A conceptual model of volunteer well-being: a hermeneutic phenomenological study

Abstract

This study, to enhance understanding of volunteer well-being and to develop a conceptual model of volunteer well-being through an in-depth exploration of volunteers’ work–life experiences, was guided by an interest in volunteering as well as curiosity about well-being as a concept. My perception of the importance of volunteering for our society was based on first-hand knowledge of a volunteering context operating in the Gauteng health sector, as well as the volunteering literature, which confirmed its importance and encouraged me to conduct research on this resource. The literature on well-being highlights its importance for employees in particular and organisations in general and thus justifies the study. The literature also supported my preference for conducting this research on volunteer well-being from a qualitative perspective. Further motivation for the research was provided by my awareness of the challenging nature of the volunteering context as well as the adverse personal circumstances of the volunteers. Accordingly, recognising the importance of well-being in volunteers, I was prompted to dedicate attention to this dynamic work context. To achieve its aim, in this research I applied a qualitative research approach and a hermeneutic (interpretive) phenomenological research methodology. In-depth interviews were used to explore the work–life experiences of eight volunteers and a phenomenological hermeneutical analytic process was used to analyse the data. The data were further contextualised and the findings supported by the relevant well-being literature. Based on the findings, a conceptual model of volunteer well-being was constructed. This model enhances our understanding of volunteer well-being, ultimately contributing to knowledge and practice in the field of volunteering.

Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was om die begrip van vrywilligerswelstand te bevorder en om ’n konseptuele model van vrywilligerswelstand te ontwikkel deur ’n omvattende ondersoek van vrywilligers se werklewe-ervarings. Die studie was gelei deur ’n belangstelling in vrywilligerswerk en ‘n nuuskierigheid oor welstand as ’n konsep. My waarneming van die belangrikheid van vrywilligerswerk vir ons samelewing is gebaseer op eerstehandse kennis van ’n vrywilligerskonteks in die Gautengse gesondheidsektor en die literatuur oor vrywilligersdienslewering, wat die belangrikheid daarvan bevestig het en my aangemoedig het om navorsing oor hierdie hulpbron te doen. Die literatuur oor welstand beklemtoon veral die belangrikheid daarvan vir werknemers en organisasies oor die algemeen, en regverdig dus die studie. Die literatuur het ook my voorkeur om hierdie navorsing oor vrywilligers se welstand vanuit ’n kwalitatiewe perspektief te benader, ondersteun. My bewustheid van die uitdagende aard van die vrywilligerskonteks asook die ongunstige persoonlike omstandighede van die vrywilligers het my verder gemotiveer om die navorsing te doen. Dienooreenkomstig, as erkenning van die belangrikheid daarvan om vrywilligers se welstand te fasiliteer, is ek geïnspireer om aandag te skenk aan hierdie dinamiese werkskonteks. Om hierdie doel te bereik het ek ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering en ’n hermeneutiese (verklarende) fenomenologiese navorsingsmetodologie in hierdie navorsingsprojek gebruik. Indiepte onderhoude is gebruik om die werklewe-ervarings van agt vrywilligers te ondersoek, en ’n fenomenologiese, hermeneutiese, analitiese proses is gebruik om die data te ontleed. Die data is verder gekontekstualiseer en die bevindings is deur die tersaaklike literatuur ondersteun. ’n Konseptuele model van vrywilligerwelstand is op grond van hierdie bevindinge opgestel. Hierdie model bevorder ons begrip van vrywilligerswelstand, en lewer sodoende ’n bydrae tot die kennis en ervaring op die terrein van vrywilligerswerk.

Thutopatlisiso eno ya go tlhama sekao sa kgopolo sa boithaopi go tswa mo mogopolong wa seemo se se amogelesegang sa botshelo ka go sekaseka go ya kwa botennye, maitemogelo a tiro a baithaopi, e kaetswe ke kgatlhego mo boithaoping, keletso ya go itse ka ga mogopolo wa seemo se se amogelesegang sa botshelo le dikwalo tse di ka ga boithaopi. Kitso e e tseneletseng ya bokao jwa boithaopi jo bo dirang mo lephateng la boitekanelo la Gauteng, gammogo le dikwalo tsa boithaopi, di tlhomamisitse botlhokwa jwa boithaopi mo setšhabeng sa gaetsho mme tsa nthotloetsa go dira patlisiso ka ntlha eno. Go tlaleletsa, thutopatlisiso eno e tlhomamisitswe ke dikwalo tse di ka ga seemo se se amogelesegang le botlhokwa jwa seemo se se amogelesegang sa botshelo se se totileng badiri ka bo bona le ditheo ka kakaretso. Dikwalo gape di tshegeditse tlhopho ya me ya go dira patlisiso ka ga seemo se se amogelesegang sa botshelo jwa baithaopi ka mogopolo wa go batla go batlisisa mabaka a a bakang seemo se se rileng. Thotloetso e nngwe ya patlisiso e tlisitswe ke temogo ya me ya dikgwetlho tsa boithaopi gammogo le maemo a a sa amogelesegeng a baithaopi. Fela jalo, ka go lemoga botlhokwa jwa go gokaganya seemo se se amogelesegang sa botshelo mo baithaoping, ke ne ke patelesega go tota mofuta ono wa tiro. Go fitlhelela maikaelelo ano, patlisiso eno e dirisitse mokgwa wa patlisiso o o lebelelang mabaka a a rotloetsang ntlha e e rileng (qualititative research) le mokgwa wa patlisiso o o ranolang (hermeneutic phenomological research methodology). Go dirisitswe dipotsolotso tse di tseneletseng go sekaseka maitemogelo a tiro a baithaopi mme ga dirisiwa thulaganyo ya tshekatsheko ya phenomenological hermeneutial go sekaseka tshedimosetso. Tshedimosetso e ne ya bewa ka bokao mme diphitlhelelo tsa tshegediwa ka dikwalo tse di maleba. Go ikaegilwe mo diphitlhelelong tseno, go ne ga thalwa sekao sa kgopolo sa seemo se se amogelesegang sa botshelo jwa baithaopi. Go tshitshinngwa gore go dirisiwe sekao seno go dirisa ka botlalo le go netefatsa go nnela leruri ga tiro ya baithaopi, gore kwa bokhutlong go tshwaelwe mo kitsong le mo tirong mo lephateng la boithaopi.