Attracting and managing volunteers in local government

Abstract

Purpose This study seeks to understand the relation between public volunteerism and the role of local government agencies to attract and manage volunteers. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on purposive sampling, comprising 37 cities within a 50‐mile radius around Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Administrators in these cities responded to an e‐mail survey. The study also uses a content analysis of homepages of the sample cities. Findings While volunteerism is found to be widely valued, most agencies also seem to underutilize their capacities in attracting volunteers and valuing their contributions. This is particularly reflected in their homepage design. There also seems to be an underutilization of volunteers in emergency management and homeland security‐related programs. Practical implications The paper offers an analytical frame to apply professional management tools that can be replicated in other contexts of volunteer management. The study also makes an empirical case for integrating volunteer management in agency activities and in their web sites. This requires giving systematic organizational attention and support to improve volunteer management. Originality/value The study makes a small contribution to volunteer management literature by adopting a replicable framework of professional management and offering an empirical snapshot of the status of volunteer management in local government agencies.