Ideal Workers, Supporting Actors, or Thrill Seekers? How Coworker Demands Influence Ambulance Volunteers' Experiences of Freedom and Meaningful Work.

ABSTRACT: For nonprofit organizations (NPOs) struggling to attract adequate numbers of volunteers, examining what makes nonprofit engagement meaningful is essential because disenchanted volunteers can simply quit. Yet, the assumption that freedom is a core aspect of the volunteer experience and of meaningful work may not hold true in high-stakes environments where volunteers must demonstrate high levels of commitment and expertise. This study aims to analyze how freedom plays out in high-stakes volunteering and its impact on meaningful work. Drawing on interviews with volunteer and paid ambulance crew working in nine stations in Aotearoa New Zealand, the study explores how "super-volunteers" talk about freedom in the context of their on-road work and how coworkers communicatively attempt to influenc

SUBMITTER: McAllum K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11882614 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature