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Recent policy developments in England and Wales suggest a further increasing role for penal voluntary organisations (PVOs) in the market for criminal justice services. In response, a flurry of Criminological commentary has provided a marketised account of thpenal voluntary sector (PVS). This body of commentary has demonstrated that understandings of the sector remain limited, and that it has not yet been rigorously theorised (Corcoran, 2011; Mills et al., 2011). This gap in understanding is particularly problematic because PVOs may play an important role in the operation of punishment (Martin, 2013; Neuberger, 2009; Armstrong, 2002).In the thesis which follows, this gap in understanding is explored and the PVS is conceptualised. The tenets of actor-network theory are applied to analyse original qualitative data. This data was collected through semi-structured interviews with voluntary and statutory sector stakeholders, and document analysis of policy and PVO publications. The key analytical foci in this thesis are: PVO heterogeneity, small-scale PVOs, the agency of PVOs, and interactions between PVOs and the statutory agencies of criminal justice. Findings are then drawn together to consider the effects of PVO work with prisoners and probationers. This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by conceptualising the PVS and considering aspects of the sector that scholars have not yet fully explored. The thesis provides a new awareness of small-scale PVOs and considers the heterogeneity, agency and autonomy of PVOs. The analysis chapters illustrate the diverse relationships between PVOs and the statutory agencies of criminal justice. A preliminary exploration of the effects of PVO work is also provided. Whilst the potential control and net-widening functions of PVO work must not be overlooked, this analysis indicates that PVOs may enrich statutory service provision for prisoners and probationers. Relationships between PVO staff and prisoners/probationers may be distinctive and particularly valuable, and could support desistance from crime.

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This research explores the learning of volunteers who are being trained to perform service-providing roles within UK health and social care charities. Within these charities, volunteers often perform complex roles in dynamic environments, supporting service users and addressing challenging causes. This thesis argues that the charity and voluntary environment offers certain affordances, and also constraints, that provide opportunities for transformative learning experiences. The limited previous studies on the learning of volunteers have tended to concentrate on training evaluations or informal learning 'on the job', resulting in an unhelpful formal/informal dichotomised approach to learning. The research proposes that this approach has been unable to offer a detailed insight into the learning experienced by volunteers within the training process. In particular, this dichotomised view has been unable to account for both the learning of scientific concepts, such as the specific health conditions these charities are addressing, and everyday experiences of both volunteers and service users that are integral to the learning process. To address this gap, the thesis draws upon Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), which is an approach grounded in Hegelian dialectics. Specifically, the CHAT-informed theories of expansive learning (Engeström, 1987) and Transformative Activist Stance (TAS) (Stetsenko, 2008) are synthesised to examine how volunteers interact with and within the charity environment through practices of training. Through this perspective, learning is conceptualised as a form of individual and social transformation, which expands the possibilities for collective activity. Expansive learning and TAS have previously been drawn upon to provide insight into learning in the workplace and in projects of social change respectively. However, so far the theories have not been focused on learning within the charity and voluntary environment. A multiple case study of three health and social care charities based in North West England provides the empirical data for the research. Each charity addresses a complex health and social cause, including stroke, sexual violence and HIV, and relies on volunteers to help provide services. Multiple qualitative methods, including observations of training, charity staff interviews, along with interviews and focus groups with volunteers, allow a range of perspectives and positions to be taken into account in line with the epistemology of the study. Data are analysed through the process of abduction drawing upon a CHAT-informed theoretical framework. The thesis intends to contribute to knowledge in two main areas. Firstly, it aims to increase understanding of learning within volunteer training, including how learning in the charity environment can be supported, sustained and made meaningful to enable transformative experiences. Secondly, it aims to theoretically advance CHAT, and the charity and voluntary environment is presented as a fruitful setting for developing particular aspects of the theory, such as emotion and agency.

The aim of this study is to explore the involvement of stakeholders in the functions of leadership within the context of voluntary organisations in the UK. What is intriguing about the study is that business and management research has focused mainly on ‘vertical leadership’ that stems from an appointed or formal leader as opposed to ‘shared leadership’ that is distributed across the organisation. This study therefore, seeks to advance scholarly knowledge on the phenomenon of ‘shared leadership’ focusing on voluntary organisations taking a stakeholder perspective. A review of the current literature focusing on shared leadership indicates that the definition of shared leadership has converged around numerous underlying dimensions. However, the key distinction between shared leadership and other leadership paradigms is that the influence process emanates from different directions rather than the tradition top to down approach. This study attempts to explore the level of shared leadership at the organisational level in the context of voluntary organisations by employing a pragmatic approach to research. The research involved three phases; Phase 1 is qualitative, Phase 2 is quantitative and Phase 3 is qualitative. The research methods have included semi-structured interviews (Phase 1) with 10 participants, a survey (Phase 2) that had 126 respondents and in-depth interviews (Phase 3) involving 30 stakeholders. The findings suggest that the level of shared leadership in voluntary organisations is relatively high. However, the involvement of the stakeholders has been more on a ‘consultative’ level rather than on a ‘participative’ one. Moreover, the status or position of the stakeholder in the organisation is a significant factor in determining the level of shared leadership. It was revealed that some stakeholders are merely involved in low level activities. The findings of this research have implications on the Human Resource Management in terms of stakeholder engagement in the leadership process.

Voluntary Sector Organisation Public Partnerships (IOPs) are a new form of collaboration for voluntary and public organisations, which aim to give financial support ta a welfare service provided by the voluntary actor. The aim of this study is to examine the importance of voluntary organisations in the modern welfare state. The importance they have as welfare producers. In this study i have chosen to look at how Karlstad municipality works with IOP cooperation. My theoretical starting point of this study have been the concept of social capital and how IOP collaboration works from a trust perspective. I have used both document study and interviews to answer my purpose. I have interviewed both officials in Karlstad municipality and representatives of the voluntary organisations that have IOP cooperation with the municipality in Karlstad. The conclusion I have found here is that Karlstad municipality and the three voluntary organisations I met, have a good collaboration with a high level of trust between them. But there is also some dissatisfaction that it is the municipality that benefits most from the cooperation. Another conclusion is that IOP collaboration has a great impact on the individuals who get help through the voluntary organisations. The study shows that many of these individuals would be completely helpeless unless the voluntary organisations improve their work.