Fernando Chacón

Understanding the factors that predict volunteer retention is critical for the sustainability of nonprofit organizations (NPOs), but the determinants of volunteer permanence still require research. This study investigates the utility of the Three-Stage Model of Volunteers’ Duration of Service (3SMVDS) in predicting volunteer retention after 5 months and compares its explanatory performance to that of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Through path analysis, we assess each model's ability to predict volunteer retention after a 5-month period. The data analysis from 271 Spanish novice volunteers yields significant insights. The findings indicate that the 3SMVDS is more effective than the TPB in predicting actual volunteer retention at the 5-month mark, although it presents some theoretical discrepancies with the original model. These results underscore the complexity of volunteer retention and encourages a more sophisticated theoretical understanding that could guide the development of targeted interventions for NPOs to enhance volunteer engagement and retention.

Many studies have considered satisfaction as a necessary precursor for developing volunteer role identity (VRI). However, the mechanism involved in that relationship and whether diverse types of satisfaction from volunteering literature are part of this relationship remain unclear. We propose that satisfaction may promote the development of VRI by augmenting the identity saliency of the volunteer role. To address identity salience, we adopt a dual-concept approach, measuring the identity importance and identity invocation of the volunteer role. To investigate the hypothesis, we performed multiple general lineal mediation models employing identity importance and identity invocation as simultaneous mediators of the satisfaction-VRI relationship. A sample of 227 volunteers from different organizations completed an online questionnaire remotely. The results indicate that task satisfaction and motivational satisfaction, but not organizational satisfaction, significantly predict volunteer role identity—both directly and indirectly through the mediating roles of identity importance and identity invocation. Future work may continue investigating the paths through which satisfaction and other factors may promote volunteer role identity.

The objective of this research study was to conduct a systematic review of the research on volunteers using Clary et al.’s VFI (1998). A total of 48 research studies including 67 independent samples met eligibility criteria. The total sample of the studies analyzed ranged from 20375 to 21988 participants, depending on the motivation analyzed. The results show that the Values factor obtained the highest mean score, both overall and in each type of volunteering, whereas the lowest scores were for the Career and Enhancement factors. Studies conducted with samples with a mean age under 40 years obtain higher scores on Career and Understanding scales when compared to studies in older samples. The group of studies with less than 50% women yield higher mean scores on the Social scale than studies with more than 50% women in the sample. All the scales show reliability coefficients between .78 and .84. Only eight of the articles provide data on the reliability of the scale with a mean value of .90. Of the 26 studies that performed factor analysis, 18 confirmed the original structure of six factors.

Demand for primary care (PC) services in Spain exceeds available resources. Part of this strong demand is due to the high prevalence of emotional disorders (EDs)-anxiety, depression, and somatic symptom disorders-and related comorbidities such as pain or chronic illnesses. EDs are often under- or misdiagnosed by general practitioners (GPs) and, consequently, treatment is frequently inadequate. We aim to compare the short- and long-term effectiveness of group-delivered transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy (TD-CBT) versus treatment as usual (TAU) in the treatment of EDs in the PC setting in Spain. We also aim to compare the effect of these treatments on disability, quality of life, cognitive-emotional factors, and treatment satisfaction. Here we present the study design of a two-arm, single-blind, randomized controlled trial (N=1126) to compare TAU to TD-CBT for EDs. TAU will consist primarily of pharmacological treatment and practical advice from the GP while TD-CBT will be administered in seven 90-minute group sessions held over a period ranging from 12 to 14 weeks. Psychological assessments are carried out at baseline (ie, pretreatment); posttreatment; and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. The study is conducted in approximately 26 PC centers from the National Health System in Spain. This study was initiated in December 2013 and will remain open to new participants until recruitment and follow-up has been completed. We expect all posttreatment evaluations to be completed by December 2017, and follow-up will end in December 2018. We expect the TD-CBT group to have better results compared to TAU on all posttreatment measures and that this improvement will be maintained during follow-up. This project could serve as a model for use in other areas or services of the National Health System in Spain and even in other countries. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 58437086; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN58437086 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6mbYjQSn3).

Poverty is a social problem, entailing not only an economical perspective but above all a human and social issue. Poverty is promoted, justified and maintained by unique individuals and groups by means of our own attitudes, interests and behavior, as well as with our social structures and social relationships. From this interactive, psychosocial and sociostructural perspective, and also considering poverty as adenial of basic human rights(UNDP, 1998), we carried out a study with the primary objective to design and verify anExplanatory Model of Poverty.This research may helps to increase the validity of diagnostics and the effectiveness of interventions. Most of the hypotheses were accepted during the analysis and verification of the Model (p< .001), with data fitting the Model (CFI: 1 RMSEA: .025: LO90: 0 – HI90: .061. RMR: .008). These results, if replicated in new investigations, could have the following implications: (a) the need for a broad and comprehensive definition of poverty including its effects, processes and causes; (b) the need for everybody to accept the social responsibility in the prevention and solution to poverty; and (c) the need to conduct longitudinal interventions with scientific methodology and social participation.

This study was conducted in order to determine whether commitment to organizations and work engagement are distinguishable constructs among volunteers from 18 nonprofit organizations. The strategy used addresses their distinctiveness, demonstrating that they relate differently to outcomes of interest. It is expected that organizational commitment will predict intention to remain and work engagement will predict psychological well‐being. Results indicate that the pattern of relationships is clearly different: the relationship between engagement and intention to remain is entirely mediated by commitment, and the relationship between commitment and psychological well‐being is fully mediated by engagement. Regression analyses confirm that commitment, and not engagement, predicts intention to remain, and that engagement, and not commitment, predicts psychological well‐being in the sample of 232 active volunteers. These results are useful to differentiate between both concepts, and to develop specific nonprofit organization management strategies.

¿Es el engagement diferente de la satisfacción y del compromiso organizacional? Relaciones con la intención de permanencia, el bienestar psicológico y la salud física percibida en voluntarios

This study examines the concept of engagement in samples of volunteers from different non‐profit organisations. Study 1 analyzes the psychometric properties of the abbreviated version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) (). Two factorial structures are examined: one‐dimensional and three‐dimensional structures. Based on the Three‐Stage Model of Volunteers' Duration of Service (), Study 2 investigates the relationship between engagement, volunteer satisfaction, and intention to remain in a sample of new volunteers and the relationship between engagement, organisational commitment, and intention to remain in a sample of veteran volunteers. Moderated mediation analysis is provided using duration of service as a moderator in order to set a splitting point between new and veteran volunteers. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis suggest that the three‐factor model fits better to the data. Regarding the structural models, the first one shows that engagement is crucial to volunteer satisfaction during the first stage, while volunteer satisfaction is the key variable in explaining intention to continue. The second structural model shows that engagement reinforces the participant's commitment to the organisation, while organisational commitment predicts intention to continue. Both models demonstrate a notable decline when samples are changed.