Volunteer management: science or arts?

The existing literature on volunteering largely focuses on volunteers’ characteristics and motivations, with comparatively less attention to how volunteers are managed. Moreover, much of the research on volunteer management relies on frameworks drawn from Human Resource Management (HRM). This article presents findings from a scoping review of key volunteer management literature, supplemented by a critical thematic analysis, to advance understanding of this domain. We first argue that volunteers and paid employees are motivated by fundamentally different factors, requiring distinct management approaches. We then show how these differences complicate the direct application of traditional HRM practices to volunteer management. Next, we identify non-HRM volunteer management practices widely supported in the literature, followed by a discussion of underutilized HRM practices that could strengthen management in nonprofit organizations (NPOs). Finally, we propose context-sensitive recommendations that emphasize tailored, person-centered, and empowering strategies, moving beyond conventional HRM paradigms to better align with volunteers’ unique characteristics and motivations.