Gornostaeva, Galina and McGurk, Patrick (2013) Olympic volunteering for the unemployed: Who benefits and how? International Journal of Employment Studies, 21 (1). pp. 5-30. ISSN 1039-6993

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Abstract

This paper investigates the benefits of volunteering at the Olympic Games. It draws on theories of human capital and social capital to conceptualise the intended outcomes of volunteering, and applies these to the context of the Olympics. The paper argues that Olympic volunteering has become an instrument of active labour market policy, aiming to encourage social participation among the unemployed and transition them into employment. A case study of the outcomes of a major events volunteering initiative for the unemployed in London is presented. The paper concludes that the development of human and social capital through Olympic volunteering will be limited and unevenly distributed across three distinct groups: traditional volunteers; close-to-labour market volunteers; and hard-to-reach volunteers. The paper thereby adds to understanding of how volunteering relates to the development of human and social capital, in particular how this relationship is mediated by institutional arrangements and individuals' experiences of unemployment.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	[1] The International Journal of Employment Studies is the principal (refereed) journal of the International Employment Relations Association (IERA). It is published by the International Employment Relations Association (IERA) on behalf of the OWL-Net research consortium (Organisations, Work and Labour Network).
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Olympics, volunteering, employment, benefits, unemployed, London
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business > Centre for Work and Employment Research (CREW) > Work & Employment Research Unit (WERU)
Related URLs:	Publisher
Last Modified:	24 Oct 2016 06:40
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/10990

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