VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT AND COMMITMENT ENHANCEMENT

This study investigated the effectivness of three procedures of volunteer recruitment, and the use of behavioral contracts to increase the involvement of the volunteer. In the volunteer recruitment procedure, subjects drawn from a population of church members and active senior citizens viewed tapes of local agencies. One group heard an informational narrative, and another group heard the comments of volunteers, concerning what they felt they had gained from their volunteer experience. Another group viewed no video tapes, but experienced instead a personal appeal from an individual with whom they were acquainted. A control group was drawn from members of the community. A total of 110 subjects was involved. All subjects completed a volunteer interest scale, and measures of locus of control and authoritarianism. The results indicate a significantly higher self-reported level of volunteer interest from personal contact subjects. Of all subjects who reported a high level of volunteer interest, half of those who subsequently became volunteers originated in this group. Locus of control did not interact with recruitment methodologies to affect volunteer interest, nor was there a significant correlation between interest and authoritarianism. In the commitment enhancement studies, 36 long-term volunteers and 18 recent recruits were randomly assigned to control and treatment conditions. Subjects in the treatment condition completed behavioral contracts, indicating the dates and times of volunteer involvement with their agencies for a one month period. Treatment subjects, both long term volunteers and recent recruits, were found to commit to a significantly greater amount of time, compared to controls. No significant difference was observed in the number of no-shows and cancellations