Perceptions of mandatory versus non-mandatory volunteer policies on
job satisfaction and organizational identification in the workplace
Mara Pearson & Samantha Peterson
Faculty Mentor: Martha Fay  Communication & Journalism  University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Abstract
Results
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an increasingly
valued business practice in contemporary American society.
One manifestation of CSR is employee volunteerism
(Redmond, 2003). Company volunteer policies vary greatly
both in the degree of expectations for employee
volunteerism, and in the way these policies are
communicated to employees. This study examines possible
associations between employees’ perceptions of
organizational policies on volunteering (mandatory versus
non-mandatory), the ways these policies are communicated,
and the outcomes of organizational identification (Cheney,
1983) and job satisfaction (Smith, Kendall & Hulin, 1969).
 RQ1a: Is there a significant difference in organizational
identification between employees who have a mandatory
vs. a non-mandatory workplace policy of volunteerism? An
independent-samples t test revealed no significance.
 RQ1b: Is there a significant difference in job satisfaction
between employees with a mandatory vs. a nonmandatory workplace policy of volunteerism? An
independent-samples t test supported this: F(1,66)=4.53,
p < .05.
 Other potential indicators of pressure:
 52% of respondents stated through qualitative
responses that there was some form of pressure to
volunteer within their workplace.
 26% percent of participants indicated that, regardless of
stated policy, volunteering is still something they
perceive they are expected to do as part of their
employee role.
 7% of respondents indicated "yes" when explicitly asked
if their employer/company has any policies that require
them to volunteer.
Literature
 Some companies have mandated volunteering as
company policy. Mandatory policies, however, have
produced negative effects (Stukas, Snyder & Clary, 1999).
 Willingness to volunteer is dependent upon the impact of
social pressure groups, individual rewards of conducting
voluntary work and the costs of volunteering
(Lindenmeier, 2008).
 Non-voluntary work outside of normal job responsibilities
leads to lower job satisfaction, especially when there are
no offered rewards; voluntary work outside of normal job
responsibilities was associated with higher job satisfaction
even with no offered rewards (Beckers, et al, 2008).
100
Progression of Responses
80
60
52% (37)
40
26% (18)
20
Methods
An online Qualtrics survey investigating our research
questions was distributed to participants primarily through email and social media.
Sample
 73 participants: 23% male and 77% female
 66% were working full-time while 34% were part-time
employees, all over eighteen years old.
 Various lengths of time both in their current profession
(from 0 to over 16 years) and working for their current
company (from 0 to over 11 years)
 Large firms (101+ employees) was the highest-reported
category at 49%.
Measures
 Job in General Scale (Smith, Kendall & Hulin, 1969)
contained eight sample items that used a (yes, no ?)
scale. The scale was reliable, α=.85, M=21.59, SD=3.57.
 The Organizational Identification Scale (Cheney, 1983)
contained eight items that used a 7-point Likert scale. The
scale was reliable, α=.85, M=30.62, SD=5.25.
7% (5)
0
Indicated employer has explicit
mandatory volunteering policy
Indicated that, beyond stated
Indicated some form of pressure to
policy, perceive volunteering to be
volunteer exists
part of employee role
“[There are] annual events
that we are asked to help
out at that most all
employees realize we are
expected to participate in.”
“The opportunities are
typically presented as,
‘there’s no pay for this,
but we’d appreciate it…’”
“I would like to be able to
keep my job, so I volunteer
to make myself an asset.”
“Within the employee
handbook it was
‘encouraged’ to be active in
community organizations
that offered volunteer
opportunities.”
What does your company/employer do to support your
volunteer efforts?
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Allows paid time off Offers monetary or
other rewards
Matches my
monetary donation
Presents
opportunities to
participate in
Holds inter-company
competitions
Discussion & Implications
 If employers are not explicitly stating that they expect
their workers to volunteer or provide them with rewards
that do not outweigh the costs, employees may be less
likely to volunteer when asked. They may also be less
satisfied with their employer for expecting them to
perform roles outside of their normal responsibilities.
 If employees perceive that it is not mandatory but that
either rewards or punishments will ensue based on their
volunteering, they may volunteer to avoid costs or gain
rewards; this idea is supported by the Social Exchange
Theory (Emerson, 1976).
 If volunteering is an intra-role work activity, employers
should explicitly state the policy and articulate the
benefits of volunteering for both the company and the
individual.
References
 Beckers, D., van der Linden, D., Smulders, P., Kompier, M., Taris, T., et al. (2008).
Voluntary or involuntary? control over overtime and rewards for overtime in relation
to fatigue and work satisfaction. Work & Stress, 22(1), 33-50.
 Cheney, G. (1983). The rhetoric of identification and the study of organizational
communication. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 69(2), 143-158.
 Emerson, R. (1976). Social exchange theory. Annual Review of Sociology, 2, 335-362.
 Lindenmeier, J. (2008). Promoting volunteerism: Effects of self-efficacy,
advertisement-induced emotional arousal, perceived costs of volunteering, and
message framing. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary & Nonprofit
Organizations, 19(1), 43-65.
 Redmond, L. (2003). From good intentions to good results: Employee volunteering
in action. Australian Journal on Volunteering, 8(no.1), 63-68.
 Smith, P. C., Kendall, L. M., & Hulin, C. L. (1969). The measurement of satisfaction
in work and retirement. Chicago: Rand McNally.
 Stukas, A., & Snyder, M. (1999). The effects of `mandatory volunteerism' on
intentions to volunteer. Psychological Science, 10(1), 59-64.
We thank the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for supporting this research, and Learning & Technology Services for printing this poster.