As corporate social responsibility (CSR) managers, we are constantly seeking ways to create employee volunteering experiences that are transformative, scalable, and sustainable. We want our Volunteer Leader (VL) networks (or champion networks) to be resilient in the face of change, adaptable to the evolving needs of our communities, and truly impactful in driving social good. While there are many lenses through which we can approach this challenge, one of the most promising is the field of decision science research.
Decision science is an interdisciplinary field that draws on insights from psychology, economics, sociology, and neuroscience to understand how individuals and groups make decisions. By applying the frameworks and findings from this rich body of research to the design and management of our VL networks, we can unlock new levels of effectiveness, engagement, and impact.
The Relevance of Decision Science for Volunteer Leader Networks
At its core, a VL network is a complex web of decision-making entities. Each individual VL is making choices about how to allocate their time, energy, and skills in service of CSR initiatives. VL are also coming together in teams to collaborate, share information, and make collective decisions about how to approach volunteering challenges and opportunities.
The quality of these individual and group decisions is a key determinant of the overall success of a VL network. Will VLs be motivated to fully engage in the CSR mission? Will they be able to work through differences of opinion and approach to find innovative solutions? Will they be able to learn from each other and from their experiences to continuously improve their impact? These are the types of questions that decision science research can help us answer.
One particularly relevant line of decision science inquiry for VL networks is Motivated Information Processing in Groups (MIP-G) theory, developed by social psychologist Carsten de Dreu and colleagues. MIP-G theory provides a framework for understanding how the interaction between two key factors – cognitive motivation and social motivation – influences the way that groups process information and make decisions.
Understanding MIP-G Theory
Cognitive motivation refers to the desire to engage in deep, thorough information processing in order to arrive at an accurate understanding of a situation or problem. Individuals and groups with high cognitive motivation are more likely to search out relevant information, critically evaluate arguments and evidence, and strive for a nuanced, well-rounded perspective.
Social motivation, on the other hand, refers to the goals that individuals have for the distribution of outcomes within a group. Individuals and groups with a prosocial orientation are motivated to maximize joint outcomes and ensure fairness for all, while those with a proself orientation are more focused on maximizing their own outcomes, potentially at the expense of others.
MIP-G theory posits that the intersection of these two motivations predicts important group processes and outcomes. Groups that are high in both cognitive motivation and prosocial orientation are expected to engage in the most constructive, thorough, and unbiased information sharing and decision making. They are more likely to surface diverse perspectives, integrate them effectively, and arrive at high-quality, collectively supported decisions.
In contrast, groups that are low in cognitive motivation and high in pro-self orientation are at risk of falling into unproductive conflict, information withholding, and suboptimal decisions that fail to leverage the full potential of the group.
Applying MIP-G Theory to Volunteer Leader Networks
The insights from MIP-G theory have clear implications for how we design and manage Volunteer Leader networks in a CSR context. Here are some key strategies for fostering high cognitive motivation and prosocial orientation within our networks:
Cultivating Curiosity and Learning
To increase cognitive motivation, we need to create a culture of curiosity and continuous learning within our VL networks. This means framing volunteering opportunities not just as tasks to complete, but as chances to gain new knowledge, skills, and perspectives. We can provide resources and training to help VLs understand the complex social issues they are engaging with, and encourage them to approach each experience with an open and inquisitive mindset.
Communicating Purpose and Values
Prosocial orientation is all about connecting individual efforts to a larger shared purpose. As CSR managers, we need to clearly and consistently communicate the mission, vision, and values that drive our initiatives. We should help VLs see how their unique contributions fit into the bigger picture of driving positive social change. By fostering a sense of collective identity and shared fate, we can motivate VLs to cooperate, share, and support each other’s success.
Structuring for Constructive Conflict
MIP-G theory suggests that cognitive conflict – the open discussion of differing ideas and perspectives – is critical for high-quality decision making. As CSR managers, we need to create safe spaces and structured processes for VLs to engage in respectful disagreement and debate. Techniques like devil’s advocacy, dialectical inquiry, and constructive controversy can help surface assumptions, challenge the status quo, and generate innovative solutions. At the same time, we need to actively mitigate the risk of affective conflict by establishing clear norms for communication and providing training in emotional intelligence and conflict resolution skills.
Promoting Psychological Safety
For VLs to feel motivated to fully engage in the hard work of learning, sharing, and collaborating, they need to feel psychologically safe. This means creating an environment where it’s ok to ask questions, admit mistakes, and take interpersonal risks in service of the mission. As CSR managers, we can model vulnerability and openness, provide opportunities for VLs to build trusting relationships, and quickly address any instances of interpersonal threat or disrespect.
Recognizing and Rewarding Prosocial Behavior
Finally, we can use recognition and reward systems to reinforce the prosocial norms and behaviors that we want to see in our VL networks. This means celebrating not just individual achievements, but also acts of helping, sharing, and collaboration. We can spotlight VLs who go above and beyond in mentoring others, contributing to the knowledge base, or brokering connections across the network. By making prosocial orientation a valued and visible part of our culture, we can create a self-reinforcing cycle of cooperation and collective success.
Your Call to Action
The challenges facing our world are too complex for any one individual or organization to solve alone. If we want our CSR initiatives to have transformative and lasting impact, we need VL networks that can harness the full power of human potential – networks where diverse individuals are motivated to learn from each other, challenge each other, and collaborate in service of something greater than themselves.
Decision science research, and MIP-G theory in particular, gives us a roadmap for creating these kinds of networks. By understanding the key drivers of group information processing and decision making, we as CSR managers can be much more intentional and effective in how we design and support our VL programs.
But this is just the beginning. The insights from decision science are not a fixed set of prescriptions, but rather an invitation for ongoing learning, experimentation, and adaptation. Just as we encourage our VLs to approach each volunteering experience with curiosity, so too must we remain open to new ideas and approaches in our work as CSR leaders.
Ultimately, the success of our VL networks will be measured not just by the number of hours logged or the efficiency of our processes, but by the depth and breadth of the positive change we create. By harnessing the power of decision science, we can create the conditions for truly transformative collective impact – the kind of impact that not only solves problems, but builds a more just, sustainable, and thriving world for all.
