DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Public Sector Volunteerism

  • Valero, Jesus N. (Department of Political Science at University of Utah)
  • Published : 2017.06.30

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between organizational capacity and the use of firefighter volunteers by volunteer fire departments within local/county governments. The study is based on a nonrandom sample of 213 U.S. volunteer fire departments within local governments. The fire chief of these fire departments responded to an annual survey conducted by Firehouse Magazine in 2010 and 2011. This study uses OLS regression analysis to assess the impact of organizational capacity (measured as annual budget) on the number of firefighter volunteers used by the volunteer fire department. There is evidence to suggest that organizational capacity has a positive and statistically significant effect on the number of volunteers used among U.S. volunteer fire departments. This study extends current literature on public volunteerism by analyzing factors that explain variation in the use of volunteers by local governments, specifically fire departments. Findings suggest that fire departments with greater resources in terms of revenue are more likely to use volunteers.

Keywords

References

  1. Brudney, J. L. (1990). Expanding the Government-by-Proxy Construct: Volunteers in the Delivery of PUblic Services. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 19(4), 315-328. https://doi.org/10.1177/089976409001900403
  2. Brudney, J. L. (1999). The Effective Use of Volunteers: Best Practices for the Public Sector. Law and Contemporary Problems, 62(4), 219-255. https://doi.org/10.2307/1192274
  3. Brudney, J. L., & Duncombe, W. D. (1992). An Economic Evaluation of Paid, Volunteer and Mixed Staffing Options for Public Services. Public Administration Review, 52(5), 474-481. https://doi.org/10.2307/976807
  4. Brudney, J. L., & Gazley, B. (2002). Testing the Conventional Wisdom Regarding Volunteer Programs: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Service Corps of Retired Executives and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 31(4), 525-548. https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764002238099
  5. Brudney, J. L., & Gazley, B. (2009). Planning to be Prepared: An Empirical Examination of the Role of Volutnary Organizations in County Government Emergency Planning. Public Performance and Management Review, 32(3), 372-399. https://doi.org/10.2753/PMR1530-9576320302
  6. Brudney, J. L., & Kellough, J. E. (2000). Volunteers in State Government: Involvement, Management, and Benefits. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 29(1), 111-130. https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764000291007
  7. Bryson, J. M., Crosby, B. C., & Stone, M. M. (2006). The Design and Implementation of Cross-Sector Collaborations: Propositions from the Literature. Public Administration Review, 66(6), 44-55. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2006.00665.x
  8. Choudhury, E. (2010). Attracting and Managing Volunteers in Local Government. Journal of Management Development, 29(6), 592-603. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621711011046558
  9. Curry, G. (2011). Synergistic Protection: The Roadmap for Improving Citizen Disaster Preparedness Response. Society and Business Review, 6(2), 121-130. https://doi.org/10.1108/17465681111143948
  10. Dover, G. J. (2010). Public Sector Volunteering: Committed Staff, Multiple Logics, and Contradictory Strategies. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 30(2), 235-256. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X09360180
  11. Fredericksen, P. J., & Levin, D. (2004). Accountability and the Use of Volunteer Officers in Public Safety Organizations. Public Performance and Management Review, 27(4), 118-143.
  12. Gazley, B., & Brudney, J. L. (2005). Volunteer Involvement in Local Government after September 11: The Continuing Question of Capacity. Public Administration Review, 65(2), 131-142. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2005.00439.x
  13. Hager, M. A., & Brudney, J. L. (2011). Problems Recruiting Volunteers: Nature versus Nurture. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 22(2), 137-156. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.20046
  14. Jaeger, P. T., Shneiderman, B., Fleischmann, K. R., Preece, J., Qu, Y., & Fei Wu, P. (2007). Community Response Grids: E-Government, Social Networks and Effective Emergency Management. Telecommunications Policy, 31, 592-604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2007.07.008
  15. Mann, S. (2012). Building Sustainable Cities in a Post-Katrina Nation: HR's Role in Mitigation and Planning. Public Works Management & Policy, 17(1), 30-51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087724X11429392
  16. Montjoy, R. S., & Brudney, J. L. (1991). Volunteers in the Delivery of Public Services: Hidden Cost and Benefits. The American Review of Public Administration, 21(4), 327-344. https://doi.org/10.1177/027507409102100404
  17. Nesbit, R., & Brudney, J. L. (2010). At Your Service? Volunteering and National Service in 2020. Public Administration Review, 70(S1), S107-S113. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2010.02252.x
  18. Raggio, R. D., & Garretson Folse, J. A. (2011). Expressions of Gratitude in Disaster Management: An Economic, Social Marketing, and Public Policy Perspective on Post-Katrina Campaigns. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 30(2), 168-174. https://doi.org/10.1509/jppm.30.2.168
  19. Schoch-Spana, M. (2009). Expanding the Public's Role in Health Emergency Policy. Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice and Science, 7(1), 39-41. https://doi.org/10.1089/bsp.2009.1007
  20. Simo, G., & Bies, A. L. (2007). The Role of Nonprofits in Disaster Response: An Expanded Model of Cross-Sector Collaboration. Public Administration Review, 67(S1), 124-142.
  21. Simpson, D. M., & Strang, W. (2004). Volunteerism, Disasters and homeland Security: The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and Community Preparedness. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 1(4), 1-12.
  22. The Collaborative Public Manager: New Ideas for the Twenty-First Century. (2009). (R. O'leary & L. B. Bingham Eds.). Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.
  23. Tierney, K. (2012). Disaster Governance: Social, Political, and Economic Dimensions. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 37, 341-363. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-020911-095618