Volunteer organizations face the same leadership problems as for-profit firms

Evidence

While there is a burgeoning literature on the role of leadership in the traditional organization (Giffords, 2003), much less attention has been paid to the impact of leadership on organizational behavior in nontraditional organizations such as volunteer organizations, service clubs, and charities (Clary & Snyder, 1999). Volunteer organizations are faced with many problems typical of for-profit organizations such as turnover, commitment, and job satisfaction. Therefore, the vast literature on leadership should be extended to address similar issues faced by nonprofit organizations. To that end, it is an empirical question whether traditional leadership theories can be applied successfully to volunteer organizations. — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 1772

Categorization

• QUESTION: Worth chasing: do transformational leadership effects differ in organizations where followers are unpaid and free to leave at any moment?