Bill Calcutt

Bill Calcutt

Completed associate student
About
Bill Calcutt

Utilising the NSW State Emergency Service in a multi-site case study, Bill Calcutt’s Masters research has provided a better understanding of the primary motives for formal volunteering in Australian emergency services. His research applied the Schwartz Theory of Basic Human Values and associated
Portrait Values Questionnaire survey to determine the shared and contrasting values of a large state- wide emergency service volunteer workforce.

Values are powerful motivators, with shared values reinforcing volunteer commitment and retention, and conflicting values contributing to volunteer turnover. Bill’s findings show statistically significant variations in values preferences within the existing emergency service volunteer workforce by gender and generation, with females expressing a stronger preference for altruistic (other-oriented) values, and males and younger volunteers expressing a stronger preference for egoistic (self-oriented) values. This affirms the crucial role of values as primary motives for emergency service volunteering, and the values differences revealed by Bill’s research have important implications for how the divergent values needs of distinct sections of the volunteer workforce can be acknowledged and accommodated.

Bill presented his research as a Three Minute Thesis at the CRC’s Research Advisory Forum’s in 2017 and 2019. He now works as a private consultant.

Student project

This research aims to understand the primary motives for volunteering in Australian emergency services, and the main reasons for volunteer turnover. Values are the enduring principles and beliefs that guide and motivate personal and group attitudes and behaviours. Utilising a well-established values evaluation framework, this study is seeking to identify the distinctive and dominant personal and shared values that motivate volunteer participation in emergency services, and to evaluate the importance of individual, group and organisational values alignment for volunteer satisfaction, commitment and retention.
Supervisory panel:
27 Aug 2019
The research aims to provide a better understanding of the primary motives for formal volunteering...
Improving  the retention and engagement of volunteers in the emergency service agencies
30 Jun 2017
Volunteers were surveyed to identify the dominant and shared values of volunteers in the NSW SES...
Valuing volunteers study
30 Jun 2017
Volunteers are the lifeblood of Australian emergency services and constitute a unique skilled...
Bill Calcutt Conference Poster 2016
12 Aug 2016
Australian emergency services face a range of contemporary challenges, including the ongoing...
Volunteering Challenges for Emergency Services
18 Aug 2015
Australian emergency services face a range of contemporary challenges, including the ongoing...
Voluntary expectations and experience
25 Aug 2014
In the face of an increase in the frequency and severity of emergency events, various individual,...

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