involvement in the associational community: assessing overlooked indicators of well-being
TRANSCRIPT
INVOLVEMENT IN THE ASSOCIATIONAL
COMMUNITY: ASSESSING OVERLOOKED
INDICATORS OF WELL-BEING Craig Talmage & Richard Knopf
Partnership for Community Development
Arizona State University
TYPES OF ASSOCIATIONS
Big Five Others
Civic and community-based
associations
Political associations and parties
Religious congregations and
faith-based associations
Professional associations
Workers and labor unions
Credit unions
Trade-based associations
Cooperatively structured
businesses
Grassroots emergency
response teams
(Hager et al., in press)
ASSOCIATIONS
Associations Associationalism
Associations and their involved
members have the potential to
generate social capacity in their
own unique ways.
“Associations are historically
the seedbed from which the
more formalized systems grow”
(McKnight, 2013, p. 13).
Associationalism is the extent
to which citizens participate in
associations; a form of social
capital (Houtzager & Acharya, 2011;
Putnam, 1995; Wollebaek & Selle, 2002).
Associationalism is posited to
be declining (Putnam, 2000);
however, others believe it is due
for a comeback (Hirst, 2001).
COMEBACK WITHIN OR ACROSS? Within then Across
INVOLVEMENT WITHIN ASSOCIATIONS
Typical Studies with Quantitative Measures of Involvement include:
Commitment
Giving
Volunteering
Occasional Studies with Quantitative Measures of Involvement include:
Satisfaction
Sense of Affiliation
Lack of a formal model of involvement or engagement in associations.
Lack of in-depth qualitative research on involvement behaviors.
Hager (in press); Knoke (1988)
Albert & Dignam (2010)
OTHER DISCIPLINES AND INVOLVEMENT
Organizational Development Community Development
Intrinsic & Extrinsic Satisfaction
Affective Commitment
Community Satisfaction
Social Capital Theory
Herzberg (1966); Deci & Ryan (1985)
Marketing and Event Research
Expectancy Confirmation
Expectancy Disconfirmation
Expectancy Theory
Martinez Caro & Martinez Garcia (2007);
Bowen (2001); Vroom (1964)
Heaton et al. (1979); Putnam (1993; 1995; 2000);
Coleman (1988; 1990); Bourdieu (1986)
Community Psychology
Psychological Social Capital
Cognitions (Thoughts)
Behaviors (Informal / Formal)
Perkins, Hughey, & Speer (2002)
HOW IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIAL
CAPITAL BUILT WITHIN AN ASSOCIATION?
Individual Factors Dispositions, Motives,
Expectations, & Values
Situational
Factors Intrinsic - Motivators
Extrinsic - Hygiene
Event Satisfaction
Association
Satisfaction
Sense of Affiliation
Collective Efficacy
Involvement
Behaviors Informal – Neighboring
Formal - Participation
Factors Attitudes Psychological Effects
Commitment
Behavioral Effects
HOW DOES
PSYCHOLOGICAL
SOCIAL CAPITAL
WITHIN THE
ASSOCIATION BECOME
TRANSFERRED FROM
INSIDE THE
ASSOCIATION TO THE
LARGER OUTSIDE
COMMUNITY?
Association Cognitions
Sense of Affiliation
Commitment
Collective Efficacy
Association Behaviors
Neighboring
Participation
Community
Psychological Social Capital
VERRADO BY DMB ASSOCIATES INC.
Located in Buckeye, Arizona
25 miles west of the City of Phoenix
Will have 14,000 Units;
Currently has ~ 3,000 Occupied
Verrado Assembly & Leadership Program
Year-Long Research Study
81 Survey Questionnaire Respondents
17 Leaders Interviewed
44 Town Hall Participants / Leaders
MODELING THE VERRADO ASSEMBLY
Extrinsic (Hygiene)
Values
Intrinsic (Motivator)
Values
Extrinsic (Hygiene)
Satisfaction
Intrinsic (Motivator)
Satisfaction
Event Satisfaction
Association
Satisfaction
Club Satisfaction
Sense of Affiliation
Affective
Commitment
Informal
Association
Behavior
(Neighboring)
Formal Association
Behavior
(Participation)
β1 = .459*** β = .306**
β = .245**
β = .403**
β = .711***
β = .221ns
β = .324**
β = .414***
β = .556***
β = .193ns
β = .290*
β = .170ns
β = -.214*
β = .232*
β = .825***
β = .181*
β = .640***
β = .162* β = .771***
Association
Collective Efficacy
β = .269*
β = .428**
β = .479*
β = .799***
β = .840***
β = .576*
β = .272ns
β = .827**
β = -.146ns
β = .602**
β = .515***
β = .423**
β = .311ns
β = .399*
WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON?
Factors x Attitudes x Effects Complex
When we are motivated to be involved, we are more likely to be
satisfied with (to like) our involvement.
When we are satisfied with (or like) our involvement, we are more
likely to be satisfied with our association, its parts and as a whole.
When we are satisfied with (or like) our association, we are more likely
to be cognitively connected to the association.
When we are cognitively connected to our association, we take action.
FACTORS AND SATISFACTION
PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIAL CAPITAL
Cognitions Behaviors
Sense of Affiliation
“You're really the ambassador, the
captain for your own neighborhood.”
Affective Commitment
“I feel the Verrado Assembly is my
family, and I would do anything for
any one of them.”
Collective Efficacy
“Every meeting builds trust.”
Others
Ownership, Pride, Obligation, & Care
Autonomy and Opportunity
“You can be as involved or uninvolved as you want…you can be as active as you want”
Neighboring
“People ask us what we do. I think there are a lot of people that joined leadership because of wanting to know more and feeling like they want to be part of this. That's what I think the best part is. “
Participation
“It's a social setting, so we look forward to seeing everybody and then afterwards we start…we talk…we look forward to the presentations and the speakers that we have on board “
DOES SOCIAL CAPITAL TRANSFER?
Sense of
Affiliation
Association
Affective
Commitment
Informal
Association
Behavior
(Neighboring)
Formal
Association
Behavior
(Participation)
Association
Collective
Efficacy
Sense of
Community
β22 = .694***
Community
Affective
Commitment
β23 = .541***
β24 = .726***
Community
Collective
Efficacy
Informal
Community
Behavior
(Neighboring)
Formal
Community
Behavior
(Participation)
β25 = .416***
β26 = .673***
e25 = .909 e22 = .720
e23 = .841
e24 = .688 e26 = .740
YES…Well sort of It helps me become a better leader and builds
social capital. My helping out others seems to
promote them reaching out to help others
DOES SOCIAL CAPITAL TRANSFER?
YES…Well sort of
Sense of
Affiliation
Association
Affective
Commitment
Informal
Association
Behavior
(Neighboring)
Formal
Association
Behavior
(Participation)
Association
Collective
Efficacy
Sense of
Community
β27 = .254*
Community
Affective
Commitment
β28 = .564*
β29 = .632***
Community
Collective
Efficacy
Informal
Community
Behavior
(Neighboring)
Formal
Community
Behavior
(Participation)
β30 = .323ns
β31 = .628***
e30 = .889 e27 = .660
e28 = .748
e29 = .634 e31 = .728
β27 = .224ns
β28 = .337*
β28 = .370*
β29 = .341**
People care about each other and that's what
happened to me before I got involved
HOW? THE VERRADO LEADERS PROGRAM
Understand Individual Members
Backgrounds
Motives
Values
Dispositions
Expectations
Provide Hands-On Learning
Community Information at
Meetings
Directions on How to Engage
Others
Training and Team-Building
Volunteering at Events
Foster a Positive Social Climate
Encouragement of a Safe and Comfortable
Place
Structured Networking with
New People
Continued Interaction with
Friends
Satisfactory Interactions with Leaders and Staff
Instill Social Capital
Cognitions
Ownership
Obligation
Commitment
Sense of Community
Collective Efficacy /
Empowerment
Imperative to Reach Out to
Others
Call for Social Capital
Behaviors
Attend at Meetings
Welcome Newcomers
Share Community Information
Host Neighborhood
Parties
Help Others
Formally Act for Change
Satisfaction
An
Intentional
Process
Developer
Vision and
Support
TAKEAWAYS
Factors x Attitudes x Effects Complex is Key
A comeback in associationalism is possible through better understanding the social psychological nature of associations.
A psychological social capital approach is useful in understanding association members’ cognitions and behaviors.
Cognitions and behaviors may be transferred from neighborhood associations to their larger communities, but experimental research is needed for true confirmation of causality.
Through intentional processes, psychological social capital transference from an association to a community can likely occur.
