Abstract:
Recent changes in Australia, such as the new public management
and national competition policy, have affected the way that
human services are provided and have complicated the role of
volunteer coordinators. However, because volunteers are free to
choose their level of contribution, it is the volunteers' perspective
that is the ultimate yardstick against which their coordination is
assessed. The aim of the research examined here was a deeper
understanding of women volunteers' and their coordinators' views
of their work. The research was conducted within a qualitative
paradigm, employing individual and focus group interviews. The
analysis identified eight areas of concern for volunteers around
their management. The analysis of the coordinators' interviews
revealed three coordination styles-horizontal, nurturing, and
managerial-of which the managerial was most in conflict with
the volunteers' perspective.
