Corporate volunteering in the construction industry: motivations, costs and benefits

Loosemore, M; Bridgeman, J

Corporate volunteering in the construction industry: motivations, costs and benefits

Loosemore, M

Bridgeman, J

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Publisher:: Taylor and Francis Group
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Construction Management and Economics, 2017, 35, (10), pp. 641-653
Issue Date:: 2017-10-03

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Loosemore, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3189-4655
dc.contributor.author	Bridgeman, J
dc.date.accessioned	2022-08-29T06:07:55Z
dc.date.available	2022-08-29T06:07:55Z
dc.date.issued	2017-10-03
dc.identifier.citation	Construction Management and Economics, 2017, 35, (10), pp. 641-653
dc.identifier.issn	0144-6193
dc.identifier.issn	1466-433X
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/161038
dc.description.abstract	Corporate volunteering is a growing global phenomenon. Despite the size and significance of the construction industry, there has been no research into corporate volunteering in this sector which presents special challenges around its highly transitionary, temporary, regulated and project-based culture. To address this gap in knowledge and to answer the need for more scholarship and sector-specific insights in this field, the motives, benefits and costs of corporate volunteering for construction businesses and the volunteers that work for them are explored. Through an in-depth single case study of one of the UK’s largest construction industry corporate volunteering programmes, it is shown that at an individual level, it is not always altruism that motives people to volunteer. Volunteers in construction are also motivated by other factors such as loyalty to their organization, profession and industry, relational/networking opportunities and the reinforcement of technical skills and personal satisfaction derived from helping others which is not normally afforded in work. At a business level the main benefits of volunteering are reputational advantage, recruitment and new skills and access to new knowledge and capabilities. Conceptually, the results indicate that systems theory, empowerment theory, life span theory and social exchange theory would be useful theoretical lenses to take research in this new area of corporate social responsibility forward. It is concluded that further research is needed into different types of volunteering programmes and whether individual benefits experienced by volunteers translate into commercial benefits for the organizations involved.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Taylor and Francis Group
dc.relation.ispartof	Construction Management and Economics
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1080/01446193.2017.1315150
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	09 Engineering, 12 Built Environment and Design, 14 Economics
dc.subject.classification	Building & Construction
dc.title	Corporate volunteering in the construction industry: motivations, costs and benefits
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	35
utslib.for	09 Engineering
utslib.for	12 Built Environment and Design
utslib.for	14 Economics
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building/School of Built Environment
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-08-29T06:07:53Z
pubs.issue	10
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	35
utslib.citation.issue	10

Abstract:

Corporate volunteering is a growing global phenomenon. Despite the size and significance of the construction industry, there has been no research into corporate volunteering in this sector which presents special challenges around its highly transitionary, temporary, regulated and project-based culture. To address this gap in knowledge and to answer the need for more scholarship and sector-specific insights in this field, the motives, benefits and costs of corporate volunteering for construction businesses and the volunteers that work for them are explored. Through an in-depth single case study of one of the UK’s largest construction industry corporate volunteering programmes, it is shown that at an individual level, it is not always altruism that motives people to volunteer. Volunteers in construction are also motivated by other factors such as loyalty to their organization, profession and industry, relational/networking opportunities and the reinforcement of technical skills and personal satisfaction derived from helping others which is not normally afforded in work. At a business level the main benefits of volunteering are reputational advantage, recruitment and new skills and access to new knowledge and capabilities. Conceptually, the results indicate that systems theory, empowerment theory, life span theory and social exchange theory would be useful theoretical lenses to take research in this new area of corporate social responsibility forward. It is concluded that further research is needed into different types of volunteering programmes and whether individual benefits experienced by volunteers translate into commercial benefits for the organizations involved.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/161038