Article: No corporate volunteering without volunteers Journal: International Journal of Business Environment (IJBE) 2011 Vol.4 No.2 pp.121 - 132 Abstract: Corporate volunteering literature often focuses on the strategic side, the C of corporate volunteering (CV). We state that psychological volunteering research may complement CV research regarding its understanding of the V of CV. In an attempt to substantiate our claim |no corporate volunteering without volunteers|, this article raises three concerns. First, we look at the concepts of both corporate and personal volunteering (PV). We argue that CV expands the definition of PV in some points and conclude that the extent to which employees are involved in designing the CV programme is crucial for the voluntariness of CV. Second, we refer to the functional approach of Clary and Snyder (1999) and agree with Peterson (2004) that it benefits CV research, as it produces awareness for its various actors. Moreover, we discuss some empirical findings that have been reported regarding PV and CV motives. Third, and this is our core point, we deduce some implications for CV programmes based on the functional approach in assigning its six functions to a win-win-matrix, showing the benefit for both employee and company. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: No corporate volunteering without volunteers

Authors: Susan Van Schie, Stefan T. Guentert, Theo Wehner

Addresses: Center for Organizational and Occupational Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Kreuzplatz 5, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland. ' Center for Organizational and Occupational Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Kreuzplatz 5, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland. ' Center for Organizational and Occupational Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Kreuzplatz 5, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland

Abstract: Corporate volunteering literature often focuses on the strategic side, the C of corporate volunteering (CV). We state that psychological volunteering research may complement CV research regarding its understanding of the V of CV. In an attempt to substantiate our claim |no corporate volunteering without volunteers|, this article raises three concerns. First, we look at the concepts of both corporate and personal volunteering (PV). We argue that CV expands the definition of PV in some points and conclude that the extent to which employees are involved in designing the CV programme is crucial for the voluntariness of CV. Second, we refer to the functional approach of Clary and Snyder (1999) and agree with Peterson (2004) that it benefits CV research, as it produces awareness for its various actors. Moreover, we discuss some empirical findings that have been reported regarding PV and CV motives. Third, and this is our core point, we deduce some implications for CV programmes based on the functional approach in assigning its six functions to a win-win-matrix, showing the benefit for both employee and company.

Keywords: personal volunteering; functional approaches; volunteer motives; win-win matrix; corporate social responsibility; CSR; strategic volunteering; psychological volunteering; psychology; employees; volunteering programmes; programme design; voluntariness; Gil Clary; Mark Snyder; Dane Peterson; company benefits; business environment; corporate volunteering; volunteers; conceptual embedment; empirical research; future perspectives.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2011.040170

International Journal of Business Environment, 2011 Vol.4 No.2, pp.121 - 132

Published online: 27 Sep 2014 *

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Title: No corporate volunteering without volunteers

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