Applying a Gift Exchange Perspective to Effective Volunteering in Papua New Guinea

This article examines the differing meanings of volunteering that underlie the management of volunteers in diverse cultural contexts by analyzing a case study of an Australian non-government organization (NGO) working in Papua New Guinea (PNG), where local volunteers are engaged in a number of its programs. The results indicate that gift-exchange theory may be a fundamental influence shaping attitudes towards volunteering by PNG nationals. This has led to the development of a gift-exchange model to assist other Western-based NGOs to manage formal volunteering in Pacific nations in a way that is both effective and culturally appropriate.