AIESEC in Lebanon:Volunteer Engagement Policies

On July 3, 2018, the president of AIESEC in Lebanon was pacing around the lobby of the conference venue before the morning plenary session. As one of the world’s largest youth-run organizations, AIESEC developed the youth of the world by sending them on cross-cultural exchange programs. The Lebanon chapter of AIESEC was established in 2011 and grew steadily in its early stages, until it began struggling with commitment and motivation problems at the leadership level, which spilled over to its members. Members who were once attracted by the promise of personal and professional development were leaving the inactive organization, which was no longer contributing to their growth. Lack of motivation and volunteer turnover were also causing a shortage of leadership candidates in the organization’s pipeline, which was having a serious impact on the long-term sustainability of AIESEC in Lebanon. From this conference session, the president of AIESEC in Lebanon hoped to address two main questions: How could member’s commitment be improved at AIESEC in Lebanon? What processes could be put in place to track the volunteer management changes?

This case is suitable for undergraduate-level courses on volunteer management, non-profit organization management, or human resources management. It is also suitable for graduate-level courses on human resource management. The case covers volunteer engagement and the policies that should be implemented by non-profit organizations. Students learn about the importance of volunteer engagement and the policies required to enhance them. They also have the opportunity to discuss a real-life example of a non-profit organization facing problems of engagement, commitment, motivation, and turnover. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to<ul><li>understand the importance of volunteer engagement; </li><li>learn how to tackle engagement problems; </li><li>devise detailed plans and policies to solve these problems; and </li><li> communicate the plan and get the volunteers on board.</li></ul>

• volunteer engagement
• non-profit organizations
• human resource management