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Abstract
Objective
Australian research on volunteering is rich and diverse, but also increasingly fragmented. In an attempt to promote a more integrated study of volunteering, we review volunteering research conducted in Australia, using volunteering journey as a framework. Specifically, we summarise literature on volunteer characteristics, motivations, benefits, psychological contract, commitment, and withdrawal.
Method
A comprehensive review yielded 152 studies on volunteering conducted in Australia.
Results
We find that volunteers have distinct characteristics, such as being older, better connected, employed, and residing in rural areas. There are a variety of reasons that prompt individuals to volunteer, and this motivation does change over time. Volunteering leads to better psychological well‐being, as well as increases in social and human capital. Volunteer expectations and commitment are key drivers of ongoing volunteering. Finally, stress, work–family conflict, and negative interactions with others lead to volunteer withdrawal.
Conclusion
A lot is known about volunteering, however, future advancement of the field will depend on better integration across disciplines and domains. Currently, volunteering is viewed as a set of distinct stages, and a more integrated approach is required. We also note a lack of theoretical and methodological rigour in many Australian studies on volunteering.
Funding information Australian Research Council; Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC
Funding information Australian Research Council; Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was supported by the Australian Research Council and Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre.
Notes
Funding information Australian Research Council; Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC
1. It is important to note that the number of volunteers in Australia is potentially mispresented, due to a restrictive definition of volunteering used by the ABS, which likely excludes informal volunteering.
2. A full list of the manuscripts used in this review and the coding categories is available via the Open Science Framework on https://osf.io/wfj2c/?view_only=01f866c2ee434ade9032d20fad829a05.
