What makes women volunteer and lead? The role of perceived institutional, club-level, and individual factors

This study examines the role of factors at the institutional, club, and individual levels for women members’ likelihood to volunteer for the club and take on leadership roles. The focus is on subjective perceptions rather than on objective structural factors. Data were collected with a quantitative online survey targeted at members of Austrian non-profit sport clubs (n = 1,705), with variables capturing sport club members’ perception of factors at the institutional (institutional trust, cooperations), club (e.g. club goals), and individual (e.g. motives to volunteer) level. The results of regression analyses suggest that women’s decision to volunteer is not only associated with factors at the individual level, but also with perceptions about the institutional and club level. For example, higher trust in the sporting umbrella organisation increased the likelihood of women volunteering and leading, especially when the club provides financial/material compensation to its volunteers. The study contributes to theory and practice, for example by showing the importance of women’s perceptions of the club’s environment and by suggesting how sport policy makers and clubs could improve recruitment practices for women volunteers.