Meet Norm and Norma. Norm and Norma are average Australian ‘volunteers’. This paper creates a composite personality for Norm and Norma and maps their values and expectations with regard to their volunteering propensities. This cultural-personality model is derived from three contemporary and well-received models of culture (Hofstede, GLOBE and the World Values Survey). This is supported by empirical research, based on focus-groups from Volunteers in the New South Wales State Emergency Service (SES). This model is then overlaid upon a similar cultural-personality model of the SES which maps its cultural proclivities, values and expectations. The resulting gap is discussed, cultural rifts are identified, and strategies for closing these gaps are discussed.

This paper illustrates, an as yet unacknowledged observation, that today’s volunteer-base – the Norms and Normas of Australia – have a natural disinclination towards their donation of voluntary labour. In addition, from a supply and demand perspective, today’s volunteer landscape is becoming increasingly more complex. The supply of volunteers has become far more competitive as more and more agencies – even beyond the Third Sector – are vying for this scarce resource and providing increasing levels of tangible and intangible incentives in an effort to attract and secure volunteer labour. Demand is effected by the myriad time-seeking distractions in today’s fast-paced world. Today, there is no clear demarcation between work-time and free-time or social-life and professional-life this means that finding time to devote to benevolent activities is difficult, if indeed it is even desired.

An informed understanding of these dilemmas will help Emergency Management agencies to adapt their practices in retaining their volunteer staff.