Mobilising volunteer groups, communities and agencies during the pandemic: a rapid realist view of the evidence

Dylan Kneale (), Mukdarut Bangpan, Kathryn Hartley and Meihui Hou
Additional contact information
Dylan Kneale: University College London
Mukdarut Bangpan: University College London
Kathryn Hartley: University College London
Meihui Hou: University College London

Palgrave Communications, 2023, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic represented a rise in ‘people power’ globally, expressed through manifold acts of kindness, solidarity and mutualism as communities organised and came together where governments could or would not. In this study we were interested in the mechanisms through which communities and agencies extended existing practices and structures to respond to the pandemic or adopted new ways of organising. We undertook a rapid realist systematic review, following established steps and drawing on the Volunteer Process Model as our core theory. We worked with 59 studies to identify the mechanisms through which individuals, agencies and organisations, and communities mobilised and we identified six mechanisms. Gaining experience and developing role identity were key in mobilising volunteers to undertake activities and also resulted in positive outcomes for the volunteers themselves. Adaptability ensured that individuals, groups and local agencies and organisations were able to respond to the changing needs of beneficiary groups. Co-ordination helped communities, agencies and mutual aid groups to work together rather than in competition. Emotional support, support in the form of social and material recognition, and support through training were important in sustaining a volunteer workforce and protecting the wellbeing of the volunteer workforce. Altruism was a key motivator for stepping up during the pandemic and becoming a volunteer while greater trust was linked with the extent to which groups and communities were able to scale up efforts to respond to higher demands during the pandemic. While the COVID-19 pandemic represented a period of great social upheaval, it illuminated the ‘power of people’ working together. Our findings identify six key mechanisms that supported this mobilisation, which may be critical to activate in future health emergencies, but are also largely reflective of investments made before the pandemic to support the development of social capital and the development of volunteering infrastructure.

Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-023-02271-z Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-02271-z

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/palcomms/about

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-02271-z

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Palgrave Communications from Palgrave Macmillan
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().