Understanding the Sport Event Volunteer Experience In the Implementation Mode of a Para-sport Event: An Autoethnography

Abstract

Research on volunteerism is one of the largest areas of inquiry within sport event management. Yet, the volunteer experience, as a phenomenon related to four constructs (satisfaction, motivation, commitment, and sense of community), is poorly understood over the course of the event's life cycle due to the strong emphasis on quantitative methodologies and cross-sectional designs. Using an autoethnographic approach, the purpose of this study was to understand the volunteer experience in the implementation mode of the event life cycle. The context of the study was the 2017 Canadian Electric Wheelchair Hockey Association Nationals where the first author collected data through field notes and a personal journal, while the second author acted as an outsider and allowed for peer debriefing to occur. Following the completion of the event, data were thematically analyzed and two key themes were identified: (a) success in assigned role: satisfaction and the volunteer experience, and (b) sense of community: impetus for commitment, motivation, and the volunteer experience. Theoretical contributions of this article include (1) the transferability of the conceptual framework used in the study, which was originally developed and investigated in the planning mode of the event life cycle; and (2) the understanding of the volunteer experience during the implementation mode and how it is impacted by its four related constructs. Event managers are encouraged to develop specific strategies touching upon satisfaction, motivation, commitment, and sense of community to enhance their volunteers' experience.