Human Resource Management and Volunteer Motivation

Abstract

Social enterprises form a topic which challenges us to reclassify known concepts from eco- nomics research in general and entrepreneurship research in particular within a new con- text. Their social orientation and the fact that they are only indirectly profit-oriented distin- guish social enterprises from commercial business enterprises (Part I), but nevertheless they also need to survive in the market, and they, too, have organizational structures and hierar- chies that we know from classical economics. This chapter will focus on Human Resource Management and on employee motivation and commitment strategies. These topics were comprehensively analyzed in the context of purely profit-oriented companies (Wöhe and Döring, 2005). However, Human Resource Management in social enterprises is subject to some special conditions. Although many social enterprises have paid employees, volun- teers form a decisive part of their workforce and play a big part in the performance and continued existence of social enterprises. It can even be assumed that volunteers, along with funding, are the most wanted resource of social enterprises. Dealing with volunteers is therefore a specific aspect of successful social work. Volunteers are not a mere accessory, they do not function casually, and they do not come for free either. In the light of the pre- sent demographic development and from an economic point of view, the volunteer must be regarded as a rare and much sought-after resource which several social enterprises are competing for. A company ́s ability to attract qualified volunteers and to win their lasting loyalty without cutting back on the quality standards of the services offered, will be fun- damental for a successful market position in the future (Rosenkranz and Schill, 2009).