A Study of Voluntary Organizational Membership: The Assimilation Process in a Community Choir

Whereas most previous research on organizational assimilation has examined the process of employees joining, becoming a part of, or leaving organizations as part of their careers, this study examines the assimilation process of volunteer members of a community choir. Results indicate that many of the same concepts apply to both employees and volunteers during anticipatory socialization, encounter, metamorphosis, and exit. However, volunteer experiences are different from employee experiences in a number of important areas throughout the process, especially regarding exit. These findings have implications for other volunteer organizations and for assimilation research in general.