Volunteer Satisfaction and Intent to Remain: An Analysis of Contributing Factors Among Professional Golf Event Volunteers

Sport events are increasingly reliant on episodic volunteers for the successful delivery of an event. As there continues to exist a surge in the organization of sporting events coupled with the demand for volunteers, event organizers must concern themselves with utilizing the appropriate recruitment and retention strategies. In an effort to do this, one must understand the points of satisfaction for volunteers as well as factors influencing their future intentions to volunteer. While there exists a plethora of research to understand the motivation of volunteers, exploring the antecedents of volunteer satisfaction as well as intent to remain has been limited. This study investigates the factors influencing volunteer satisfaction as well as intentions to remain as a volunteer for future sporting events from an elite men’s golf event on the Professional Golf Association (PGA) circuit. Results indicated that overall volunteers were satisfied with their experience and willing to return yet were concerned with the level of communication between the organization and volunteers. The present study also found that longevity of service influenced volunteer satisfaction. A MANOVA revealed significant differences between first time and returning volunteers in their intent to continue volunteering for both sport events and community causes. The findings have implications to not only expand the theoretical understanding of sport volunteerism, but acknowledge the factors that sport event organizers need to concern themselves with relative to recruitment, management, and retention of volunteers for successful operations of events