For older adults, engaging in prosocial behaviours such as volunteering, caregiving, and informal helping, may contribute to self-perceptions of social usefulness. Limitations of past research on social usefulness include lack of a clear operationalization of the construct and lack of a psychometrically sound measure. To address these issues, study one was conducted to explore the construct of social usefulness through qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 20 older adults, with varying degrees of prosocial engagement. A thematic analysis illustrated various themes that were associated with perceptions of social usefulness that includes: (a) values and beliefs about social usefulness, (b) the personal need and motivation to be socially useful, (c) the amount of perceived personal social usefulness, (d) the perceived quality of personal social usefulness, and (e) the personal outcomes of social usefulness. These themes were used in study 2 as basis for item development for a scale of social usefulness. In study 2, social usefulness items were developed from the data extracts (i.e., quotes) and themes from study one. The items were administered to 408 older adults, along with preliminary validation measures. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a three-factor solution that includes: (a) personal motivation to be socially useful, (b) psychological rewards of social usefulness, and (c) perceived network reliance on special social usefulness. The Older Adult Social Usefulness Scale demonstrated good construct validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency. The scale offers an empirically developed measure of social usefulness. The conceptual, theoretical, and practical implications of these findings, along with limitations and future research directions, are discussed.

iv This study aimed to examine the possible effects of being a volunteer in a nongovernmental organization (Neighborhood Disaster Support Project) for psychological distress and posttraumatic growth following the 1999 Marmara earthquake. The predictors of psychological distress and posttraumatic growth were also investigated. Risk factors were examined as pre-earthquake variables (e.g. socio-demographic variables), earthquake variables (e.g. severity of impact), and post-earthquake variables (e.g. being a Neighborhood Disaster Volunteer (NDV) or not, and coping strategies). One hundred survivors (66 Males and 34 females with an age range of 18-59) of the earthquake, who are NDVs and a control group, composed of 100 survivors (66 Males and 34 females with an age range of 18-60) who are not NDVs participated in the study. Furthermore, in order to see the effects of being closer or further to the earthquake epicenter, half of the sample was taken from G&ouml / lc&uuml / k (epicenter of the quake), and the rest were from izmit (further from the epicenter). Data was collected 4,5 years after the earthquake by a questionnaire consisting of three parts. One psychology graduate student and five trained NDVs administered the questionnaire individually. The first part of the questionnaire had items taping socio-demographic information and earthquake experiences. The second part included items related to the experience of being a volunteer. Finally, the third part contained three scales which assessed the participants&rsquo / psychological distress (Symptom Checklist-40), coping skills (Ways of Coping Questionnaire), and posttraumatic growth level (Stress Related Growth Scale). The results of factor analysis indicated that earthquake experience could be grouped into two factors, namely severity of impact and perceived life threat. It was found that the respondents had significantly higher perceived life threat than the severity of impact. The factor analysis for coping yielded four factors, which were problem focused/optimistic, fatalistic, helplessness and escape coping approaches. The comparison of the volunteer and non-volunteers samples showed that the non-volunteer sample uses significantly more levels of fatalistic coping. Moreover it was found that women use significantly more levels of helplessness coping. When the impact of the earthquake severity on post traumatic growth levels was investigated, results showed that individuals from G&ouml / lc&uuml / k (epicenter of the quake) had significantly higher growth levels than those from izmit (further away from epicenter). The results of regression analyses showed that low education level, helplessness approach, and less use of problem solving/optimistic approach were significant predictors of subjects&rsquo / general distress levels. Being a volunteer, using problem solving/optimistic approach and fatalistic approach appeared as significant predictors of posttraumatic growth. The results were discussed within the psychological distress and growth theories. Furthermore, limitations of the study, implications for psychosocial interventions and future research were discussed.

O objetivo do estudo foi compreender quais as estratégias de preparação de voluntários para a atuação em megaeventos esportivos no Brasil. A pesquisa foi de natureza qualitativa e de cunho exploratório, tendo como técnica para a coleta de dados a entrevista com roteiro de perguntas semiestruturado e o caderno de campo. A entrevista foi realizada com o responsável pelo programa de treinamento dos voluntários do V Jogos Mundiais Militares (2011) sobre a organização realizada. A análise do conteúdo (BARDIN, 2011) foi utilizada para análise das experiências relatadas de acordo com 3 categorias: perfil do voluntariado esportivo e do líder de voluntários; dificuldades em se trabalhar, compreender e valorizar o voluntariado no esporte e modelo de treinamento e de gestão do programa de voluntários esportivos. Os resultados desta pesquisa contribuíram para a literatura nesta temática, bem como ponto de partida para o design e coleta de dados de pesquisas sobre voluntários para os próximos megaeventos esportivos que serão sediados no Brasil, Copa do Mundo de 2014 e Jogos Olímpicos de 2016. / The aim of the study was to understand which strategies of preparation volunteers to work in the mega sports events in Brazil. The research was of qualitative and exploratory nature, using the interview as a technique for collect data with a screenplay by semi-structured questions and the field diary.The interview was carried out with the responsible of volunteers training program of the V World Military Games (2011) about the organization held. The content analysis (Bardin, 2011) was used to analyze the experiments reported according to three categories: sporting profile of volunteering and volunteer leader; difficult to work with, understand and value volunteering in sport and training model and program management of sports volunteers. The results of this study contributed to the literature on this topic, as well as starting point for the design and collecting survey data about volunteers for the next sport mega events that will be held in Brazil, 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.

abstract: Using experience, observations, data, current research, and writings in the field of volunteer management, it was determined there was a need to study the effects of leadership/management practices on the productivity outcomes of a volunteer construction workforce. A simple wood bench that would be tiled and painted was designed to test the areas of Time, Waste, Quality, Safety, and Satisfaction of different volunteer groups. The challenge was bolstered by giving the teams no power tools and limited available resources. A simple design of experiment model was used to test highs and lows in the three management techniques of Instruction, Help, and Encouragement. Each scenario was tested multiple times. Data was collected, normalized and analyzed using statistical analysis software. A few significant findings were discovered. The first; the research showed that there was no significant correlation between the management practices of the leader and the satisfaction of the volunteers. The second; the research also showed when further analyzed into specific realistic scenarios that the organizations would be better to focus on high amounts of Help and Encouragement in order to maximize the productivity of their volunteer construction workforce. This is significant as it allows NPO's and governments to focus their attention where best suited to produce results. The results were shared and the study was further validated as "significant" by conducting interviews with experts in the construction nonprofit sector. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Construction 2013

Each year a group of university students from English speaking countries go to Chile and work as volunteers under the National Volunteer Centre Program. The purpose of this case study is to examine how a group of novice volunteer teachers describe their experiences in a foreign country and how these experiences shape their understanding of teaching. Participants went through the process of open-ended questionnaires and one-on-one interviews of their experience. This study was sustained in the literature by the domains of volunteerism, English Language Teaching, and volunteerism and ELT, and a socio constructivist and experiential lens was adopted. Even though volunteer teaching abroad is an increasing worldwide trend, there are few studies that combine these areas, showing that the existing blend of volunteerism and English language teaching needs to be further examined. The analysis of the data showed that novice volunteer teachers experience five types of experiences when teaching English: language teaching experiences, language learning experiences, challenges, general experiences, and volunteering experiences. Novice teachers recalled their expectations before teaching and those were maintained, modified, or unfulfilled. Volunteers stated what teaching means to them after working in public schools, they were able to describe diverse language teaching experiences, and make recommendations to future volunteers.

This Diploma thesis is focused on the social group of seniors and deals with issues of activation programs, intergenerational contact and management of volunteers at the Center of activation programs (CAP) at Prague 8. The theoretical part provides the theoretical and methodological thesis on the definition and definitions related to the senior age, intergenerational relations description and presentation of the functioning of social services in the Czech Republic with an emphasis on activation services for seniors. In the following chapters the theoretical part is examined in detail and the issue of volunteerism is discussed as well as the possibility of activation of seniors. The practical part presents concrete proposals for new programs for seniors organized by the CAP including a detailed description of their implementation and operational solutions. Second part of the practical section is devoted to a proposal to streamline the management of volunteers at the CAP. Conclusion evaluates the proposed solutions and their contribution to the CAP and especially for their clients, which are active seniors from Prague 8.

The aim of this Master Thesis is to analyze the processes of human resource management in non-profit organization USE-IT Prague. The theoretical part is an introduction into the topic of non-profit organization's management in general, volunteerism and specifics of human resource management in non-profit organization's practice. The practical part introduces the background of USE-IT Prague non-profit organization and analyzes each activity of its human resource management, especially recruitment of volunteers, their motivation, development, team-work and communication. The support of the analysis are results of a survey among USE-IT Prague's volunteers. In the last part those activities are evaluated, compared with the theoretical knowledge acquired and, if necessary, are provided recommendations for improvement.

The thesis deals with corporate social responsibility. The subject of investigation is the CSR strategy of the chosen company. The theoretical part describes the corporate social responsibility from a historical and a current perspective. Above all, the thesis puts emphasis on the social pillar, namely the activities of the company in relation to its stakeholders, particularly employees and volunteering. Volunteering is an important part of corporate social responsibility. The questionnaire and subsequently its statistical evaluation answers the question whether the students currently studying in two economic universities consider SAP as a responsible company and how they relate to volunteerism.

abstract: This dissertation addresses empirical, applied, and theoretical issues in the place literature through an ethnographic study of the volunteer stewards in the nonprofit McDowell Sonoran Conservancy (Scottsdale, Arizona). The first phase of study explores Conservancy stewards’ phenomenological place meanings through participant observation, a photovoice protocol (N=18), and life-history interviews (N=53). Findings indicate that being a steward fosters deep, identity-based place meanings within the conservation land (the McDowell Sonoran Preserve) and City of Scottsdale. The second phase of study measures stewards’ psychometric place attachments to the Preserve and broader community using the Place Attachment Inventory (PAI) survey. New stewards’ (N=29) PAI scores—collected before attending orientation and one year after—demonstrate a rise in Preserve place attachment and place identity in the first year of service. Established stewards’ (N=275) PAI data suggests no correlation between place attachment and volunteer intensity. These findings are complemented by phase I results and suggest that stewards experience a rise in place identity after earning the identity of an environmental steward, regardless of engagement. The third phase of study experimentally combines the data from established stewards who participated in phase I and II (N=48) to test the hypothesis that those with identity-based place meanings would possess higher place identity scores. Data analysis found no significant differences in place identity scores between those with and without a Predicted High Place Identity. The outcomes of this experiment suggest construct validity issues with the widely used place attachment and place identity constructs. While it is established that volunteers arrive at an organization with a strong sense of place, this study demonstrates empirically how place attachments increase and place meanings deepen further after joining a volunteer organization. Communities and organizations can learn from the Conservancy’s practices that help stewards easily establish and perform a place-based steward identity. Finally, the experimental mixed methods findings suggest a sense of place research program that measures attachment to a place’s meanings rather than attachment to a place. This shift will allow place meaning and place attachment to be studied concurrently, advancing the sense of place construct and broader place theory. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Anthropology 2020

At present, the issue of population aging is discussed. In the framework of public policies is becoming increasingly important concept of active aging, which emphasizes human development and social participation in old age. They created the societal conditions for its implementation, but which takes place at the individual level. One of the activities, which is also supported under the National Strategy to support positive aging is volunteering. In the Czech Republic, however, in this activity relatively few seniors are involved. I examined the obstacles and possible solutions perceived by different types of stakeholders. I have conducted dozen expert interviews with representatives of senior and non-profit organizations and ministries and I have also analyzed the relevant documents. Actors saw some gaps in funding, the creation of a National Action Plan, the activities of the Working Group to support education and volunteerism, but also in terms of awareness and the overall interests of seniors in volunteering. Stakeholders have proposed some minor changes notably by overcoming excessive formality of the entire policy , raising awareness of the specific opportunities and changes in financing. Senior representatives opinion differ a lot from the other. They want to introduce a law on seniors and...