Volunteers in mental health service programs : a work behavior analysis
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Sylvia C. Nassar (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- L. DiAnne Borders
Abstract: The Volunteer Work Behavior Questionnaire was developed and administered to volunteers in mental health service programs represented by hospice, crisis, and family service agencies in an effort to identify work behaviors of volunteers. Frequency, importance, and combined item scores were factor analyzed to determine major dimensions of work behaviors. Analyses of variance were conducted between factor "subscale scores" and demographic and background variables, followed by Tukey's Studentized Range test as appropriate. Results of the study include an overall factor structure of work behaviors. Volunteer work behaviors are characterized by three factors of issue-specific interactions, structured and administrative tasks, and communication-specific interactions. Issue-specific interactions accounted for the greatest amount of variance among frequency and combined factors, while structured and administrative tasks accounted for the greatest amount of variance among importance factors. Type of agency yielded significant differences in eight of the nine factors. Means of crisis volunteers were consistently higher for issue-focused interactions for all three factor subscale scores, while means of hospice volunteers were consistently higher for both frequency and importance structured and administrative factors. Other, less consistent patterns were found in demographic and background variables. Similarities were found between volunteer work behaviors and the behaviors of professional counselors (Loesch & Vacc, 1993). Implications for volunteer and counselor training and for future research are identified.
Volunteers in mental health service programs : a work behavior analysis
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Created on 1/1/1994
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 1994
- Subjects
- Volunteer workers in mental health
- Behavioral assessment
- Helping behavior