Alfes, Kerstin, Bethania Antunes, and Amanda D. Shantz. “The management of volunteers–what can human resources do? A review and research agenda.” The International Journal of Human Resource Management 28.1 (2017): 62-97
Today, the key components of business personnel in non-profit firms are the volunteers. Not-for-profit organizations currently face problems with human management practices because most governments are cutting their costs across the global society and reducing public spending. Some of these non-commercial organizational human management practices related challenges include ineffective management of volunteers. Several articles explore how not-for-profit institutions can establish effective business personnel management practices to help achieve effectiveness and greater innovation at individual, team and organizational levels. The article “The management of volunteers–what can human resources do? A review and research agenda” is attempts to address this particular issue. This article explores the how effective human resource practices impacts the volunteering outcomes within an organization.
The article utilizes the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) approach to critique the connection between business personnel and volunteering outcomes in a non-profit organization. It also uses the AMO model to outline the connections that exist between the studies that explore this particular topic. The model proposes that a non-profit profit organization is best served by a human resource system that attends to the ability of volunteers to accomplish their duties and creates opportunities for them to contribute towards achieving the organization’s objectives (Paauwe 129). The AMO approach has been extensively incorporated in research works to critique the link between business personnel and performance in non-profit organizations. “HRM and performance: Achievements, methodological issues, and prospects” also explore this particular topic using the AMO model. The major terms used in the “The management of volunteers–what can human resources do? A review and research agenda” article includes employees’ capacity, desire, and chance given to achieve effectiveness and greater innovation at various organizational levels.
The article extensively critiques employees’ capacity-intensifying customs. It suggests that non-commercial institutions ought to constantly engage in customs that intensify the capacity of volunteers by providing them with the requisite expertise to assist them complete their tasks (Alfes et al. 66). The article further asserts that for not-for-profit institutions to attain that objective, they should incorporate business personnel customs such as intensifying the growth of volunteers into their operations. These human resource practices certainly would enable volunteers to acquire prerequisite knowledge and expertise to support non-profit organizations to achieve their goals in relation with their value and culture. Besides, the article argues that non-profit organizations should integrate the motivation-enhancing practice into their operations. Some of these customs ought to involve recognizing volunteers for their significant contribution towards helping a given non-profit organization to achieve its objectives by giving rewards or incentives to volunteers. Appreciating volunteers for their contribution helps in increasing productivity and retaining them (Saksida et al. 2070). The article also suggests that non-profit organizations should incorporate opportunity-enhancing practices such as effective job styles into their operations (Alfes et al. 78). These practices help to motivate volunteers and drive them to contribute towards helping the non-profit organization to achieve its mission.
This article provides an in-depth explanation of the connection between business personnel and volunteering outcomes in non-commercial firms using the AMO model. It suggests that for the not-for-profit institutions to reach their objectives, they need to establish a human resource system that attends to the ability of volunteers, motivates and creates opportunities for them. However, this article has a weakness as it does not explore how non-profit organizations can engage in various practices that can attract volunteers to help them achieve their objectives.
Works Cited
Alfes, Kerstin, Bethania Antunes, and Amanda D. Shantz. “The Management of Volunteers–What Can Human Resources Do? A Review and Research Agenda.” The International Journal of Human Resource Management 28.1 (2017): 62-97, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09585192.2016.1242508
Paauwe, Jaap. “HRM and performance: Achievements, Methodological Issues and Prospects.” Journal of Management Studies 46.1 (2009): 129-142, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2008.00809.x
Saksida, Tina, Kerstin Alfes, and Amanda Shantz. “Volunteer Role Mastery and Commitment: Can HRM Make a Difference?.” The International Journal of Human Resource Management 28.14 (2017): 2062-2084, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09585192.2015.1126335