Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Rocky Dwyer

Abstract

Implementing effective strategies to address the challenges of volunteer engagement is critical for helping ensure the sustainability of nonprofit healthcare organizations. Nonprofit healthcare leaders seek strategies to increase the volunteer workforce and enhance volunteer engagement. Through the conceptual lens of Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory, the strategies nonprofit healthcare leaders used to reduce volunteer turnover were explored in this single-case study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 5 nonprofit healthcare leaders from a single organization in the southwestern United States. Analysis of internal and external organizational documents and publicly available data were manually coded and thematically organized. The use of a methodological triangulation process and member checking increased the reliability of data interpretation. Using the thematic approach, 3 themes emerged: volunteer recognition improved volunteer turnover, open communication improved volunteer turnover, and relationship building improved volunteer turnover. Nonprofit healthcare leaders can use these findings to gain a better understanding of how supporting the expectations, needs, and requirements of volunteers can improve engagement and reduce turnover. The findings from this study may contribute to positive social change by providing nonprofit leaders with strategies to reduce volunteer turnover, enhance operational processes, and improve organizational performance. Nonprofit healthcare leaders who develop volunteer engagement strategies can increase organizational success and develop successful work habits among volunteers to improve economic growth in communities they serve.

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