Keon-Hyung Lee, Ph.D., the Arnold L. & Priscilla Moss Greenfield Endowed Professor of Public Administration and Public Health, co-authored “What Makes NPOs Sustainable in an Emergency? Examining the Effect of Person-Organization Fit and Generation on Volunteer Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in Dove Medical Press’ Risk Management and Healthcare Policy journal. This research summary was written by FSU student Shane O’Connor (B.S. Political Science, B.A. History ’24).
Keon-Hyung Lee, Ph.D. – the Arnold L. & Priscilla Moss Greenfield Endowed Professor of Public Administration and Public Health – recently co-authored a journal article titled “What Makes NPOs Sustainable in an Emergency? Examining the Effect of Person-Organization Fit and Generation on Volunteer Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
The article, published in Dove Medical Press’ Risk Management and Healthcare Policy journal, was co-authored with Donwe Choi, Ph.D., of Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, and Jongsun Park, Ph.D., of Gachon University in Seongnam-si, South Korea.
The authors found that despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteers continued to engage in activities at their nonprofit organizations (NPOs) when a person’s core values, beliefs, ethics, and purpose are aligned with those of the organization.
During the pandemic, NPOs faced increased demands and service disruptions. Yet, they persevered by ensuring volunteers continued to provide essential services, contributing to overcoming the crisis.
Amid this emergency, it is crucial to understand what enabled NPOs to endure. Volunteer engagement and commitment play a pivotal role in sustaining NPOs, as they heavily rely on this unpaid workforce to fulfill their mission and assist those in need. The ability to attract, recruit, and maintain engaged volunteers directly impacts the long-term operation and sustainability of NPOs.
Although previous studies on volunteer management have enhanced our understanding of volunteers, we still know little about what drives them to continue to engage at their NPO in an emergency that could put their own lives in danger.
By using the Person-Organization fit (P-O fit) theory and generational theory, the researchers identified what made existing volunteers continue engaging in volunteer activities at their NPO during the COVID-19 pandemic despite the risks.
They collected data through an online survey conducted in March 2021. This U.S. national survey was completed by 2307 respondents, yielding the U.S. Census balanced data regarding gender, age, race, education, and income. To correct for non-randomly selected samples, the researchers employed the two-stage Heckman selection model.
The researchers found that P-O fit matters in volunteers’ decision to continue engaging. In addition, their study uncovered that when existing volunteers were millennials, the relationship between P-O fit and engagement in voluntary activities strengthened during the pandemic.
This study contributes to expanding the explanatory power of the P–O fit theory by testing it in an emergency. It also extends the generational theory by clarifying under what conditions millennials take collective action for the greater good, in contrast to the stereotype that they are self-centered.
In addition, linking NPO management and emergency management, this study provides NPO managers with practical implications for securing reliable volunteers who will sustain the capacity of the NPO in a crisis.
Dr. Lee insists that more research should be done on the P-O fit theory, as this study focuses on Millennials in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To expand its scope, Dr. Lee insists, “Further research should make more effort to investigate NPO management in more diverse emergencies, including but not limited to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, and floods, as well as economic crises and wars.”
To learn more about Dr. Lee and his work, click here, or to learn more about the Askew School of Public Administration, visit coss.fsu.edu/askew.