At the moment, I am volunteering as an intern at First Home Care in Portsmouth, VA. My work is associated with Day Support Treatments for adults diagnosed with autism. Autism is characterized by an entire spectrum of conditions that make it challenging for individuals to be successful in their social interactions, verbal and non-verbal communication, and behaviors. Although caring for autistic adults is a complicated task that requires strength, dedication, and courage, I have learned a lot about being compassionate and respecting other peoples lives and needs. Respect is one of Saint Leo Universitys core values, which implies strengthening the community by ensuring diversity of people who live and work together in harmony. Because I was able to see the courage and strength of people diagnosed with autism and how they value the time they have on this Earth, I recognized how important it was to be open to new experiences and help those who enrich our communities with diversity.
Previously, I volunteered as a staff member and helped pack food that then got delivered to churches and given out to the homeless. I also believe that this gesture coincides with the mentioned core value since it shows respect for the life of other people that were unfortunate to be left without a roof over their heads. I would also like to mention that in the beginning, I was skeptical about my work as a volunteer because working for free is a luxury that not everyone can afford. However, when I began seeing the contribution that I had made to the lives of other people, I understood that my volunteering work was far more fulfilling emotionally than any other job.
Also, I participated in my first intake process, during which I worked with clients to assess their behaviors and determine whether they were eligible to participate in the program. There was usually a period of sixty days during which I determined what clients could be enrolled in the program. As an intern, I felt a great responsibility when working with clients since my life experiences were not enough to make informed decisions. I had to be very careful during paperwork and was dedicated to paying attention to every detail that could make a difference in the final decision. I liked talking to clients, asking them about their emotional struggles and what they wanted to change in their lives. The overall experience was not only rewarding but also challenging for me as a young person since many of the clients with whom I worked had seen far more in life than I had.
I want to conclude the reflection on my volunteering experience by recommending this to everyone who would like to pursue psychology as a career. Face-to-face interactions with clients and other volunteers allowed me to become more open-minded to new experiences while trying to help other people who happen to be less fortunate. I link the core value of respect with my experience because it is associated with enriching communities with different perspectives that people can offer. Although my work was difficult sometimes and made me question my career choice, the outcome was far more rewarding than I had anticipated.
I have always been interested in learning organic structures and origins of life on the planet. Analysis of molecular structures of organic tissues is a real journey to the world of biochemistry. Probably, understanding the handful of discoveries related to the field made me chose this subject as my major. Since studying at high school, I have been overwhelmed with examining chemical elements, as well as related reactions and processes occurring in living organisms. Though the subject could be difficult for understanding, it covers vast amounts of knowledge about our world in general.
Body
In order to develop my background knowledge on biochemistry, I took an active part in various volunteer activities. In particular, I was the volunteer at ophthalmology center to work with patients and learn more about physiology and biochemistry of the eye and its parts. Understanding the connection between chemical processes and functions of the eye has broadened my knowledge about the subject and has increased my interest in learning biochemistry.
What is more important is that the work at ophthalmology center provided me with deeper comprehension of various organic process occur at molecular level. It was also a great opportunity for me to learn more about the connection between physical and chemical processes. I have also realized that studying biochemistry can also be beneficial for professional fulfillment and development in a variety of fields.
Certainly, I had to overcome a number of difficulties to work as a volunteer because of the great responsibilities that I took while working with people and at laboratories. I needed to read piles of scientific journals and peer reviews to get a better idea of recent trends in biochemistry. Because the subject engages an interdisciplinary perspective, I should have a good command of biology and chemistry. I am sure that your college can provide me with all necessary knowledge to reach my objectives and promote my professional career. As a respectable educational establishment, your educational staff involves experts in the field and, therefore, I would be honored to become a student of your college.
My primary goal is to obtain degree and further my exploration as a specialist in biochemistry. Because my goal is to contribute to the modern science and introduce inventions that would change the outlook on the discipline, I believe that your institution is exactly what I need to fulfill my purposes.
I believe my aspiration for discovery and progress are exactly the features that can help me explore the subject and promote my professional growth. I am a quick learner and I am fully aware of my future objectives. In particular, I am willing to connect my live with the profession that would bring in benefits to our society and improve the overall welfare of our planet. Helping people, therefore, is a priority for me and, therefore, I believe studying biochemistry can suit best this purpose.
Conclusion
While working as a volunteer, I have gained sufficient research and critical skills, which are among the most important ones for widening my experience and knowledge in the chosen major. In addition, I have sufficient technical skills, as well as knowledge of recent technological advances that are helpful for processing data and conducting chemical experiments. All these skills can make a good contribution to the development of science. Therefore, I believe that college can only ignite my enthusiasm to research in the field.
The Institute for Information Management has been committed to achieving its vision of becoming the leading provider of information to various companies within Australia. However, its system is falling apart because of its inability to address some of the strategic issues affecting various industries.
Not only is it losing the companies that were formerly its members, but also the volunteers who now consider it ineffective in addressing their career development needs. In order to address this problem, the institute will need to apply the concept of knowledge management system.
Introduction
Knowledge management system has become very important for organisations in an environment where information is an important tool in achieving success. Both profitable and non-profitable organisations experience some form of challenges that force them to improve their service delivery in order to remain efficient in their operations.
To achieve the desired success, they need to have a proper knowledge management system that will allow all the departments to share relevant information within the shortest period possible. Lambe (2011, p. 185) defines knowledge management system as A system that helps the organisations in creation, capture, processing, storage, and dissemination of information.
The system enables organisations to improve their efficiency in processing relevant information and transmitting it to the relevant departments and individuals so that it may define their decisions as a way of improving their efficiency.
Wilson (2002, p. 86) says, The idea of a knowledge management system is to enable employees to have ready access to the organisations documented base of facts, sources of information, and solutions. This way, they will always make informed choices based on the information in the system. It also eliminates bureaucracy that exists in some organisations that limits information sharing.
The Institute for Information Management has remained committed to its aim of becoming the leading source of information management for companies in Australia. However, it has been faced with numerous challenges which make this vision to be elusive.
This research seeks to find ways though which this institute can use the knowledge management system to promote engagement and collaboration among its members in order to improve its service delivery and attract more volunteers.
The Case Study
The Institute for Information Management has worked tirelessly to gain relevance as one of the leading organisations that brings together users of information management systems and the providers of the enabling technologies in a forum where they can share relevant information in this field.
It has massively contributed to the effective development of information management system in this country by disseminating information management industry trends, opportunities, and accomplishments. However, this organisation is currently facing a problem in an industry that it expected to achieve success.
The number of volunteers to the organisation is drastically dropping, and so is the number of those who are regularly using its services. It means that something is wrong with this organisation in terms of the approach it takes in managing its processes.
It must have failed to appeal to the volunteers, and this explains why their number at this organisation has been declining over the years.
This has largely been blamed on its fundamental model of membership. This organisation needs a model that will enable it to engage its members with the view of promoting collaboration when addressing various tasks. It is necessary to find the best ways of applying knowledge management system in order to address this problem.
Knowledge System behind Micro-Volunteering at the Institute for Information Management
According to Serenko and Bontis (2013, p. 310), over 6 million Australians always volunteer to work in different sectors as a way of making a difference in this country. Some people offer to volunteer as a way of meeting new people or trying something new, while others do it as way of improving their careers. Irrespective of the reasons why people volunteer to work in various organisations, the fact is that they always want something new.
They want a working environment that would add a difference to their life. This is what is lacking at this institute, making its membership to decline. The Institute for Information Management must realise that its members need a system that will make them aware of the changing industry trends, and other relevant issues that may make them be informed about their respective industries.
The first step that it should take in addressing its current process is to develop a model that will improve its efficiency in collecting data about the changing trends in the relevant industries it has chosen. This will enable it to become a superior platform through which users of information management systems and the providers of the assistive technologies can interact and achieve their respective goals.
According to Dalkir (2011, p. 59), this can be done by developing a knowledge management model that will be beneficial to all the stakeholders. The knowledge management cycle below is one of the most appropriate models that this firm should consider using.
Knowledge Management Cycle
Source: (Walsham 2001, p. 610).
The model will be able to capture, organise and make accessible all the relevant information about various fields for the benefit of the stakeholders. It will also enable the stakeholders use the information to learn through creation and sharing of the relevant data on various fields.
This institute must realise that most of the volunteers aim is to improve their capacity to understand the changing trends in various fields so that they can make a positive difference in their companies at a later date. They must feel that this institution is offering them the opportunity to be well informed.
Interventions designed to improve the situation
It is clear that the Institute for Information Management needs to find ways of improving its system, especially its capacity to capture the changing trends in various fields in order to attract volunteers and other stakeholders. The users of information need an organisation that has the right information about different industries in which they operate.
They also need to know about various knowledge management products, their superiority over the other existing systems, and the most reliable vendors. The vendors are interested in institutions that can sell them to the information users and give the right knowledge about the products they offer.
The volunteers need to be assured that for the time they will be with the organisation, they will always have the first hand information about the changing trends in the market in their respective industries.
This means that the management at this institution needs to have a top notch system that can enable it to collect, synthesises, and disseminate information to its members within the shortest period possible. The following knowledge management pyramid shows the steps that should be followed.
Source: (AlSondos & Othman 2012, p. 275).
As shown in the pyramid, the system should allow for an efficient collection and organisation of the data. The collected data should be summarised and then analysed to give the clear information about a specific issue. The information will then be synthesised into useful information. All the members should then be provided with the knowledge in order to define their decision making process (Resnick 2004, p. 84).
It is important at this stage to state that the knowledge should not only be used by the management to improve its operations. The users of the information, which may be companies, also need to be provided with the knowledge prepared in the same manner about the trends in their respective industries.
It would be important to design a model that this institute needs to use in order to address the problem that is currently affecting its operations.
Suitable Knowledge Management Models to Apply in the Case
It would be important for the Institute for Information Management to find an appropriate model that it can use to address its current problems. The volunteers need to be assured that this institute will help them in advancing their careers.
Other stakeholders also need to ensure that their interests will be protected when they are members of this institute. This institute needs to have a cyclic approach to managing information. The following diagram shows a model that this institution should use to ensure that it always provides up to date knowledge to its members.
Poppers 3 World Model
Source: (Buckman 2004, p. 39).
Poppers 3 World Model is one of the best knowledge management models that organisations are currently using in order to ensure that they meet their expectations. When using this model, the institute needs to know the specific needs of its stakeholders in order to ensure that the results yielded is what they expect.
According to Dawson (2000, p. 96), world 1 is defined by the physical environment which includes the objects and events that have a direct impact on an organisation. When addressing this physical environment, the institute needs to ensure that it has the right employees that will earn it a good reputation within the country. It may need to contract some of the best professionals in various fields to be part of its team.
To the volunteers, they desire to work alongside these talented professionals in order to advance their careers. To the information users, they would want to associate themselves with this institute when they realise that they have a team of experts that may help them in their fields.
They will believe that through these experts, they will not only get to know about the industry trends but also the most reliable vendors of the relevant assistive technologies. This will put this firm on its path towards growth.
In world 2, there are cognitive processes that involve creativity, intelligence, and other mental skills that can enable a firm do something differently. As an institute of knowledge management, this organisation will have to be creative enough to be of relevance to the stakeholders. It should be the driving force to the emerging trends in various industries.
The professionals and volunteers should come together to create new approaches of addressing various issues in various industries in a way that would address some of their current problems. Every company would want to associate with an enterprising institution that can help them overcome some of their challenges. This is what the institute should offer to its clients in order to retain them.
According to AlSondos and Othman (2012, p. 291) Third world involves the semantic world of information comprising data, statements and articulated knowledge. It also involves the knowledge earned through experience. At this institution, it would be appropriate to find ways through which these organisation members can share their experiences as a way of finding a common solution to a common problem.
As Wilson (2002, p.75) says, sometimes it may be necessary for rivals to come together in order to score against a common enemy. The institute should provide the best platform through which competitive firms can come together and share tacit knowledge about various issues in the industry.
Intellectual capital that needs to be managed
It would be vital for this institute to understand the intellectual capital that the stakeholders trust it with. This organisation should ensure that it protects the trust it has with its clients. Some of the information users may come to it for the purpose of consultancy. When this happens, they may reveal some of their classified information.
This information should remain confidential as an intellectual capital of that particular organisation. The institute will also need to identify some of the existing knowledge assets that may form part of the new system that is being developed.
This may include the past information that still remains relevant in the current context. The candidate techniques for intervention at this institute include the process of identifying its strategic partners, information processing strategies, and the strategy it is using to maintain creativity in its operations.
Proposed Knowledge Management System
In order for the institute to achieve its vision in this industry, it will need a knowledge management system that will enable it to understand the environmental forces and act upon them within the shortest time possible. Using knowledge management system will enable this firm to identify the enablers, drivers, and elements of change.
Knowledge Ecosystem
Source: (AlSondos & Othman 2012, p. 272)
This system will require the management to conduct a regular research about the changing environmental patterns in various areas of management. To achieve this, a team of experts in the fields like marketing, production, and finance among other fields may be needed.
Also necessary will be the technological infrastructure such as computer system and databases to enhance the process of data collection, processing and sharing of the knowledge. The institute may also need to readjust its policy, procedures, and attitudes towards the volunteers to stop their number from dropping. An increase in its membership will be the clear information that its intervention has produced some benefits.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The Institute for Information Managements vision of becoming the definitive Australian industry source of information may forever remain a dream if the current problems are not addressed.
It has been losing its clients and volunteers who feel that they are not getting what they expected from the organisation. In order to reverse its current negative trend, this institute needs to embrace knowledge management system and some of the models it has to offer. The following recommendations should be observed.
The Institute for Information Management should introduce knowledge management system models into its operations.
The first step to address the declining membership will be to hire the renowned professionals in various fields to attract the volunteers, information users, and system vendors.
The management should embrace a cyclic approach to obtaining, processing, and disseminating information to ensure that it remains updated in its operations.
The institute should remain innovative, especially when addressing the problem brought about by the emerging trends.
List of References
AlSondos, I & Othman, F 2012, Requirement for Knowledge Management System, Journal of Communication and Computer, vol. 6. no. 11, pp. 263-275.
Buckman, R 2004, Building a knowledge-driven organisation, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Dalkir, K 2011, Knowledge management in theory and practice, MIT Press, Cambridge.
Dawson, R 2000. Developing Knowledge-Based Client Relationships: The Future of Professional Services, Cengage, New York.
Lambe, P 2011, The unacknowledged parentage of knowledge management, Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 15. no. 2, pp. 175-197.
Resnick, M 2004, Management requirements for knowledge management systems in the virtual organisation, International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 21-93.
Serenko, A & Bontis, N 2013, Ranking of knowledge management and intellectual capital, Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 17. no. 2, pp. 307-326.
Walsham, G 2001, Knowledge Management: The Benefits and Limitations of Computer Systems, European Management Journal, vol. 19. no. 6, pp. 599-608.
Wilson, T 2002, The nonsense of knowledge management, Information Research, vol. 8. no. 1, pp. 65-98.
Like what the late American author H. Jackson Brown Jr. once said, “Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more”. Material wealth does not genuinely make us happy. It will only give temporary joy and happiness. However, the same cannot be said for our family and friends. When it comes to happiness, our nearest and dearest are the ones that matters most, and that is what truly brings happiness. Although our family and friends are important to us, we should also dedicate some of our “free” time to contribute to the happiness of others. Having said that, it does not necessarily mean we have to over-commit and dedicate most of our time towards helping others. Weekends and public holidays are the only time we can spend precious quality time with them, or perhaps for some, even some much-undervalued “me-time”.
Hence, we should try to strike a balance to truly achieve happiness, by sparing a thought for the less fortunate who might not have this privilege, and helping them whenever we can.
Challenges of Volunteering
It is inevitable that some do face certain challenges during their course of volunteering. Among the young volunteers, one issue highlighted was the lack of time commitment to a regular programme due to their studies (One Size Does Not Fit All, 2014). The pressures of having to compete with peers to enter an elite university, working for a prestigious company and trying to stay relevant and competitive in a rapidly-evolving economy, has meant that volunteering has never always been on the top of the agenda for the majority of young Singaporeans (Chan, 2018).
For working adults, most will prefer to relax and spend quality time with their loved ones over the weekends after a hectic work week.
Even for those who have been dedicating their time towards volunteering, they encounter this issue of inspiring volunteer leadership. Some volunteers are always active and involved, but after some time, they go off the boil and then subsequently leave, whereas some may be consistent and dedicated, but are not willing to be a volunteer leader. In local context, however, there is cause for optimism. In 2018, it has been reported that there has been a surge in volunteering for good causes in Singapore, in addition to the much-renowned five ‘C’s in our materialist city-state, namely, cash, car, credit card, condominium and country club membership (Chan, 2018).
Analysing the Pros and Cons of Volunteering
The benefits of volunteering are innumerable, and these include social, emotional and physical perks. With regards to the social aspect, volunteers will make new connections with the people they are helping and forge new friendships with fellow volunteers as well. Thus, it helps people improve their social interaction, which then results in improved mental and physical health (Troyer, 2016). Moving on, many young adults nowadays encounter many different issues such as depression, social anxiety or eating disorders. Should they choose to volunteer, they will feel much better emotionally, as they are able to connect with others and develop feelings of self-worth (Fritz, 2019).
Lastly, the lesser-known benefit of volunteering is that it improves physical health. In this day and age, many people live sedentary lifestyles, which could potentially increase health risks such as obesity and diabetes. Thus, people can instead choose to volunteer their time by walking around and serving the elderly at a nursing home or playing with the less fortunate kids at the local YMCA. These activities help them to stay active and improve their physical well-being, and lowers health risks in the process. On top of that, volunteering has the “feel good” effect with the release of dopamine to the brain, which means the more you volunteer, the happier you will be, and these positive emotions are also reflected in improved physical well-being (Segal, 2019).
On the flip side, there are certain factors why people shun volunteering. Firstly, the opportunity cost of time. The time spent volunteering could have been spent with their loved ones, for whom they already have limited time with. Secondly, volunteering may be seen as overbearing, especially when it involves loads of manual labour, which will result in people being physically exhausted. Lastly, some people volunteer because their family or friends asked to accompany them, thus the commitment levels will be significantly lower. They will not show as much interest in volunteering and just do the bare minimum, which could leave the dedicated volunteers frustrated and annoyed.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Current Volunteering Programmes
With the changing needs of the volunteers and the external environment such as aging population and globalisation (Leong, 2018), it is evident that organisations need to continually adapt their approach, in order to support the volunteers in their volunteering journey. There were collaborations among the associations to reach out to more citizens who have not volunteered before. This includes the establishment of “Giving.sg” by National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) which allows the public to sign up for ad-hoc and regular volunteering events based on their interests and the cause they believe in (Giving.sg, 2017). However, it was not as effective as expected, as there was a slight fall from 35% in 2016 to 29% in 2018, taking into account all Singapore residents and non-residents who have volunteered over the past year (MCCY, 2019). On the other hand, we see that a large percentage (89%) of corporate giving is through philanthropy.
This underlines the importance of creating new opportunities for volunteers to continue to contribute to the community, make use of their expertise and meet the tight schedules of most working adults and students.
Creating a Volunteering Program ‘Uniquely Singapore’
Volunteers deserve to be recognised, and monetary rewards would be meaningless to them, for they volunteer because of their passion and desire to help others in need. However, volunteers themselves may feel underappreciated if they feel that their contributions are not being recognised. In hope that we attract new volunteers and retain existing ones, there is a need to come up with appropriate rewarding mechanisms which volunteers can look forward to. In the case of Zeles (Zeles, 2020), volunteers can earn points for their participation, and thereafter, it can be used to redeem vouchers for their own consumption.
However, we aim to create something ‘uniquely Singapore’ (Singapore Tourism Board, 2010). We live in a society where everyone is obsessed in trying to outdo one another, in fear of losing, which is otherwise known as ‘kiasu’. Thus, we propose volunteer organisations to incorporate gamification into their systems. A little incentive and competition, even in volunteering, can spur more Singaporeans to join or continue volunteering. Dubbed “Are You Game to Volunteer?”, this program aims to encourage present and potential volunteers to be part of the cause. Volunteers will be given a free account, and when they complete an activity, they will earn points, depending on the scale and length of the volunteer event. From time to time, they can sign into their accounts to view the events they have participated in, as well as the accumulated points. On the organisation’s website, there will also be leaderboards which volunteers can view online, where the top achievers of that particular sector or age group will be shown.
The leaderboard, along with the points accumulated, is to promote healthy competition while adding value for the volunteers. Points will not be redeemable for tangible benefits such as cash or vouchers. The rationale behind it is the heart of volunteering, where volunteers are spurred on by intrinsic, rather than extrinsic rewards. Hence, when volunteers’ contributions are being recognised through the leaderboard, it will further encourage them to participate in future volunteering events. On top of it, as part of the program, it is also possible for volunteers to nominate their fellow volunteers for various awards such as “Most Determined Volunteer of the Year”, “Most Friendly Volunteer of the Year” and “Never say Never Volunteer”. This platform encourages recognition of volunteers in the hope that they can continue their hard work and effort in the course of volunteering.
In addition, feedback from volunteers will be welcomed and encouraged with regards to the programs, from which the organisation will subsequently decide on the appropriate programs to implement to suit the various needs and wants of the volunteers. Feasibility and the frequency of the feedback raised up by volunteers will be taken into consideration when deciding its suitability. This is in hope that they will continue to do good for the society and the causes that they believe in.
All in all, this program is designed in such a way to suit the ‘kiasu’ culture of Singaporeans, who always try to be the best, and not wanting to lose out, even when it comes to volunteering.
Conclusion
It is always better for us to give than receive. We hope that this report can be a motivation for new volunteers to embark on their journey in this field and write a new chapter in their lives. On the other hand, existing volunteers can make use of this report to continue contributing to the cause they believe in, while creating new experiences, forging new friendships and making a difference in people’s lives.
It is inevitable that there will be challenges and obstacles along the way, such as communicating with seniors, managing the various commitments one has and the absence of monetary rewards. At the end of the day, intrinsic motivation continues to play a major part in driving volunteers and retaining them. Every small action counts.
References
Bautista, C. (2012, April 5). 7 Ways to Appreciate Your Volunteers: Engaging Volunteers Blog. Retrieved from https://blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/2012/04/05/7-ways-to-appreciate-your-volunteers/
Chan, T. (2018, January 5). Add another C to five Cs in Singapore: caring, as volunteerism surges. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2126520/volunteering-singapore-why-its-rise-and-groups-looking-add-sixth-c-caring
Findlay, R. (2013, November 15). What can charities do to improve the volunteering experience? Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2013/nov/15/charities-improve-volunteering-experience
Fritz, J. (2019, June 24). 15 Reasons to Get Off the Couch and Volunteer. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/unexpected-benefits-of-volunteering-4132453
Learn: Giving made simple, fun and meaningful. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.giving.sg/learn
Leong, G. (2018, December 4). Volunteerism rate needs to be 70 per cent with ageing population: Grace Fu. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/volunteerism-rate-needs-to-be-70-per-cent-with-ageing-population-grace-fu
Morand, T. (2019, September 27). The Top 5 Challenges Volunteer Managers Face – And What You Can Do About It. Retrieved from https://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/2019/09/27/volunteer-challenges
One Size Does Not Fit All: A Volunteer Management Guide. (2014). Retrieved from https://cityofgood.sg/resources/one-size-does-not-fit-all-a-volunteer-management-guide/
Shabatura, J. (2018, March 19). Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Write Effective Learning Objectives. Retrieved from https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/
Values in Action (2019, January 09). Retrieved from https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/secondary/values-in-action
Volunteerism & giving statistics and publications. (2019, December 24). Retrieved from https://www.mccy.gov.sg/about-us/news-and-resources/statistics/2019/jan/volunteerism-and-giving-statistics-and-publications
Volunteer Management Toolkit. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.ncss.gov.sg/Press-Room/Publications/Detail-Page?id=Volunteer-Management-Toolkit
Yotopoulos, A. (n.d.). Three Reasons Why People Don’t Volunteer, and What Can be Done about it. Retrieved from http://longevity.stanford.edu/three-reasons-why-people-dont-volunteer-and-what-can-be-done-about-it/
The tourism industry ranks amongst the greatest income generating sectors across the world. Consequently, different countries regard tourism as an opportunity to achieve economic growth and development. Tourism leads to improvement in living standards within societies by creating employment. Moreover, the local society benefits from the infrastructures that are built in order to support tourism.
Examples of such infrastructures include airports, telecommunication networks, sewerage systems, and other public utilities (Wearing & Grabowski 2011). Despite the aforementioned economic benefits, tourism can have catastrophic economic effects on developing countries.
Tourism makes countries dependants of foreign investments, hence increasing foreign dependency. Wearing and Grabowski (2011) assert that the need to develop sustainable tourism has increased over the last three decades. This aspect has led to emergence small scale, self-sustaining, and independent tourism, which is a direct contrast to mass tourism.
Previous studies show that the probability of minimising the negative effects of mass tourism is high by developing sustainable forms of tourism. Volunteer tourism “is increasingly becoming one of the most popular types of sustainable tourism” (Wearing 2001, p.93). This form of tourism is also known as voluntourism and it revolves around environmental and community goals.
Wearing (2001) asserts that volunteer tourism has undergone rampant growth over the years and this trend is expected to continue into the future (Tomazos & Cooper 2012). In light of this new development, this paper seeks to analyse whether volunteer tourism is more about the volunteers having a good time and travel companies making a profit than bringing benefits to local communities.
Analysis
Factors that motivate volunteer tourism
Previous studies show that individuals engage in volunteer tourism for various reasons. Wearing and Grabowski (2012) assert that volunteers are motivated by egoistic and altruistic reasons. In a bid to attract volunteers, organisations highlight the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits associated with volunteer tourism.
Benson (2010) asserts that most “volunteer tourists are not motivated by the external rewards, as it is in the case in mainstream tourism” (p.62). Wearing and Grabowski (2012) cite four main factors that motivate volunteer tourism.
These factors include seeking camaraderie, cultural immersion, family bonding, and the need to make a difference. On the other hand, a study conducted by Seibert and Benson (2009) shows that there are five main objectives that motivate volunteer tourism. These factors include:
To learn about foreign countries and their cultures.
To meet new people.
To broaden one’s knowledge.
To live in a foreign country.
To gain a new and different experience.
The above factors highlight the need to satisfy intrinsic benefits as the main driver for volunteer tourism. According to Wearing and Grabowski (2012), volunteer tourism provides individuals with an opportunity to gain new experience. For example, the traveller has an opportunity to experience local life first-hand.
By interacting with the local citizens, volunteer citizens are in a position to improve their communication skills with regard to foreign language. This experience is rare for average or normal tourists (Zahra 2013).
Some individuals participate in volunteer tourism in order to enhance their personal achievements. As a result, they focus more on their wellbeing rather than assisting the host community. Some of the dimensions that motivate these individuals include “lifting levels of happiness and improving ones’ self-esteem, mental, physical health, self-control coupled with achieving satisfaction in life” (Coghlan & Noakes 2012, p.8).
This aspect emanates from the fact that volunteer tourism provides the participants with an opportunity to broaden their horizons. Moreover, the participants develop new perspectives regarding life in general.
Therefore, one can assert that some individuals engage in volunteer tourism in their pursuit for self-actualisation and self-expression, which emanates from the fact that volunteer tourism provides them with an opportunity to increase their knowledge.
Domingues and Nojd (2012) are of the opinion that the “non-regular, but memorable experiences gained from undertaking an activity increase self-enrichment by providing individuals with intellectual, cultural, and moral resources and recreation” (p.26).
By interacting with individuals from diverse cultural background, the volunteers are in a position to appreciate the prevailing cultural diversity in the world. In addition to the above reasons, individuals are motivated to engage in volunteer tourism in an effort to improve their self-image and develop a sense of belonging. Despite the aforementioned benefits of volunteer tourism, the participants incur a number of costs.
First, their hopes and experiences from participating in volunteer tourism may not be achieved. Therefore, it is imperative for volunteer tourists to ensure that the projects and activities to be engaged in during volunteer tourism align with their interests.
Commercialisation of volunteer tourism
According to Tomazos and Cooper (2012), volunteer tourism is gradually becoming one of the most lucrative market segments within the tourism industry. A study conducted in the UK in 2004 shows that approximately 120,000 UK citizens participated in volunteer tourism in different countries.
The lucrative nature of the market segment has led to the emergence of numerous volunteer tourism organisations. The organisations operate as travel agents of volunteering experiences. In 2008, there were approximately 300 listed volunteer organisations in the UK.
The majority of the organisations that engage in volunteer tourism brand themselves as non-profit organisations. However, some organisations are specifically designed to operate as profit making entities.
The non-profit making organisations that engage in volunteer tourism are increasingly collaborating with various corporate entities, which present a major challenge to volunteer tourism in its effort to support local communities. This aspect arises from the fact that volunteer tourism will undergo the process of commoditisation, and thus lose its intended objective.
The high market potential with regard to volunteer tourism has increased the number of commercial organisations that have commercialised volunteer tourism. Moreover, the entry of profit making entities in the volunteer tourism market niche has increased the intensity of competition in the market (Tomazos & Cooper 2012).
In an effort to survive in this market, most non-profit making volunteer organisations are adjusting their operational strategy. The firms are adopting sophisticated service and marketing approaches.
Volunteer tourism organisations are increasingly being forced to adjust their volunteer tourist recruitment and funding strategies (Aabo 2006). This trend has been occasioned by the organisations’ effort to achieve financial sustainability (Coghlan 2006).
Tomazos and Cooper (2012) assert that volunteer organisations engage in massive promotional campaigns in an effort to attract volunteer tourists. The volunteer organisations undertake a comprehensive training in order to equip the volunteers with the skills and knowledge that they require to participate in various projects.
On the other hand, individuals who are interested in volunteer work abroad are required to pay a specified amount of money so that they can be recruited in their intended projects. Tomazos and Cooper (2012) assert that the volunteer tourists have to meet their lodging, travel, and other expenses.
The volunteer organisations design their pricing strategy depending on the nature of the project. Moreover, the pricing strategy is also based on the additional benefits that the customer will acquire. Some of these benefits include “participating in short safaris, city tours, and excursions” (Benson 2010, p.77).
The pricing strategies of some of the volunteer organisations are characterised by uncertainty and ambiguity. Tomazos and Cooper (2012) note, “The monetary value of volunteer tourism is calculated at around £ 1 billion” (p. 405).
Contribution of volunteer tourism to the society
According to Domingues and Nojd (2012), most studies on volunteer tourism focus on the personal experiences of volunteer tourism. As a result, the impact of volunteer tourism on the host society is overlooked. Currently, the concept of social responsibility is one of the elements that have increasingly become entrenched in the society.
As a result, developed countries have an obligation to care for the less developed countries in the world and this point of view explains the emergence of volunteer tourism.
According to Raymond and Hall (2008), some individuals are motivated to participate in volunteer tourism by the fact that they have an opportunity to give back to the society. As a result, they are in a position to influence the lives of the less privileged positively. Therefore, volunteer tourism is beneficial to the host society.
Volunteer tourism is organised around various humanitarian projects. These projects aim at improving the lives of individuals within the host countries. Some of the projects that volunteers engage in include educational projects, poverty alleviation, environmental planning and conservation, gender equality, health, and community development.
Dealing with these issues is very challenging especially in the less developed economies. Coghlan and Noakes (2012) are of the opinion that most host countries do not have the necessary skills and human capital to address these challenges. On the other hand, the developed economies are characterised by a strong human capital, which presents a unique opportunity for the host country to benefit.
Volunteer tourism and environmental conservation
Volunteer tourism provides a perfect opportunity for host countries to address various social, environmental, and humanitarian issues. First, the volunteers who are selected to participate in these projects are professionals. As a result, they assist the local community in formulating policies and innovative mechanisms to deal with the challenges faced (Coghlan & Noakes 2012).
Climate change is one of the major pertinent environmental issues across the world. Butcher (2011) asserts that climate change has emanated from the high rate of environmental degradation. According to the Vrasti (2012), environmental degradation has a direct impact on mainstream tourism, which may affect the ability of a country to generate revenue from tourism negatively.
Volunteer tourism plays a significant role in protecting the environment. Various non-governmental organisations, for example the i-to-i, use volunteer tourism in an effort to conserve the environment within the host community.
These firms achieve their environmental protection goal by developing various environmental protection programmes. In 2011, the United Nations Volunteers program in collaboration with Projekte Vullentare Nderkombetare (PVN), a non-profit making organisation, organised a volunteer work camp aimed at promoting environmental protection in South Albania through volunteer tourism.
The participants engaged in an environmental protection exercise by cleaning the polluted sites within the coastal areas. Additionally, they also educated the local population on how to protect the environment (UNV Albania 2013).
Most rural populations do not have adequate knowledge on how to conserve the environment. Volunteer tourism is very effective in educating local communities on how to conserve and restore endangered wildlife and exploited nature (UNV Albania 2013).
Community development
Volunteer tourism benefits the host community through various community development projects. Examples of such projects include offering educational services to children and adults, promoting community organisation, empowering women groups, physical infrastructure development, supporting community projects, and initiating grassroots organisations (Dees 2008).
Moreover, volunteer tourists also engage in various health care projects such as installing water purification systems. Such projects play a significant role in empowering the citizens of the host society and improving their living standards.
Poverty alleviation
According to Ojo et al. (2012), poverty is one of the obstinate menaces facing the society today. Poverty has adverse effects on citizens’ wellbeing. The level of poverty is relatively high in developing economies compared to the developed countries.
For example, a survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics in Nigeria shows that the number of Nigerians living in poverty increased from 54.7% in 2004 to 60.9% in 2010, which represents 112 million individuals living in poverty, which is a relatively large population (Ojo et al. 2012). Volunteer tourism assists such communities in alleviating poverty, which is achieved through a number of ways.
One of these ways entails knowledge transfer. Ojo et al. (2012) assert that volunteer tourists impart significant managerial and technical expertise on the host community on the strategies that they can adopt in order to eliminate poverty. For example, the volunteers may teach the local citizens on how to utilise the Internet and other electronic media in fighting poverty.
The volunteers may be required to teach in various educational institutions within the host country. Such projects play a significant role in developing long-term, sustainable, and beneficial effects to the local society (Domingues & Nojd 2012). Ojo et al. (2012) further assert that volunteer tourism promotes poverty alleviation by promoting international connection. As a result, the public image of the host country improves.
The net effect is that the likelihood of multinational organisations entering the host country to help in improving the citizens living conditions is increased (Ojo et al. 2012). Most developing countries do not have substantial resources to enable them deal with poverty.
Additionally, the meagre resources available are usually misappropriated due to the high rate of corruption. Therefore, it is has become very difficult for the developing and less developed economies to eliminate poverty. This assertion underscores the importance of improving voluntourism as an alternative source of financial aid (Ojo et al. 2012).
Conclusion
From the analysis conducted, it is evident that volunteer tourism has undergone significant growth over the past few decades. Its growth has arisen from a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Volunteer tourism provides participants with an opportunity to achieve their personal objectives. These objectives are related to self-actualisation, self-control, self-enrichment, and improvement of one’s self esteem.
Volunteer tourists achieve these objectives due to the various activities and projects that they undertake during the volunteering period. For example, the tourists gain new knowledge from the extensive interaction with individuals from the host community. Such interactions allow the tourists to appreciate diverse cultures. Secondly, some individuals focus on their wellbeing when engaging in volunteer tourism.
Some of the dimensions that motivate these individuals include lifting the level of happiness and improving ones’ mental and physical health coupled with achieving satisfaction in life. Volunteer tourism is motivated by the need to deal with various humanitarian, economic, and social challenges facing the society.
Volunteer organisations design their programs around these elements. As a result, volunteer tourism has a significant contribution to the host community, which emanates from the various volunteer programmes designed by the volunteer organisation. Some of these programmes relate to environmental protection and conservation, community development, and poverty alleviation.
Therefore, volunteer tourism contributes towards improvement in the general wellbeing of the host country’s citizens. Despite its contribution to the host community, volunteer tourism faces a major threat due to increased commercialisation. Most volunteer tourism organisations were started with the objective of helping societies deal with various humanitarian issues.
Therefore, they were not motivated by profit; however, the past few decades have been characterised by entry of profit making volunteer tourism organisations. In an effort to survive in the industry, volunteer tourism organisations are increasingly adjusting their operational strategies such as pricing in order to achieve sustainability.
In summary, the paper underscores the fact that volunteer tourism is not just about volunteers having a good time and travel companies making profit. However, volunteer tourism is focused towards benefiting the local communities.
The trend towards profitability has emanated from the intensity of competition within the volunteer tourism market segment. In order to survive, volunteer tourism organisations have to achieve financial sustainability.
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Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. For a longer period of time, people have considered tourism as an intense economic activity. This is due to the fact that tourist activities help to enhance economic activities in tourist destinations across the globe.
In the recent times, however, the orientation of tourism and tourist activities has become more diverse. This diversity comes from the introduction of volunteer tourism. Under normal circumstances, tourism has been understood as the movement of people from one region to another in order to explore the destination region.
This is quite a different case when picturing what volunteer tourism is all about (Ooi & Laing 2010). Perhaps, it is vital to understand what volunteer tourism is in order to get a clearer picture of the difference between this kind of tourism and its relationship with the normal tourism.
Wearing (2001) argued that volunteer tourism is an emerging idea in the tourism industry where people travel to different destinations in the world where their services are in demand. This argument is backed by an observation from Human Rights Support (2012) that the services of volunteer tourists help to support the livelihoods of the local populations (Sin 2009).
Benson (2011) observed that the demand for charitable work keeps rising, thus the need for more charitable projects in tourist destinations is one of the reasons why volunteer tourism is on the rise. In this paper, it is argued that volunteer tourism is an activity that highly promotes intercultural exchanges in tourist destinations, thus rationalizing poverty in those destinations.
Thus, to a given extent, this kind of tourism comes out as a promotional factor for neo-colonial activities. Volunteer tourism is an activity that has been happening for a long period. However, researchers in the tourism industry did not pay much attention to this area of tourism, till recent times when research has been diverted to volunteer tourism (Benson 2011).
This paper explores the developments in volunteer tourism, and how it enhances intercultural exchange among the people in tourist destinations. Of greater focus in the paper is the exploration of how intercultural exchange leads to the rationalization of poverty by the volunteer tourists.
Understanding volunteer tourism
According to Broad (2003), the concept of volunteer tourism can only be understood better when it is comprehended from the perspective of the destination of the tourism; the local communities. Through this, one can easily understand the factors that motivate tourists who take part in volunteer tourism and the benefits that are drawn from local tourism by the local communities.
One of the best means of interacting with local communities in any given area is by engaging in an activity with them (McGehee & Santos 2005). This is what local tourists do as they discharge their support to the local communities in areas where they visit. This argument is backed by Human Rights Support (2012), which highlights a number of activities and initiatives that form volunteer tourism.
According to Human Rights Support (2012), volunteer tourism is comprised of a series of activities that are carried out by tourists in different parts of the world. The tourists who carry out these activities often commit themselves to take part in the activities.
This is their main mission, which motivates them to leave their countries and move into other places where they engage in activities that aim at uplifting the living conditions of the local communities. This perhaps brings out the aspect of ‘volunteering’ in tourism, which in turn helps to define volunteer tourism.
The aspect of volunteering or giving service to the community by tourists has also been expounded by Brown (2005), who argued that the main driving force for volunteer tourists is to ensure that tourists enrich the lives of local communities through their services.
Therefore, by enriching the local communities through their services, the local tourists are depicted as heroes by the communities that benefit from the services provided by the tourists (Tomazos & Butler 2010). Volunteer tourists may engage in diverse fields or industries in the destinations.
This can be brought out by naming the categories of examples of volunteer tourists in the world. Most of the current examples of volunteer tourists have been given by Human Rights Support (2012). They include nurses and doctors moving to a place that has scarce medical services.
The nurses and doctors take time away from their normal working environment and home to offer their services to the people who need the services the most. Therefore, people who get these services appreciate them a lot as they could have not received such services without the team of volunteers (Tomazos & Butler 2010).
Other types of volunteer tourists include people who leave their countries to move into other regions, probably disaster stricken regions, with the aim of helping to rebuild homes for the affected people. Examples of this kind of volunteers have been seen in areas that have been worst hit by disasters like Haiti, where the hurricane caused massive havoc.
In this kind of tourism, people often donate their skills, as well as their physical strengths to help in rebuilding homes for the affected groups. In this category of volunteer tourism, people often gather their contributions under the auspices of a single group or organization, which enhances their coordination while in the tourist destination.
A notable example of a group that has been coordinating such an activity in various sites is the Habitat for Humanity (Stoddart & Rogerson 2004). Harris, Griffin and Williams (2003) ascertained that volunteer tourists also focus on sustainable development. Examples of sustainable activities that are done by volunteer tourists include the preservation and conservation of natural habitats in the world.
They teach local communities on how to enhance the growth and preservation of natural habitats around them (Human Rights Support 2012). In all these activities, several aspects of development can be noted, for example economic, social, physical, and cultural development of the communities that receive volunteer tourists.
Coghlan (2006) adds to this list by observing that volunteer tourism, to a great extent, promotes ecological development. Therefore, it could as well be said that volunteer tourism promotes activities that are geared towards helping the local communities.
Of greater relevance to this essay is the cultural development as a long-term impact of volunteer tourism on the local tourist destinations. What can be said at this point is that volunteer tourism encourages interaction between the local communities and the tourists, which furthers the intercultural exchange between the local people and the tourists.
The level of interaction between local populations and the volunteer tourists is more intense as compared to the kind of interaction that is witnessed under the normal form of tourism. In order to have a broader understanding of how volunteer tourism promotes intercultural exchange, it is vital to explore diverse arguments by the proponents of such an argument.
Volunteer tourism and intercultural exchange
As noted in the introductory part of this paper, volunteer tourism is a practice that has been held for a longer period (Coghlan 2006). However, a substantial amount of research in this field of tourism began featuring in recent researches. Therefore, the relationship between volunteer tourism, intercultural exchange and the question of poverty elimination through volunteer tourism can be found in recent literature on volunteer tourism.
Having observed this, it is critical to begin by understanding the resounding relationship between volunteer tourism and intercultural exchange. Numerous ethical issues surround the relationship between volunteer tourism and intercultural exchange in different tourist zones in the world (Hall & Brown 2006).
From the outset of the paper, it can be said that there is a stronger relationship between volunteer tourism and intercultural development (Raymond & Hall 2008). Therefore, the most critical question that ought to be answered entails which kind of intercultural development and exchanges takes place in the destinations that are visited by volunteer tourists (Barkham 2006).
Several studies that have been conducted across different parts of the world show that voluntourism promotes the relationships between the tourists and the local communities. One main pointer in the outcomes of such researches is that most of the voluntary tourism takes place in the developing world (McIntosh & Zahra 2007). This implies that most recipient destinations for voluntary tourism lie in the developing world (Palacios 2010).
Most programs of volunteer tourism have been found to possess a positive influence on intercultural competence in the tourist destinations (Salazar 2004). There are also other influences of volunteer tourism, which includes the building of perceptions and emotional inclinations, particularly by the volunteer tourists (Butcher 2003).
These psychological developments emanate from the experiences that are gained by the tourists during the period of their stay in the tourist destinations (Sherraden, Lough & Moore 2008; Rosenberger 2000). According to Geckogo (2009), volunteer tourism is an activity in international travel, which is geared towards promoting trust and understanding among people from diverse cultures.
The ultimate goal of this kind of tourism is to enhance peace and prosperity among the diverse communities in the world. This is a definitional perspective of volunteer tourism, yet it features culture development. Intercultural understandings come from the sustained relationships between the volunteer tourists and the local communities where these tourists volunteer their services.
This is backed by the research that was conducted by Geckogo (2009), which showed that volunteer tourists take quite an extended period of time to accomplish their activities. In order to be efficient in discharging their services to the communities, volunteer tourists are forced to learn how to communicate with the local communities, even for a shorter period of time.
In doing so, they learn diverse aspects of culture from the local communities. The local communities also learn aspects of culture from the tourists. This cycle depicts the development of intercultural communication (Hottola 2004). Lee and Woosnam (2010) observed that the relationship between volunteer tourists and the local communities is a reflector of cross cultural adaptations.
This observation was made through a comparative study of how voluntourism has developed over time. This aspect of communication enhances mutual learning in tourist destinations. Since the two cultures, the culture of the tourists and the culture of the local population, vary it could be difficult to have a similar level of understanding of the culture of the two groups by each group (Palacios, 2010).
This is further complicated by the rationale that the tasks of the two groups in their engagement vary. This is where the question of rationalization of poverty comes into existence (Barkham 2006).
Intercultural exchanges, rationalization of poverty and neo-colonial inclinations of volunteer tourism
As observed in the essay, there is a developmental relationship between voluntary tourism and intercultural exchanges in the world. However, the question that needs to be asked is whether all the intercultural exchanges have positive influences on the tourists and the local communities, who are often the recipients of the volunteer tourist services (McIntosh & Zahra 2007).
It should be understood that volunteer tourism can take two forms. These are the long-term missions and the short term missions. The long-term missions encourage intense interactions, thereby promoting closer intercultural linkages and exchanges between the tourists and the local populace of the tour regions (Ver Beek 2006; Uriely, Reichel & Ron 2003).
A lot of emphasis in research on volunteer tourism has been placed on the developmental aspects of this type of tourism. Greater emphasis is being placed on the value and contribution of volunteer tourism on sustainable development (Sin 2010; Zahra & McIntosh 2007). Nobody can strongly doubt the contribution that has been made by volunteer tourists in promoting sustainable development initiatives round the world.
Also, there is no doubt that volunteer tourism promotes intercultural exchanges. The question of the neo-colonialism as an impact of the development of intercultural exchanges in tourism is often ignored, yet it comes out strongly in the real sense of volunteer tourism projects in different regions of the world.
As mentioned earlier, volunteer tourists, as well as the local communities develop perceptions out of the cross-cultural interactions. One of the common perceptions revolves around the view of poverty and developmental assistance (Butcher 2003a; Gehee & Andereck 2009).
Volunteer tourism is seen from a humanistic perspective, from which case the developing world is the recipient of the humanistic aid (Raymond & Hall 2008). According to Roberts (2004), there have been massive activities that are conducted by volunteer tourists in diverse destinations around the world.
This is what led Roberts to conduct a study in Ghana, in order to ascertain the level of influence of the confines of neo-colonialism in volunteer tourism. This is one of the numerous studies that are meant to monitor the perceptions of people on the impacts of volunteer tourism in tourist regions.
According to Porter (2003), organizations that facilitate volunteer tourism rarely develop initiatives that could help to strengthen partnerships between the local communities and the volunteer tourists. This could help shape and change the perception of the local communities (Brown & Hall 2008). In most cases, the local communities are perceived as mere recipients of volunteer tourists.
Such trends are common with the young volunteers from the developed countries, who quickly develop attitudes about the local communities. When these young people go back to their home countries, they have tales that mostly associate the people in the tourist destinations to poverty. This is why they end up designating more programs to aid the developing world (Roberts 2004; Noy 2004).
Brown and Hall (2008) observed that the development of partnerships between local communities and the volunteer tourists can help to draw away features of dependency that are still existent in the modern economy. However, the difference can be noted when observing volunteer tourism between the northern to northern nations.
In this tourism, stronger working relationships are developed between the local communities and the volunteers. This is pointed out in Howie (2004) works on how to manage tourist destinations. The volunteers are seen as mere facilitators of the response. Local communities are well informed of their roles and are equipped with skills to enforce development.
Therefore, the only thing that comes out so strongly in the north to south volunteer tourism is that the volunteers get a deeper understanding of the problems that engulf the south. This depicts poverty as a common and widespread phenomenon in the south by the volunteers.
Northern to southern volunteer tourism remains part of volunteer tour. This makes the developing world to become long-term project zones for the volunteer tourists. The structure of volunteer tourism in the developing world makes most tourists to develop the assumption that volunteer tourism is all about helping the poor, which is not the case.
However, both the local community environment and the volunteer tourists have a stake in the development of the perception that volunteer tourism is a reflection of neo-colonialism (Roberts 2004). The rise in the number of incidences of hostilities to the workers of voluntary organizations in most of the voluntary tourist destinations across the world is one of the indicators of the perception of voluntourism (Thomas 2001).
With the growth in the number of volunteer tourists and the growth in the number of projects that are associated with voluntourism, the question that needs to be posed is whether the perception of volunteer tourism, especially in the developing world, will change in the near future. The change will be highly dependent on the rapid changes in the implementation of best practices in volunteerism (Roberts 2004).
Conclusion
In this paper, it is evident that voluntourism is a new field in tourism, which is gaining prominence in the world. Voluntary tourism entails international travel with the sole aim of offering services to the people who need them in different parts of the world. As it is today, there are numerous voluntary projects in the world today that are being implemented by voluntary tourists.
The paper has also sought to establish the relationship between voluntary tourism and intercultural exchange. Through the discussion, it has been established that there is a stronger relationship between voluntary tourism and intercultural development. The relationship is signified by the fact that volunteer tourists prolong their stay in tourist destinations, which help them to develop intercultural ties between them and the local communities.
The paper has also explored the linkages between cross intercultural exchange, which is enhanced by volunteer tourism, and the rationalization of poverty. These have been related to the concept of neocolonialism. Here, the argument was developed showing that most activities that are related to voluntary tourism are channeled from the developed countries to the developing countries.
Also, gaps have been noted in the development of volunteer tourism, which makes people develop perceptions about volunteer tourism. Relating volunteer tourism to neo-colonialism is an extension of the perceptions that are developed as a result of intercultural development.
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Volunteer tourism is undertaken by the tourists in the local communities where they volunteer to help the by helping eliminating material poverty. It is an alternative form of tourism because the tourists opt to make their travel locally.
Motivations for participants in volunteer tourism
The main motivation of this kind of tourism is to volunteer in working for the host community as the tourists learn more about their culture and other things. They satisfy the desire to work but not to be just tourists. They work for no pay in the communities that they travel to and this benefits in providing free labor, though short term to the host country or community.
There are other tourists that are motivated by the desire to give (Sin, 2009, 487-491). When they visit these communities they try to alleviate poverty materials by giving items to the people. The needy people benefits from these items and the tourists are satisfied. They argue that they feel good when they give. There are other tourists that participate in volunteer tourism in order to contribute to the host community in any way possible.
This is done through community service activities that these participants undertake. They do volunteer work that help the community and they themselves feel that they have contributed to the community.
Others argue that they learn a lot through community service because they get a chance to interact with the people in the community and learn a lot from them. They learn cultural differences between different communities and how they differ from each other. They also learn how the reception is done by different communities and how they differ from each other.
According to (Sin, 2009, 487-491), volunteers in this kind of tourism are also motivated by the desire to try themselves out in doing something.
There are people who engage in it in order to try whether they can do volunteering. This is mostly for people who are doing it for the first time and who are curious to know whether they are capable of doing it. This motivation has increased volunteer tourism in most countries. People also do it in order to try their ability in doing some activities. They test their capability in doing that particular activity.
Benefits of volunteer experience
Volunteer experience causes intrinsic motivation which is a result of mutually beneficial interaction. The intrinsic motivations tries to satisfy intrinsic needs like self actualization and therefore the tourists will feel satisfied when they are in volunteer travels. This is basically for people seeking self actualization (Stebbins & Graham, 2004, 28).
The host community and the tourists benefits from the volunteer tourism. The host community gets help from the tourists while the tourists gain satisfaction from the tour. The benefits of volunteer tourism are built by both the host community and the tourists. The level of interaction also determines the level of satisfaction. The tourists have to prove beneficial to the community so that the community can create a good environment for tourists.
As stated by McIntosh & Zahra (2007, 549-550), volunteer tourism gives somebody a meaningful self experience as one interacts with the local people in the host community. Volunteers get to learn more about the culture of other people and compare with their own culture. One learns to appreciate other people and to help them in times of their needs.
One of the volunteers interviewed by McIntosh & Zahra argued that he learned to give support to those in needs as he learned that he was better than them (McIntosh & Zahra (2007, 549-550). In other words, volunteer tourism enables somebody to interact with people and know them better, their culture and that some need your help. Volunteer tourism also enables the tourists to experience a cheaper travel than what other forms of tourism would cost them.
To travel as a tourist is more expensive than when one is doing volunteering. There are usually subsidies offered to volunteer tourism. For instance, the universities subsidize trips for students to other countries where they go as volunteers. The volunteers find it cheaper than the actual tourism.
They therefore travel to volunteer because of the cost effectiveness associated with the volunteer tourism. The tourists also gains interpersonal experience as they interact with the people in the host communities. They enjoy moments of sharing about their lives and cultural differences (Guttentag, 2009, 549).
They also builds bold and genuine relationships with the host community as they continue interacting with them and this gives them the desire to travel again to that particular communities and others to make more friends. Volunteer tourism also enables the tourists to know many local places in the host country.
The tourists travel to the local communities helping them in doing activities and then giving material things. This exposure allows the tourists to know more about the local communities; their activities, locations, believes and values among others. This is different from the formal tourism where the tourists only visit the tourist sites in a country but will not have chances to know other places in that community.
Relation to reference material and theories of tourist motivation and behavior
One of the basic theories of motivation suggests that tourism is basically done to satisfy the psychological needs of the tourist. These are the intrinsic needs that a person feels from within and seeks their satisfaction (Rogers, 2007, 23). For volunteer tourism, the tourists also have the desire to satisfy the intrinsic needs or the self actualization needs. The volunteer tourism therefore has some aspects of the formal tourism as far as the needs are concerned.
The only notable difference is the activities the tourists in the two kinds of tourism are involved in. in volunteer tourism, the tourists engage themselves in volunteer activities and they derive their satisfaction from them. In formal tourism, the tourists obtain their satisfaction from touring the tourist magnificent sites that are present in that country and not through the volunteer activities in the local communities.
Conclusion
Volunteer tourism is becoming very common in many parts of the country. People prefer it because of the fulfilling experience it gives them. People are motivated by different factors in doing the volunteer travels
Reference List
Guttentag, D. A. (2009). “The possible negative impacts of volunteer tourism”. International Journal of Tourism Research, 11: 537-551
McIntosh, A.J. & Zahra, A. 2007. A cultural encounter through volunteer tourism: Towards the ideals of sustainable tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 15(5): 541-556.
Rogers, M. (2007). “Volunteerism is on the rise”. In Travel Agent, 17 September, 20-24.
Sin, H.L. 2009. Volunteer tourism – ‘involve me and I will learn’? Annals of Tourism Research, 36(3): 480-501.
Stebbins, R.A. & Graham M.M. 2004. Volunteering as Leisure- Leisure as Volunteering An International Perspective Wallingford: CABI
For organisations like EW (Event Workforce), being able to attract volunteers is an integral aspect of the company’s success.
The reason behind this is connected to the concept of “quality staffing” which is defined by having volunteers that have the capacity to take the initiative to resolve issues, are able to follow instructions promptly, and have the necessary cognitive and physical capabilities to accomplish a job properly (Bathini & Vohra, 2014).
This is essential for the various sporting events that EW sends its volunteers to since quality volunteers within any organisation are in high demand. The term “quality” in this case is often related to the amount of dedication and reliability that is inherent within volunteerism (Coleman, 2002).
A sporting event simply cannot have volunteers one day and have a distinct lack of volunteers the next. Reliability is essential for success and this is one of the reasons why finding good volunteers for an outdoor sporting event is absolutely essential (Joseph, 2013).
Despite the nature of volunteerism (i.e. working for free), (Griffin, 2009) explains that in order to retain volunteers in the long term some form of tangible benefit that they can accrue is needed. Based on the work of Auld & Cuskelly (2000), it was noted that one of the macro factors involved in volunteerism was connected to the perception of volunteers towards an event.
For instance, events such as the World Cup, the Olympic Games and championship cricket matches usually have higher numbers of people that wish to volunteer as compared to small sporting events that few people have even heard of.
From a micro perspective, Skirstad & Hanstad (2013) shows that networking can be considered as an effective tool for gaining volunteers since there are multiple organisations out there with their own pool of volunteers. Some form of inter-organisation exchange could occur where volunteers from one organisation would help and attend the events of the other (Kay & Bradbury, 2009).
This process would ensure that EW would have access to a wide pool of possible candidate that have already been vetted and examined by their individual organisations. Based on what has been presented so far, it must be questioned as to what strategies would be effective in attracting and retaining high quality volunteers to EW.
Literature Review
Understanding What Attracts Volunteers
It is normally the case that people volunteer in various organisations due to a variety of potential reasons. These can range from truly enjoying the process of volunteering for a sporting event, being curious about volunteering in general or other such reasons that are too numerous to mention.
Based on the work of Downward, Lumsdon & Ralston (2005), it was noted that that process of attracting and retaining volunteers often centred on the concept of appealing to their sense of “motivation” in that volunteers must feel that they are getting something out of the time they are investing into the sporting activity.
Through the analysis of Waikayi, Fearon, Morris & McLaughlin (2012), it was revealed that this sense of satisfaction for volunteers can be divided into two distinct categories, namely: intrinsic and extrinsic methods of motivation. Intrinsic methods of motivation for volunteers are often influenced by internal factors that create their sense of motivation (Waters & Bortree, 2010).
Volunteers that are intrinsically motivated often commit their time and effort into an organisation simply because they enjoy the act of volunteering (Karl, Peluchette & Hall, 2008). This can come in a variety of forms such as:
People that truly enjoy the sporting activity that they are volunteering at
Individuals that derive a certain sense of joy from interacting with people
People that simply enjoy the practice of volunteering
Appealing to this subset of the volunteer population is actually quite simple since all that would be needed to be done is to create the means by which they can join up with the organisation in a very easy way (Starnes & Wymer Jr., 2001).
This can be done through the use of online application forms where the organisation can have them fill out a variety of questions which are designed to gauge the capacity of the volunteer and whether they would be a “good fit” for EW. On the other end of the spectrum are extrinsic methods of motivation for volunteers wherein they are primarily motivated by outside factors (Griffin, 2009).
This can come in a variety of forms such as giving monetary rewards, certificates, prizes or other types of gifts (Skoglund, 2006). One way in which EW can leverage this type of volunteerism is by providing incentives in the form of certificates for their resume or the capacity for networking during events in order to help them acquire jobs in the future.
EW could form agreements with nearby Universities in order to gain volunteers by having their time volunteering at sporting events be given as school credit (Schlesinger & Nagel, 2013). By implementing this sort of agreement, it is likely that EW would be able to exponentially increase its current pool of volunteers by focusing on the extrinsic method of increasing their motivation to volunteer at EW.
Networking
Networking is the practice of attending various events in order to develop contacts in a variety of organisations, industries or markets. This is often invaluable for individuals that are looking to expand their network of contacts in order to better serve their needs.
From the perception of Joseph (2013) which focused initially on networking when it came to finding female talent, it was revealed that the practice is effective when it comes to finding people that “fit the bill” so to speak when it comes to a variety of jobs. From a volunteerism perspective, networking can be utilised in order to develop contacts with other organisations within Australia that also have pools of volunteers (Joseph, 2013).
This can include, but is not limited to, schools, non-profit organisations, hospitals, and a variety of other examples that have people volunteering in them. By networking with these organisations, EW could potentially create some form of volunteer sharing program where volunteers from one organisation can be asked if they would like to volunteer for a particular sporting event (Kim, Trail, Lim & Yu, 2009).
Through this process, EW can gain access to literally hundreds of possible volunteers which would result in a considerable boon for the company in terms of the amount of people that it can field for an event at any given time.
Social Media Promotion
Another of the methods that can be utilised in order to attract volunteers comes in form of social media promotion. This can be done by having several local sporting celebrities such as David Becham post on Facebook or tweet on Twitter their support for EW and that more people should volunteer (Saul, 2004).
This particular strategy appeals to the current popularity of sports icons and would definitely bring in a lot of volunteers.
Reference List
Auld, C., & Cuskelly, G. (2000). Volunteer Management Program Managing Event Volunteers. Australian Sports Commission, 1(1), 1-33.
Bathini, D., & Vohra, N. (2014). Volunteering: The Role of Individual-level Psychological Variables. Vikalpa: The Journal For Decision Makers, 39(2), 113-126.
Coleman, R. (2002). Characteristics of volunteering in UK sport: lessons from cricket. Managing Leisure, 7(4), 220.
Downward, P., Lumsdon, L., & Ralston, R. (2005). Gender differences in sports event volunteering: insights from Crew 2002 at the XVII Commonwealth Games. Managing Leisure, 10(4), 219-236
Griffin, N. (2009). Role of Volunteer Workforce in Moving from Emergency Response to Development in Post-Conflict Societies. Conference Papers – International Studies Association, 1-34.
Joseph, C. (2013). Leveraging a women’s network to attract, develop and retain high potential female talent. Strategic HR Review, 12(3), 132-137.
Karl, K. A., Peluchette, J. V., & Hall, L. M. (2008). Give Them Something to Smile About: A Marketing Strategy for Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers. Journal Of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 20(1), 71-96.
Kay, T., & Bradbury, S. (2009). Youth sport volunteering: developing social capital?. Sport, Education & Society, 14(1), 121-140.
Kim, M., Trail, G. T., Lim, J., & Yu, K. (2009). The Role of Psychological Contract in Intention to Continue Volunteering. Journal Of Sport Management, 23(5), 549-573.
Saul, P. (2004), Human Resource Management’s Role in Creating Volunteer Cultures in Organisations. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 42, 202–213.
Schlesinger, T., & Nagel, S. (2013). Who will volunteer? Analysing individual and structural factors of volunteering in Swiss sports clubs. European Journal Of Sport Science, 13(6), 707-715.
Skirstad, B., & Hanstad, D. (2013). Gender matters in sport event volunteering. Managing Leisure, 18(4), 316-330
Skoglund, A. (2006). Do Not Forget about Your Volunteers: A Qualitative Analysis of Factors Influencing Volunteer Turnover. Health & Social Work, 31(3), 217.
Starnes, B. & Wymer Jr., W. (2001). Conceptual Foundations and Practical Guidelines for Retaining Volunteers Who Serve in Local Nonprofit Organisations: Part II. Journal Of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 9(1/2), 97.
Waikayi, L., Fearon, C., Morris, L., & McLaughlin, H. (2012). Volunteer management: an exploratory case study within the British Red Cross. Management Decision, 50(3), 349-367.
Waters, R. D., & Bortree, D. (2010). Building a better workplace for teen volunteers through inclusive behaviors. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 20(3), 337- 355.
Public service is one of the sacrificial elements of human service to others because the people engaged in it have the passion to do so. It is sacrificial to talk about the issues that affect people and the events that happen globally. For instance, issues like hunger, both inter-community and international war, change of climate, inequality in terms of gender among others affect people and cause undesirable returns. All these issues pose challenges to the lives of people and in many circumstances, these very challenges go unsolved because of limited manpower and control over them. Every nation has its own history of describing different generations; adult and young generations under which the destiny of both tend to be unpredictable. For this reason, no one is independent of their service, but in the real case, there is a dependent way of life for services among people of any given nation.
There is a need that people sacrifice their lives for the sake of the less fortunate members of the society. The volunteering process requires that they identify the gaps in the society that require their intervention (Bilmes and Scot 89). The US president, Barack Obama in his speech called Should the United States Require Young People to Perform Public Service?, narrates the story of his teenage, during which he encountered critical situations after his father had left them. He was faced with challenges related to adolescence, which made him shy from working hard and not to take his studies seriously. He later realized the core aspects of life when he was taking his further studies. He narrates that his mother kept on telling him about the benefits of honesty, empathy, hard work and generally ethical issues which were the core aspects of life as per his narrations (Hazenberg 87). After an extensive range of interactions with many parties and different categories of people, he got the vision of the world around him. He applauded the initiatives that Nelson Mandela created in South Africa against the apartheid regime. Barrack Obama studied the country in different spheres of its governance and this idea made him pick up a thought of bringing change by the time he was graduating from college.
Public service also requires that volunteers be a part of their community, which gives them a better a chance of studying the needs of the majority (Bilmes and Scot 67). After his graduation, he applied for jobs in a number of organizations in the country, after which he got employed as a community organizer in one of the steel plants in Chicago, though he was not well conversant with the Community Organizing Business, which was his job. He kept on struggling with his counterparts by organizing for the briefs and meetings with the leaders of the community about gang violence. The meetings were all about fighting for peace among people in the community, getting newly registered voters, fighting for new jobs and setting new standards of living and a dignified way of life. He realizes that he was not only helping the people around, but the community embraced him together with his services, and more so, he found the American nation as a whole following suit to the story.
There is, therefore, a chance for every individual to make their decisions and discoveries in their lifetime. There is an idea that the community does not force anyone to serve it, which implies that community service is voluntary (Hazenberg 78). People take their course of life in different forms. While they enjoy their preferences and leisure, they should take into account the less fortunate as though they are indebted to them. It is believed that individual salvation is dependent on the salvation of the entire community. For this case, everyone has a responsibility of offering some care towards others, because being egocentric in fulfillment of personal needs kills the ambitions of others.
Apart from being a community server or a famous politician, one has many opportunities of serving people around them. For instance, at Wesleyan in America, many people volunteer to establish programs to cater for the needs of the people in the area. These chances of individual programs establishment define the future of the country. There is also need for the people to volunteer serving and providing security especially in the overlooked regions of the country (Mori 100). Obama, in his speech, mentions the necessity to boost Foreign Service as well as improving security agencies and also make youngsters to get involved in the same programs that work against the challenges of infringing humanity. He comments that the nation further needs volunteers to put up projects that will enable conservation of the environment as well as sensitizing people on how to resort to using renewable energy sources. There is also need for the people to possess an ambition of becoming teachers to enlighten and mentoring the young stars as well as adults joining the schools all over the nation.
Works Cited
Bilmes, Linda, and W. Scott Gould. The People Factor. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2009. Print.
Hazenberg, Richard. Public service spin-outs 2014. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2014. Print.
Mori, Ipsos. What do people want, need and expect from public services. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2010. Print.
After retirement, the lives of many people change rapidly and dramatically. Most people begin to feel useless, lonely, and socially isolated. Many older people strive for opportunities to show their unrealized abilities, and trying to help other people might be a great way to do that. Volunteering may become their incentive to continue self-development and overcome age restrictions. It can be an essential component of their socialization and improvement of the self-esteem for older people, for the strengthening of their physical and mental health and stress-resistance. Volunteering is one of the best ways to combat the loss of social value, as it makes the elderly people feel needed, helps with maintaining social skills and improves their psychological health.
Volunteering is the best way to break the stereotype of older people’s perception as a burden for society. When retirement changes the social environment of a person, there is a break in many social ties. In my opinion, this is a significant problem because the loss of social activity often results in loneliness and depression. According to Brown and Okun, a person does not feel that they belong to a community of citizens who benefit society (171). The elderly themselves often do not know how to use their potential for public and personal benefit. Therefore, for them, participation in volunteering becomes something more than just leisure time spending.
From the perspective of a comprehensive approach to the re-socialization of the elderly, volunteering is an ideal option. Researchers note that it combines the realization of unclaimed knowledge and skills of a person and the desire for a socially active life. It also fulfills their needs for communication, education, restoration of lost social ties, and the acquisition of new ones (Brown and Okun 173). Based on my personal experience of participating in volunteer projects, I can say that volunteers, while doing the necessary work, can at the same time meet their own social needs. For an older adult, communication with clients of a volunteer organization is an opportunity to lead an exciting social life.
Volunteering improves mental health and can have a positive impact on a person. Incredibly, helping others can improve the mood more than if they did something for themselves. The biological mechanisms by which altruism can enhance psychological health have been identified. Performing actions aimed at helping others encourages the body to release dopamine, which provides a good mood. In some cases, volunteering can help reduce the symptoms of depression. According to Brown and Okun, helping others can ease the impact of daily stress (Brown and Okun 170). Volunteers also begin to adapt more quickly to different life situations. It was helpful to learn that selfless help to others increases stress resistance and improves a person’s mental and emotional state.
Volunteering is a way for older citizens not to reduce their social activity after retirement, realize and apply their knowledge, skills, and experience to live for others’ benefit. Even such severe reasons as limited mobility, disability, and old age are not an obstacle to active participation in society’s charitable life. People who start to help others find that it helps them psychologically – it allows them to feel their importance. For some, this type of activity restores their self-confidence. Therefore, for a lonely older person, volunteer work is ideal moral support and an excellent way to make up for the lack of communication.
Work Cited
Brown, Stephanie, and Morris Okun. “The Resilience Handbook: Approaches to Stress and
Trauma.” Using the Caregiver System Model to Explain the Resilience-Related Benefits Older Adults Derive from Volunteering, edited by Martha Kent et al., Arizona State University, 2014, pp. 169 – 182.
