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An empirical analysis of the effect of volunteer labor on public library employment

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  • William F. Stine

    (Department of Economics, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Clarion, PA, USA)

Abstract

This study is an empirical investigation of the effect of library volunteers on public library demand for paid workers. Unlike previous studies, it estimates the impacts on different types of paid labor. The main purpose is to test whether volunteer labor replaced or complemented paid employees. A translog cost function is used to derive cost shares and elasticities of substitution for Pennsylvania public libraries. Cross-elasticity estimates of substitution and input demand suggest a strong complementary relation between volunteers and professional workers. Most of the other Allen cross elasticities were not statistically significant. None of the estimates indicate that paid labor was being replaced by volunteers. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • William F. Stine, 2008. "An empirical analysis of the effect of volunteer labor on public library employment," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(6), pages 525-538.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:29:y:2008:i:6:p:525-538
    DOI: 10.1002/mde.1422
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hammond, Christopher J., 1999. "The technology of library service provision: a cost function analysis of public library systems in the United Kingdom," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 271-295, September.
    2. Lewis M. Segal & Burton A. Weisbrod, 2002. "Volunteer labor sorting across industries," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(3), pages 427-447.
    3. Gyimah Brempong, Kwabena, 1987. "Elasticity of Factor Substitution in Police Agencies: Evidence from Florida," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 5(2), pages 257-265, April.
    4. Freeman, Richard B, 1997. "Working for Nothing: The Supply of Volunteer Labor," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(1), pages 140-166, January.
    5. Pindyck, Robert S, 1979. "Interfuel Substitution and the Industrial Demand for Energy: An International Comparison," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 61(2), pages 169-179, May.
    6. Christopher J. Hammond, 2006. "Factor substitution in the production of library services: evidence from the North American research libraries," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(8), pages 613-630.
    7. DeBoer, Larry, 1992. "Economies of scale and input substitution in public libraries," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 257-268, September.
    8. Menchik, Paul L. & Weisbrod, Burton A., 1987. "Volunteer labor supply," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 159-183, March.
    9. Kathleen M. Day & Rose Anne Devlin, 1996. "Volunteerism and Crowding Out: Canadian Econometric Evidence," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 29(1), pages 37-53, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Benjamin Bittschi & Astrid Pennerstorfer & Ulrike Schneider, 2015. "Paid and Unpaid Labour in Non-Profit Organizations: Does the Substitution Effect Exist?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 53(4), pages 789-815, December.
    2. Amir Borges Ferreira Neto, 2023. "Do public libraries impact local labour markets? Evidence from Appalachia," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 216-238, April.
    3. Astrid Haider & Ulrike Schneider, 2010. "The Influence Of Volunteers, Donations And Public Subsidies On The Wage Level Of Nonprofit Workers: Evidence From Austrian Matched Data," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 81(1), pages 1-20, March.

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