Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
search and all groups whose mission statement and overall organizational purpose
matched the definition of a volunteer stewardship group were included in the sample.
Our initial sample included fifty-one volunteer stewardship groups and the names
of the primary land management employee working with each group. Several groups
worked with the same land management agency office, which meant that we con-
tacted thirty-nine land management personnel. Mail-back questionnaires were sent to
the volunteer group leader and the land management agency employee associated
with each group.
We used standard survey research methods to develop and administer the ques-
tionnaires and to encourage participation (Salant and Dillman 1994). We sent a pre-
mailing e-mail, and then a mailed questionnaire packet that included an instruction
letter, the questionnaire, and a postage-paid return envelope. We sent two follow-up
reminder mailings. The questionnaires included both open- and closed-ended ques-
tions. A definition of a volunteer stewardship group was provided as well as the follow-
ing definition of a successful volunteer stewardship group:
Successful volunteer stewardship groups demonstrate a high level of achieve-
ment proportionate to their vision and mandate, which is measurable inter-
nally by the satisfaction of those involved as well as externally by the level of
community support and public recognition (Millar 2003).
Two open-ended questions asked volunteer group leaders and agency personnel to
tell us to list the key characteristics that make a volunteer group successful and those
that would contribute to a lack of success. Responses to the questions were content an-
alyzed, and each response was placed into one of seven categories of the McKinsey
(2001) capacity framework model of the elements of a nonprofit organization de-
scribed earlier.
Each response was evaluated using the category definitions. We gave each cate-
gory an importance rating according to the number of responses it received. The ques-
tions designed to address the relationship between volunteer stewardship groups and
land management agencies focused on three key mediating variables of a successful
relationship: (1) communicative interaction, (2) commitment, and (3) trust. Respon-
dents were asked to rate each of the following statements as to its importance to the
success of a volunteer stewardship group using a 5-point Likert scale of -2 through 2,
where -2 was “very unimportant” and 2 was “very important”:
• The relationship between the agency and volunteer group members
• Perceived trust between the agency and volunteer group members
• Formal communication (e.g., use of professional letterheads, business attire for
meetings) between the agency and volunteer group members
• Consistent communication between the agency and volunteer group members
• Opportunities for social interaction between the agency and volunteer group
members
• Information sharing between the agency and volunteer group members
