Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Volunteer Management and Cooperation Psychology
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish
Teaching staff
Introduction
The course "Volunteer Management and Cooperation Psychology" explores the skills and knowledge needed to effectively manage volunteer programs and understand the psychological dynamics of cooperation.
Students will learn strategies for recruiting, training, motivating, and retaining volunteers. These strategies will foster positive relationships and achieve organizational goals. The course also delves into the psychological principles of altruism, motivation, and group dynamics, equipping students to address challenges in volunteer management and cooperation psychology. This interdisciplinary approach prepares participants to lead successful volunteer initiatives in nonprofit, corporate, and community settings.
Objectives
The main objective is to provide students with the theoretical and practical tools to manage volunteer programs effectively, fostering a positive and productive environment. The course emphasizes understanding the psychological foundations of cooperation, motivation, and altruism to enhance volunteer engagement, satisfaction, and retention.
- Volunteer Management: Develop the ability to design, implement, and evaluate volunteer programs, including strategies for recruitment, training, motivation, and retention, while ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
- Cooperation Psychology: Analyze the psychological principles underlying cooperation, altruism, and group dynamics to foster effective collaboration and build a supportive environment within volunteer teams.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- C106 - Build resilient teams for social impact and exercise stakeholder advocacy.
Learning outcomes of the subject
- Define and trace the history of volunteer management and its scope in nonprofit, corporate, and community sectors.
- Design a volunteer program including strategic recruitment, role descriptions, and evaluation frameworks.
- Analyze psychological principles of altruism, empathy, and social norms to understand why people cooperate.
- Distinguish between volunteering and cooperation, evaluating the shift from individual commitment to collective action.
- Apply motivational theories (e.g., Maslow, Herzberg, and Pink) to enhance volunteer satisfaction and retention.
- Execute recruitment and onboarding strategies that build a sense of belonging and set clear expectations.
- Lead diverse teams by managing group dynamics and applying conflict resolution techniques.
- Implement effective communication practices, specifically regarding the "feedback loop" in volunteer environments.
- Measure group impact using data and standardized tools to assess social and organizational outcomes.
- Synthesize course concepts into a final capstone presentation for a practical volunteer management initiative.
Syllabus
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The course will consist of lectures, group discussions, and projects or presentations.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
The course will consist of lectures, group discussions, and projects or presentations. We will combine theory and practice with local and international cases.
Evaluation:
- Final Project – “Volunteer program”: 50%
- Participation: 20%
- Assignments: 20%
- Attendance: 10%
Bibliography and resources
Alter, S. K. (2003). Social enterprise: A typology of the field contextualized in Latin America. Inter-American Development Bank.
Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2023). Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice: A guide to the theory and practice of people management. Kogan Page Publishers.
Serrano, L., Bose, M., Arenas, D., Berger, G., Márquez, P., Lozano, G., ... & Fischer, R. M. Effective Management of Social Enterprises: Lessons from Businesses and Civil Society Organizations in Iberoamerica Title: Gestión efectiva de emprendimientos sociales: Lecciones extraídas de empresas y organizaciones de la sociedad civil en Iberoamérica (No. 79938). Inter-American Development Bank.