Volunteer Actions Research Articles

Socio-Cultural Changes in the Everyday Life of the Rural Population of Naddniprianshchyna

The changes those have taken place in the everyday life and culture of the Ukrainian village of Kyshchentsi of Cherkasy region in the 21st century are analysed in the article. The source base of the research includes field materials collected by the authoress in June-August 2023 using the method of participant observation. The peculiarities of private economic activity, changes in the life support system are considered and the migration processes that have taken place and are taking place in connection with the war are recorded. Globalization and information influences on the communication system of community residents, their socio-cultural needs and preferences are studied. The existing agricultural holding and farms provide employment for the villagers. A high level of self-employment is fixed. The changes that have taken place over the 23 years of this century in the everyday life of the village include greater mechanization of labour processes, the formation and expansion of the internal market for the exchange of goods and services through digital applications. The number of Internet users has grown, and the number of houses with a bathroom and a bath inside has increased. The war has changed the direction of migration. People from the occupied territories and the area of active hostilities have moved to the countryside. Modern rural culture retains only a few traditional elements, which is manifested in the preservation of some calendar, wedding and funeral traditions. There is further standardisation of family cycle rituals, such as weddings and funerals, which are organised by individuals and institutions. The expansion of the range of products has affected the nutrition and ration. New dishes are being introduced to the household via the Internet. The confessional situation has changed: patriotic believers have left the church, which has links with the aggressor state, and the question of further Ukrainianization of Protestant communities has arisen. New ideological attitudes are formed about the peculiarity of the period being lived, understanding it as the time of the end of the world because of the existence of constant threats to life. Volunteer actions and initiatives have become a common feature of rural life: collecting food for the front and for hospitals, raising funds for a car or drones for fellow villagers and residents of the district who are at the front.

The relationship between information processing capabilities, Net-Zero capability and supply chain performance

PurposeThis study views Net-Zero as a dynamic capability for decarbonising supply chains (SCs). This study aims to investigate the relationship between three information processing-related capabilities (supply chain visibility [SCV], supply chain integration [SCI] and big data analytics [BDA]) as its antecedents and SC performance as its competitive advantage outcome.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conceptualise a research model grounded in the literature based on dynamic capabilities and information processing views. The study uses a structural equation modelling technique to test the hypotheses’ relationship using the survey data from 311 industrial enterprises.FindingsThe results show that SCI and BDA positively and directly influence the Net-Zero capability (NZC). No significant direct impact is found between SCV and NZC. BDA fully mediates SCV and partially mediates SCI in their relationship with NZC. The results also confirm that NZC positively impacts SC performance (SCP).Originality/valueThis study contributes to operations management and SC literature by extending the knowledge about Net-Zero SCs through an empirical investigation. In particular, the study suggests BDA is essential to enhance NZC as SCV alone does not significantly contribute. The study also documents the benefit of NZC on SCP, which can encourage more volunteer actions in the industry.

СУЧАСНІ ТЕХНОЛОГІЇ ЗАЛУЧЕННЯ ФІНАНСУВАННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ ІНІЦІАТИВ

The article discusses the development and establishment of crowdfunding as a modern technology for raising funds for the implementation of social projects and initiatives. The term "Crowdfunding" should be understood as a model of collective financing or collective cooperation of a large number of people who voluntarily pool their financial and other resources, mainly via the Internet, to support projects, organizations, other people, etc. The results of the study confirmed the conclusion that funding for social initiatives is decreasing not only in Ukraine but also abroad; the main reasons for this decrease are changing priorities in activities, financial problems of donors, etc. In the context of war, the main advantages of the crowdfunding model of fundraising, compared to traditional ones, include the following: the ability to accumulate a significant amount of resources from a large number of investors, the ability to determine the areas of expenditure more broadly, the speed of receiving funds, greater transparency of information about investment objects, accountability and responsibility of companies to the community of investors or donors, the presence of social impact, and the possibility of wider use of digital tools. Therefore, one of the current challenges is the formation and development of networks of crowdfunding platforms in Ukraine, based on the principles inherent in international platforms. The study reveals the dependence of the development of civic engagement and crowdfunding, in particular, it shows that the public manifests social initiatives through charitable and volunteer actions (targeted actions), as well as through the development of industry clusters (social enterprises), advocacy coalitions, etc. It is noted that financing through crowdfunding platforms allows accumulating not only financial assets, but also human capital in the form of a combination of skills and knowledge, developing the cultural capital of the local community; promotes social cohesion. It is emphasized that the implementation of social initiatives is more effective if the level of public trust in these projects and their actors increases.

ДУХОВНИЙ ПОТЕНЦІАЛ КЛУБНИХ ОБ’ЄДНАНЬ ПЕДАГОГІЧНИХ ЗВО В УМОВАХ ВІЙНИ

The article is devoted to the study of the experience of club associations of pedagogical institutions of higher education during the war. The directions, innovative approaches, forms and methods implemented by the circle workers against modern challenges are highlighted. The importance of motivating higher education graduates to carry out volunteer actions is emphasized. The potential ability of future specialists to overcome psychological barriers and obstacles, to develop in all directions, and to spend time with benefit has been revealed.

Understanding aspects that influence Brazilian companies' employees in volunteer initiatives participation: Contributions to sustainable development

AbstractIn the last decades, several indicators are showing the inadequacy of countries' economic models. Changes in these models are necessary to contemplate the concept of sustainable development. In this sense, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals were published by United Nations to guide companies, countries and people. Volunteer actions are important initiatives for this. This kind of initiative can be described as the act of helping someone, aiming to contribute to a fairer society in which charity and citizenship are present. The main objective of this study is to analyze the main aspects that influence Brazilian companies' employees to participate in volunteer programs and, to identify how these aspects may be grouped into factors. Initially, a bibliographic study was carried out to identify the main aspects that influence the participation of companies' employees in volunteer programs. With this information, a questionnaire was structured and used in a survey. Data analysis was performed via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and five from seven aspects analyzed were validated. They are grouped into two factors named “personal aspects” and “institutional aspects”. The first factor better explains the aspects mentioned. The results presented here may be useful for managers of volunteer programs and researchers interested in the theme.

A Methodology for Automatic Acquisition of Flood‐event Management Information From Social Media: the Flood in Messinia, South Greece, 2016

Social network data, utilised as a VGI source, was analysed using the September 2016 flood event in Messinia, South Greece. The flood event led to damage in the urban and rural environment in the general area, and to human deaths. An innovative methodology is based on applying machine learning to classify Twitter content. Tweets were classified into the following ten categories: (i) flood identification, (ii) rain identification, (iii) consequences of the flood, (iv) expressed emotions, (v) ironic attitude to local disaster management authorities, (vi) disaster management information, (vii); volunteer actions, (viii); situation overview, (ix); social effects, and (x); weather information. Some of the categories were divided further, to quantify significant information. The classified output was sequentially geo-referenced by identifying geographic entities within the text of each post (geo-parsing) and replicating each post according to the number of geolocations. The data processing involved various geo-validations and performance metrics. The final output was used to create maps and graphs of different time periods, that provide useful insights into the flood event for disaster management purposes. The applied methodology is an evolution of previous research published by the author, this time providing complete results, based on the analysis of 100 % of the data available, with maps and graphs which demonstrate how the flood event unfolded in different time periods. The methodology is fully automated in terms of data processing, and can be applied using a script developed by the author in the R programming language. This research is a step towards the real-time delivery of advanced information for all disaster management stakeholders, from official authorities and rescue teams, to volunteers and locals who may be situated within the area of a disastrous flood occurrence.

Organizational outcomes of corporate volunteering: the qualitative study

Purpose : The aim of this paper is to identify benefits of corporate volunteer programs gained on employee behaviors’ side. Specifically, the following research question is posed: what benefits of corporate volunteer projects are there observed by employees participating in them? Methodology/approach : The paper is based on a qualitative study conducted in the form of semi-structured in-depth individual interviews with employees participating in volunteer programs. Findings : The study shows that corporate volunteering leads to positive effects on employees, including increased work meaningfulness, competence development and strengthen interpersonal relationships at work. Simultaneously, the study suggests that work meaningfulness plays focal role in the overall process. Implications : Results of the study deliver practical implications for companies implementing corporate volunteering. Volunteer programs should be organized in a way giving employees full autonomy in crafting their projects. The programs should also support and intensify employee interactions and favor volunteer actions requiring wide range of skills. Originality/value: The study contributes to theory development in the field of both corporate social responsibility and organizational behavior. Specifically, it gives an insight on how responsible business practices may strengthen employees’ sense of meaningfulness of work and subsequently improve their competences and mutual relations.

Motivations to Help: Local Volunteer Humanitarians in US Refugee Resettlement

AbstractDrawing on qualitative interviews conducted in 2017 with 29 volunteers in the US state of Oregon, in this article, we critically examine volunteers’ motivations to aid migrants and refugees in an overtly hostile political period. Our central aim is understanding what sustains local volunteer actions to offer welcome to refugees when state policies and practices are exclusionary and unwelcoming. Considering these community-based efforts as a form of volunteer humanitarianism, we discuss three central motivations for these efforts: first, personal and family histories connect volunteers in intimate ways to migrant and refugee struggles; second, volunteers are therefore affectively motivated to help, drawing on powerful emotions to sustain their efforts; and third, these local volunteer efforts strive to reimagine US citizenship and national belonging in more inclusionary ways.

Socially active school as an actor of community social work in Ukraine

The article is devoted to the analysis of socially active schools as subjects of social work under decentralization in Ukraine. It is noted that in the context of the reform of local self-government and decentralization in Ukraine, a contradiction is formed between the need to create an accessible system of social support for the population and the possible inability of many united territorial communities to form it. Therefore, united territorial communities should use all available resources and opportunities to ensure the effective provision of social support to the population. One of such resources is school, in particular, its special model, which is called “socially active school”. The socially active school is an educational institution in which considerable attention is paid to building partnerships between the school and community. The model of a socially active school as a center for the development of a local community includes the following areas of activity: democratization, volunteering, and school-community partnerships. Each of these areas involves the use of various tools by a socially active school. Democratization involves the introduction of some democratic procedures in the school: democratization of lessons, creation of effective bodies of school self-government. Volunteering is associated with volunteer actions that becoming an integral part of the school. The partnership between the school and the community is seen as the establishment and development of mutually beneficial relations between the school and the local community for joint problem solving. The main tools in this area of activity are providing of various services, including social, for residents; organizing joint events; developing and implementing social programs and projects, educational activities, etc. In the process of implementing such activities the school gradually becomes a resource center of the local community and turns into an important subject of social work. The article discusses the history of socially active schools, the main directions and instruments of their activity, concludes that socially active schools could play the significant role in community social work.

КОМПЕТЕНТНІСНИЙ ПІДХІД У ПІДГОТОВЦІ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ ПРАЦІВНИКІВ ДО РОБОТИ З ДІТЬМИ ІЗ СІМЕЙ, ЩО ОПИНИЛИСЯ В СКЛАДНИХ ЖИТТЄВИХ ОБСТАВИНАХ

КОМПЕТЕНТНІСНИЙ ПІДХІД У ПІДГОТОВЦІ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ ПРАЦІВНИКІВ ДО РОБОТИ З ДІТЬМИ ІЗ СІМЕЙ, ЩО ОПИНИЛИСЯ В СКЛАДНИХ ЖИТТЄВИХ ОБСТАВИНАХ

Bad moon rising? The influence of the lunar cycle on amphibian roadkills

Annually, roads, and their associated users, are responsible for millions of roadkills worldwide. Mortality affects multiple taxonomic groups, but amphibians are particularly vulnerable, due to their size and underreporting. In fact, very high mortality frequencies can occur, mostly during short periods of time, when individuals migrate to and from reproduction areas (e.g., ponds). In this study, we assess the influence of the lunar cycle on amphibian roadkills, while accounting for weather conditions. As expected, the main environmental effects explaining roadkill numbers were weather related, with increases in minimum air temperature, average relative air humidity, and cumulative rainfall during the previous 24 h having a positive effect on roadkill numbers for all studied species. However, the lunar cycle also affected roadkills for two of the studied species. Darker nights had higher numbers of roadkills of Pleurodeles waltl, while moonlit nights had higher numbers of Salamandra salamandra. As such, these moon effects are species specific. Animals that are more active in moonlight may be at an advantage if their visual acuity is better than that of their predators. We hypothesize that differences between species in the response to moonlight may be due to differences perceived in predation risk. This information should be considered when designing mitigation measures. Volunteer actions, for instance, can be planned and coordinated keeping in mind the most appropriate weather conditions for the general amphibian community and specific phases of the lunar cycle for particular species.

The role and the precariousness of volunteer work in Brazilian protected areas

This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence patterns and role of volunteering in Brazilian protected areas in facing the scenarios of reduced public funds for conservation. Thus, we analyzed volunteer work documents in 210 Brazilian conservation units and carried out a meta-analysis on the proposed objectives, activities offered, the prerequisites for participation and the provisions offered to volunteers. Parks have the highest demand for volunteers (i.e. the type of protected area where volunteers are needed the most to perform volunteer work), as well as for the objectives, activities and prerequisites. Volunteering is motivated by objectives associated with providing practical experience, but in activities associated with public use, visitation and infrastructure. The desired profile is associated with adults with advanced education who have experience in the environmental sciences, and there is no incentive for participation by local resident. The provisions offered to volunteers are mainly related to work execution itself, such as accommodation, food and transportation, despite the relatively low supply of training courses and personal protective equipment. We argue that volunteer actions are being encouraged to meet both the need for professionals and the reduced public funds allocated to conservation. In this sense, this incentive has motivated volunteer precariousness, since the ideal volunteer activity motives are distorted, as well as the services rendered. Knowledge of this process is important to assist in planning public policies and initiatives for conservation, as well as in models for restructuring voluntary action that can achieve both the objectives of volunteer action (i.e. inclusion of the surrounding community and society in the conservation), as well as to contribute to advances in the ecology and in the effectiveness of natural area conservation.

Особенности институционализации волонтерского движения в современном российском обществе

We analyze the peculiarities of the process of institutionalization of the volunteer movement in Russia. The genesis of the concept of “institutionalization of the volunteer movement” as a mechanism of social and state interaction, support of volunteer initiatives for social efficiency of volunteer activity is considered. We characterize new types of volunteering (educational, corporate volunteering, family, volunteering in the media). The process of institutionalization of the volunteer movement is defined through the prism of the model of development of the social movement, which includes seven phases (latent, articulatory, organizational, ideological, quantita-tive, organizational, institutional). Volunteer movement is defined as mobile, with a clear organi-zational structure (formal and non-formal), uniting various social groups, transmitting the ideas of volunteerism as a response to the solution of acute social problems. We focuse on the institutional processes in the field of volunteer activities, pursuing the goals of the best volunteer social and cultural actions. The main institutional elements of volunteer movements (volunteer programs, volunteer actions, specialized congresses, forums, conferences, specialized networks of volunteer organizations; volunteer associations, unions, councils; funds for support and development of volunteering; volunteer information networks; state and municipal programs to support volunteer initiatives; legal support of volunteer activities) are highlighted. The perspective directions of the volunteer movement institutionalization in Russia are revealed.

ThemeRise: a theme-oriented framework for volunteered geographic information applications

MotivationWeb 2.0 disseminated the possibility of engaging citizens in data collection initiatives, also known as Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), a type of crowdsourcing. This project was conceived based on the need to quickly develop and publish geographic data collection tools and resources that could be customized to any relevant theme and engage as many contributors as possible.ImplementationThemeRise, a framework for generating VGI applications, was implemented with current and flexible technologies, which ensure its extensibility and evolution. The framework manages the structure and characteristics of data collection target themes individually, allowing for multi-thematic VGI initiative design. This perspective shift also allows a individualization of rewards for volunteer actions, so that the affinity of users to theme-related knowledge domains can be adequately considered and rewarded. As it currently stands, ThemeRise allows creating and publishing VGI resources in minutes, while preserving a sophisticated control over themes, contributions and user experience.

Brakes and barriers of Corporate Volunteering

The objective of this research is to study which are the determinants for the participation of employees in Corporate Volunteer actions -hereafter CV- that can become barriers and brakes, and which ones can mean negative consequences for the company. Ignorance of managers for these programs, about which are those brakes and its relevance, may be behind the low participation fees that companies have in their Corporate Volunteering Programs.For this purpose, we conducted a qualitative empirical study to define a model, based on the motivations and determinants of employee participation in corporate volunteer programs. The methodology that we use in order to advance the understanding of this field is common in the dynamics of so-called Discussion Groups or Focus Group (FG). We believe that this methodological approach fits well with the research question and objectives that guide us in this work, since it will allow the reconstruction of real social situations and to capture the interaction between different discourses.We trust the fact the model proposed really allows advance in knowledge of Corporate Volunteer field, as literature suggested, and we offer a conceptual framework to managers in order to develop CV programs that allows mitigating potential risks and increasing employee participation effectively.

Refugee crisis in Greece: The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens paves the way to meet the challenge.

By its statute, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUoA)—the oldest and more prestigious Institution of Higher Education in Greece-supports education at the highest level and promotes social cohesion (1). During this refugee crisis of enormous magnitude (2), NKUoA actively supports these vulnerable populations with a variety of immediate actions including healthcare services and integration actions ( Figure 1 ). Moreover, it supports collaborations among Institutional volunteer programs, local authorities, private non-profit foundations, NGOs, social partners and General State Administration (Ministry of Health). To ensure the transparency of the actions and inform public opinion about refugee crisis, a bulletin including updates on policies about refugees, with special interest in Greece, is released weekly under the auspice of NKUoA. NKUoA has also established an Action Watch-Solidarity Network for the refugees with the participation of more than 100 doctors and scientific bodies in order to offer immediate and coordinated volunteer actions, including administrative support, healthcare services and supplies.

RESPONSABILIDADE SOCIAL CORPORATIVA: O QUE REVELAM OS RELATÓRIOS SOCIAIS DAS EMPRESAS

Resumo Nesta pesquisa, foram analisadas empresas listadas na bolsa de valores brasileira, no intuito de apreendermos o que elas entendem por responsabilidade social corporativa. Foram coletadas informações sobre os discursos oficiais dessas organizações nos documentos publicados em relatórios anuais disponíveis ao público, nomeadamente, os Relatórios de Sustentabilidade, os Sociais, os Balanços Sociais, os Relatórios Anuais e, finalmente, os da Administração. Esse material foi submetido à análise de conteúdo, o que desvelou que essas empresas têm percepções diferentes sobre as práticas em questão, e as confundem com filantropia, multas e investimentos.

Identifying effective actions to guide volunteer-based and nationwide conservation efforts for a ground-nesting farmland bird.

Summary Modern farming practices threaten wildlife in different ways, and failure to identify the complexity of multiple threats acting in synergy may result in ineffective management. To protect ground‐nesting birds in farmland, monitoring and mitigating impacts of mechanical harvesting is crucial.Here, we use 6 years of data from a nationwide volunteer‐based monitoring scheme of the Montagu's harrier, a ground‐nesting raptor, in French farmlands. We assess the effectiveness of alternative nest protection measures and map their potential benefit to the species.We show that unprotected nests in cultivated land are strongly negatively affected by harvesting and thus require active management. Further, we show that protection from harvesting alone (e.g. by leaving a small unharvested buffer around the nest) is impaired by post‐harvest predation at nests that become highly conspicuous after harvest. Measures that simultaneously protect from harvesting and predation (by adding a fence around the nest) significantly enhance nest productivity.The map of expected gain from nest protection in relation to available volunteers' workforce pinpoints large areas of high expected gain from nest protection that are not matched by equally high workforce availability. This mismatch suggests that the impact of nest protection can be further improved by increasing volunteer efforts in key areas where they are low relative to the expected gain they could have. Synthesis and applications. This study shows that synergistic interplay of multiple factors (e.g. mechanical harvesting and predation) may completely undermine the success of well‐intentioned conservation efforts. However, identifying areas where the greatest expected gains can be achieved relative to effort expended can minimize the risk of wasted volunteer actions. Overall, this study underscores the importance of citizen science for collecting large‐scale data useful for producing science and ultimately informs large‐scale evidence‐based conservation actions within an adaptive management framework.

Social Pedagogical Reflexes of Greek Society during the Economic Crisis Period: Indicative Social Pedagogical Actions

The present paper investigates the social pedagogical reflexes from various organizations in Greece during the period of economical crisis in order to handle the various and different problems that have occurred. These social pedagogical reflexes are investigated and presented through an indicative presentation of several social pedagogical actions taking place in this country during this period, originating from different social pedagogical institutions. The indicative social pedagogical actions have been divided into five basic categories, aiming to show in a better way the respective lines of interest of the practice of Greek social pedagogy during the crisis period.In this context, this paper presents different social pedagogical actions, focusing on the profile, the aims and the social pedagogical work of institutions, i.e. of non-governmental organizations, associations, public and private initiatives, usually based on volunteer actions of Greek citizens. These institutions are aiming to resolve and effectively address a wide range of social pedagogical problems.With the support of the aforementioned institutions, coordinated and active networks of volunteers have been created throughout the country. These aim to effectively support social pedagogically oriented programmes and actions. Through their collaboration, selfless offer, systematic work, empathy, solidarity and respect towards every person, all of the individuals and groups involved strongly demonstrate the ethos of social pedagogy and greatly increase the possibilities for practitioners in social pedagogy.

Il volontariato: una mappa concettuale

The object of this essay is to trace a «conceptual map» of voluntarism, approaching its many features, its multiple definitions and analysis perspectives, in order to comprehend this phenomenon in light of its transformations over the recent years. For this purpose, the main «concepts», are considered at a micro, meso and macro level. Among the elements analyzed are: volunteer actions, «classic voluntarism», «new voluntarism», the role of the social network and its actors, solidarity, gift, reciprocity, identity, volunteer organizations, legislation and governance.