Graduation Year
2014
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ph.D.
Degree Granting Department
Information Systems and Decision Sciences
Major Professor
Anol Bhattacherjee, Ph.D.
Co-Major Professor
Joni L. Jones, Ph.D.
Keywords
Facebook, functional motives, process virtualization theory, verbal protocol analysis, volunteer recruitment, volunteer retention
Abstract
Volunteer organizations face two challenges not found in non-volunteer organizations: recruiting and retaining volunteers. While social media use is increasing amongst individuals, its use and effectiveness for volunteer recruitment and retention by volunteer organizations is unknown. The dissertation reports the results of three studies to investigate this important question. Using a mixed-methods approach, it addressed the dual nature of social media and its effectiveness by including volunteer organizations and social media users.
This dissertation found that although volunteer organizations are not using social media effectively, they could virtualize requirements of the recruitment process by focusing on relatable events instead of sterile marketing. This dissertation contributes to information systems literature by extending the post-acceptance model of IS continuance to show that social media mediates volunteer continuance. It further contributes by revealing a potential new area of research, i.e., the use and effectiveness of online social media for volunteer organizations.
Scholar Commons Citation
Connolly, Amy J., "The Use and Effectiveness of Online Social Media in Volunteer Organizations" (2014). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/5203
