectively pursue or meet their charge or mission, and without them, many organizations would not survive. Volunteers provide a workforce cost savings that expands the abilities of a non-profit organization to meet its mission. Finkelstein noted that in the United Kingdom, 44% of adults volunteer are providing the equivalent of more than 9 million fulltime employees at a value of $239 billion. Volunteers can serve the organization in a variety of positions, such as board member, committee member, fund raiser, event chair, activity coach, or activity leader. The organization's message or mission is delivered to its target audience by volunteers who serve on the front lines. Therefore, in order for non-profit organizations to maintain a competitive edge in today's local and global markets, they must have both an outstanding human resources department and human resources management strategies that address volunteer policies and procedures to ensure volunteer retention and organizational performance. (Anonymous, 1992, 26-29)

Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, and Wright noted that the human resource department deals with policies, practices, and systems that influence employees' and volunteers' behaviour, attitudes, and performance. Human resource management strategies influence the goals of the human resource department and the organization. These strategies may include analysis and design of work; human resource planning; recruitment, selection, and placement; training, development, compensation, and performance management; and separation and retention. The analysis and design of work deal with defining what tasks need to be performed and how to perform them. Resource planning explores how many individuals will be needed to perform the work. Planning, recruitment, selection, and placement address choosing the right person for the right job.

Training, development, compensation, and performance management are tools that are utilized to enhance individuals' knowledge, skills, behaviours, and activities, and ensure they are in line with the organization's mission and goals. Separation and retention explore both involuntary and voluntary turnover of individuals. Therefore, human resource management strategies can have a ...