31 Mar 2025
Xiaoyan Liang and Jianwen (Leven) Zheng, faculty members from the Department of Strategic Management and Organizations (SMO) of International Business School Suzhou (IBSS)at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), have recently published a thought-provoking article titled “Pay to Help: A New Trend Which Could Change the Future of Volunteering” on The Conversation. The article has gained widespread global traction, with over 5,179 reads and seven republications on platforms such as Phys.org, The Mirage, and news aggregators like Newsify and SmartNews.
In this article, the authors explored the emerging “pay-to-volunteer” model, where non-profits charge companies fees for employee participation in volunteer programs. This innovative approach, observed in countries such as the UK, USA, and Australia, aims to generate revenue to sustain volunteer initiatives. At the same time, it provides businesses with benefits such as enhanced employee morale and improved corporate reputation. However, the authors caution that this model risks undermining the traditional spirit of altruism, potentially creating a two-tier system that excludes smaller businesses and altering the dynamics of volunteer engagement. Their research emphasizes the importance of carefully considering the ethical and practical implications of monetizing volunteering, as it could redefine the future of charitable work and corporate social responsibility.
The Conversation, an independent nonprofit media platform, publishes high-quality, evidence-based articles created by academics and researchers working alongside professional journalists. The article’s widespread reach underscores its relevance in the global discourse on volunteering and corporate social responsibility. This achievement highlights IBSS’s dedication to addressing contemporary societal challenges through impactful research and engaging academic discussions.
Dr Xiaoyan (Christiana) Liang is an Associate Professor at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). She is a management scholar with research interests in the ethicality and sustainability issues of people management in different types of organizations across the globe. The core question that underpins her research projects is: How can we manage people and organizations more sustainably and ethicall
y? Her work has been published in journals such as Human Resource Management Review, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Personnel Review, Journal of Global Information Management, Nonprofit Management and Leadership and others.
Dr. Jianwen (Leven) Zheng is an Associate Professor specializing in Strategy and Innovation. He holds a BSc in Economics, an MSc in International Business, an MRes in Management, and a PhD in Management Studies (Innovation and Entrepreneurship). His research focuses on strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation, with an emphasis on the interactions among these areas. In the field of strategy, Dr. Zheng’s work examines market and non-market strategies. In entrepreneurship, his research investigates venture creation, resource acquisition (e.g., financing, team formation), IPO processes, and firm growth. In innovation, his focus includes innovation decision-making, innovation performance, new product development, innovation ecosystems, and technology management (e.g., patents and digital technology). These topics are studied across various contexts, including entrepreneurship, newly public firms, established listed firms, and supply chains. Dr. Zheng’s work has been published in international journals, including Regional Studies (ABS 4), International Journal of Operations and Production Management (ABS 4).
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31 Mar 2025