Perceived Organizational Support and Volunteer Outcomes: Evidence From a German Environmental Nonprofit Organization

While research on organizational aspects designed to enhance volunteer attitudes has grown over time, we still lack knowledge on the mechanisms that explain these relationships and are specific to the volunteering context. In the present study, we draw on social identity theory to explore how two organizational characteristics relating to a nonprofit organization’s (NPO) nature (volunteers’ organizational vision acceptance) and nurture (volunteers’ perception of organizational support) interact to promote volunteers’ engagement and retention. Findings from a survey of 1,355 volunteers in a German environmental NPO show that the relationship between perceived organizational support and both volunteer outcomes is mediated by organizational identification and moderated by volunteers’ acceptance of organizational vision. We contribute to research on the professionalization of volunteer management by highlighting the importance of volunteers’ acceptance of their NPO’s vision for their engagement and intention to leave.