Turnover Intentions of Nonprofit Fundraising Professionals: the Roles of Perceived Fit, Exchange Relationships, and Job Satisfaction
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Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2015 Turnover Intentions of Nonprofit undrF aising Professionals: The Roles of Perceived Fit, Exchange Relationships, and Job Satisfaction Abbi L. Haggerty Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons, and the Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3802 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © Abbi Leinwand Haggerty 2015 All Rights Reserved Turnover Intentions of Nonprofit Fundraising Professionals: The Roles of Perceived Fit, Exchange Relationships, and Job Satisfaction A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. by Abbi Leinwand Haggerty B.A., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2002 M.P.A., Virginia Commonwealth University, 2005 Director: Dr. Nancy B. Stutts Chair, Master of Public Administration Program and Advisor, Nonprofit Studies Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia May 2015 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my dissertation committee who has supported and guided me through the process of writing this dissertation. I did not fully appreciate the time, dedication, and persistence that would be required to complete this endeavor. Thank you Dr. Nancy Stutts, Dr. Charles Calderwood, Dr. Susan Gooden, and Dr. Saltanat Liebert for seeing me through to the end! A special thanks to Dr. Stutts who chaired my committee and showed me a great deal of patience along the way. I would also like to acknowledge the other faculty members at VCU from whom I had the pleasure of learning. You encouraged and inspired me to pursue the study of public administration, public policy, and nonprofit management and taught me to always approach life with a curious and open mind. This dissertation would not have been possible without the collaboration of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. Marla Cornelius generously provided me with the data from the surveys that led to the report, UnderDeveloped: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising, for analysis in this study. Extending access to this data demonstrates the organization’s dedication to shared and open learning as well as commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector. Marla graciously answered my questions about the data, and I am forever grateful that through this partnership I was able to answer the research questions addressed in this study. I would not have been able to pursue this degree without the support of several local nonprofit employers. My supervisors and colleagues at CenterStage Foundation, John Tyler iii Community College Foundation, and the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence have cheered me on during this process and truly provided me with the opportunity to complete this program. A special thank you to Diana, Bev, and Kathleen for giving me the flexibility to attend classes and write this dissertation. My coworkers at each of these organizations are the reason that I continue to love working in and studying the nonprofit sector. Finally, I dedicate this dissertation to my family members and close friends, who I know will be just as happy as I am that this dissertation is finished! My parents have always believed in my ability to accomplish any task I put before myself and have given me the confidence I needed to complete this degree. Thanks Mom and Dad for being my number one fans. My sisters, Alease and Addison, have also supported me through this program and been incredibly understanding of the time commitments it has required. I look forward to spending more time with both of you now. My husband, Chris, has borne the brunt of my emotional ups and downs these past few years and demonstrates time and again why I chose to marry him! His pep talks and shoulder rubs have carried me through the writing process. His one request was that I acknowledge our two “perfect” dogs, Loki and Orin, who somewhat patiently sat in the office with me many nights to keep me company. To my friends—Angela, Carol, Elizabeth, Erin, Janet, Laura, Laurie, Megan, Nichole, Sarah, and Tiffany—you’re simply the best! iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………………….ii LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………………….vii LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………………..viii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………...ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………........1 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………………….2 Why Fundraising Turnover is Important to Public Administration……...………………..5 Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………………………8 Significance of the Study………………………………………………………………...11 Historical and Contemporary Context for the Study…………………………………….13 Professionalization of the Field………………………………………………….14 Training and Education…………………………………………………………..15 Professional Associations………………………………………………………..16 Who are Fundraisers……………………………………………………………………..17 Demographics……………………………………………………………………17 Roles and Responsibilities……………………………………………………….20 Present Day Challenges………………………………………………………….21 Theoretical Underpinnings of the Study…………………………………………………22 Perceived Person-Job and Person-Organization Fit……………………………...22 Exchange Relationships………………………………………………………….24 Why Turnover Matters…………………………………………………………………...25 Research Questions and Hypotheses..…………………………………………………...28 Outline of Study…………………………………………………………………….........30 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………………...31 Turnover in the Fundraising Profession………………………………………………….33 The History of Turnover Research & Modeling…………………………………………38 Origin of Modern Day Turnover Studies………………………………………...39 Causal Modeling…………………………………………………………………40 Testing and Refining Models…………………………………………………….42 Turnover Models in the 1990s…………………………………………………...43 21st Century Turnover Models…………………………………………………...44 The Future of Turnover Research………………………………………………..45 Relational Aspects of Turnover………………………………………………….46 Perceived Person-Job and Person-Organization Fit……………………………………...49 Exchange Relationships………………………………………………………………….54 Perceived Organizational Support……………………………………………….55 Perceived Leader-Member Exchange……………………………………………58 Job Satisfaction…………………………………………………………………………..60 v Turnover Intention as a Dependent Variable…………………………………………….61 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………………….64 Data Source………………………………………………………………………………64 Sample……………………………………………………………………………………65 Research Questions and Hypotheses…………………………………………………….69 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………….70 Overview of Secondary Data Analyses………………………………………….70 Criterion Variables……………………………………………………………….71 Predictor Variables……………………………………………………………….72 Subgroup Analyses………………………………………………………………76 Effect Size………………………………………………………………………..77 Limitations……………………………..………………………………………………...77 Summary of Methodology……………….……………………...……………………….79 CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS…………………………………………...80 Multiple Regression Analyses of Criterion Variables…………………………………...81 Plans to Stay in Current Position………………………………………………...81 Intent to Give Notice…………………………………………………………….83 Plans to Stay in the Field………………………………………………………...84 Multiple Regression Analyses of Subgroups…………………………………………….85 Gender……………………………………………………………………………87 Race/Ethnicity…………………………...……………………………………….88 Field of Interest…………………………………………………………………..90 Region……………………………………………………………………………91 Summary of Results…..………………………………………………………………….94 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...100 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION, LIMITATIONS, AND CONCLUSION…...…………………..102 Interpretation of Findings………………………………………………………………104 Research Question 1……………………………………………………………105 Research Question 2……………………………………………………………110 Research Question 3……………………………………………………………112 Other Predictor Variables Tested……………………………………………….114 Discussion of Findings………………………………………………………………….117 General Turnover Studies………………………………………………………117 Studies of Turnover in the Fundraising Profession…………………………….121 Human Resource Management in the Nonprofit Sector………………………..123 Implications……………………………………………………………………………..125 Implications for Theory………………………………………………………...126 Implications for Practice—Retaining Fundraisers in the Profession…………...129 Implications for Practice—Retaining Fundraisers in Positions…….…………..131 Implications for Practice—Increasing Diversity in Fundraising Positions……..133 Implications for Public Administration and Public Policy...…………………...136 Limitations………...……………………………………………………………………139 Internal and External Validity…………………………………………………..139 Measurement and Statistical Analysis………………………………………….140 Recommendations for Future Research………………………………………………...141 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...144 vi REFERENCES....………………………………………………………………………………149 Appendix A: Overview of Theoretical Framework and Hypotheses…………………...167 Appendix B: Subgroup Analyses……………………………………………………….169 VITA……………………………………………………………………………………………176 vii LIST OF TABLES 1. Reported Organizational Size by Region………………………………………………...67 2. Reported Sources of Revenue by Region (Mean %