{"id":7830,"date":"2022-06-14T10:28:40","date_gmt":"2022-06-14T08:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/thechoice\/?p=7830"},"modified":"2023-02-17T16:50:26","modified_gmt":"2023-02-17T14:50:26","slug":"volunteers-are-at-the-frontline-of-the-refugee-crisis-heres-how-we-can-help-them-do-a-better-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/thechoice\/choose-to-lead\/volunteers-are-at-the-frontline-of-the-refugee-crisis-heres-how-we-can-help-them-do-a-better-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteers are at the frontline of the refugee crisis: here\u2019s how we can help them do a better\u00a0job"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The war in Ukraine shows humanity at its worst and at its best. While it is humans who cause the suffering, many also step up, reach out, and volunteer to help those in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Charlotte Traeger<\/a><\/span>
Postdoctoral research fellow, Hertie School of Governance<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Debbie Haski-Leventhal<\/a><\/span>
Associate Professor in Management, Macquarie Graduate School of Management<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Kerstin Alfes<\/a><\/span>
Professor of management, ESCP Business School<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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In Lviv, Western Ukraine, Artem Mokrenet left his job as an interior designer to help refugees at the Ukrainian border, the Australian outlet ABC reports<\/a>. At night, he dons a yellow vest and provides guidance to those searching for trains out of danger zones. Other volunteers strive to supply food, clothing, blankets, or free car rides, sometimes at the risk of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A world running on good deeds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the situation in Ukraine is exceptional, volunteers\u2019 non-remunerated presence is not.<\/strong> In 2021, more than 860 million adults over the age of 15 volunteered every month across the globe, according to the United Nations<\/a>. This equals over 100 million full-time employees worth 1.348 trillion US dollars<\/a>, or 2.4% of the entire global economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heavily dependent on volunteers, non-profit organisations (NPOs) must ensure their workforce is satisfied of their experience if they are to retain them<\/a>.<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research into how to manage volunteers is one route to guarantee they stay onboard during the global refugee crisis. Scholars investigating the experience of Syrian and Afghan refugees in Germany have called to adopt \u201cunconventional management approaches\u201d<\/a> to speed their integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of particular interest in this respect is research on organisation socialisation<\/strong>, or the process by which an individual comes to appreciate the values and behaviours of the organisation for which they work, moving from outsider to insider<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The risk of emotional exhaustion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A study that we published in April 2021 in the journal Human Relations<\/em><\/a> can shed light on the current situation in the Ukraine. It was the first large-scale qualitative study to examine volunteers\u2019 socialisation in the context of refugee help. Based on 42 in-depth interviews, it delves into the experiences of volunteers in three organisations working with refugees and migrants in France and four in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The volunteers\u2019 work was varied. Some provided legal advice on obtaining refugee status or a home in their host country, while others delivered goods and furniture, provided sports training or school support for children. Given the challenging context, many volunteers grappled with emotional challenges. <\/strong>One, who worked several days a week helping refugees, expressed frustration at seeing the number of those in need continuing to rise. Others feared not knowing how to support them or react in difficult situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our study reveals non-profit organisations can reduce their workforce\u2019s stress levels by paying particular attention to their well-being during the stage of onboarding. <\/strong>Referred to in managerial psychology as the entry phase<\/em><\/a>, it can make or break a volunteer\u2019s ability and determination to stay within an organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to master the stage of onboarding: a guide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We found there are three concrete actions that NPOs can take to ensure that the entry phase is successful.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n