The Nature of Perceived Organizational Support for Sport Event Volunteers

This article presents the findings of a study that explored the nature of perceived organizational support (POS) of volunteers at Bicycle Victoria's 2010 Around the Bay in a Day cycling event. It presents evidence of the antecedents that exist for volunteers at a sport event, based on a series of focus groups and individual interviews with both general and team leader volunteers. The results suggest that sport event volunteers' POS largely comprises the support of their immediate supervisor, and the volunteers' ability to make decisions regarding their role, rather than other drivers that are evident within paid employment settings.