Dear Lea Bach

PAC Consulting
Waldorpstraat 47 'S-GRAVENHAGE
2521EN The Hague
The Netherlands

Dear Lea Bach,
My name is Meng-Chuan Tsai, senior manager of PAC Consulting Company, with experience on many similar cases defining company’s business model and business strategy. As per your request of April 26, I am proving you a report with detailed analysis and recommendation with volunteers and employees.

BrainGame’s core identity is based on the volunteer model 4 years ago since the company has started. Here comes the problems that none of the volunteer’s proposal becomes viable products, the best product made from the paid employees instead; company put much effort on responding to game proposals by volunteer, rather than hiring more engineers to develop and make growth. However, benefits gaining from volunteer are tremendous which curtail the expense of laboring and marketing of automatically promoting through network by volunteer.

Firstly, volunteer model is main character which BrainGame was been known about. By absorbing ideals and feedbacks from volunteer, company can adjust the products to meet customer’s need. Just as concept of the user contribution system mentioned by Harvard Business Review in The Contribution Revolution, “creating methods for aggregating and leveraging people’s contribution or behavior in ways that are useful to other people”. It helps company do customer service, marketing by social-networking, employee support, capital resources, design and development and production.

Secondly, supervising volunteers is a completely different story from supervising employees, company can’t treat volunteers the same way as treating paid staff. Because they serve at their own will, they won’t impressed by your tittle. Successful supervision of volunteers relies on relationships, than on rank. Volunteers choose to be one in your company, because they believe in the mission of what your organization do. As supervisor, right things to do are to give volunteers meaningful work to do and build on their passion, inspiring continued and even greater effort. Moreover, giving volunteers some perks as reward, common perks for volunteers include VIP parking spots, complimentary coffee and snacks, lunch price discounts and access to company technology or other resources. Anything a supervisor can do to make volunteers feel good about themselves and about working in their organization or to acknowledge their contributions helps keep them coming back.(Robert)

Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) takes the position that employees may not volunteer to do things for their employer that are “the same as, similar, or related to” their normal job duties. As a general example, a school custodian may not volunteer to empty the trash cans after a basketball game, but he or she may volunteer to coach the team. The DOL also has stated nonprofit organizations cannot request or direct employees to perform volunteer work during the employee 's normal working hours, even if the requested volunteer duties are not the same as or similar to the employee 's regular job duties.(Daniel and Jaclyn)

To conclude, A volunteer business model can keep reputation and identy of BrainGame which was the way to build the copany.Also, in this model, it can save get the true outcome by a ousider, volunteer rather than just testing by engineer and emplyee. Additionally, supervising plays an important role to inspire volunteer do their best to make greater effort to company. Common perk or rewards is require in the volunteer bussiness model, to make volunteer feel good about tnesleves and in a good condition to get in the works. Futhermore, let the employee do the things which is for volunteer is unappropreate, even the thing related or similar to the normal job.

I recommend that BrainGame adjust the way to supervise volunteer, more inspiring not just being nice. Triggering volunteer be willing and have passion to make greater effort on the projects. Volunteer is not coming to BrainGame with no reason, they believe what you do is worthwhile. Company should change the way of volunteer management and figure out why the system of volunteerism is being inefficient. Moreover, although the best product in company came from an in-house developer, cutting off the volunteer or displacing the volunteer business model can’t be the best decision. We can’t be sure this best product for now will last forever for a user contribution society.

Works Cited
Joe Magee. ”The Contribution Revolution” Harvard Business Review. October 2008
Robert D. Ramsey, Ed.D. “Supervising Volunteers is Different”
Daniel L. Schwartz and Jaclyn K. Leung ”When can employees provide unpaid volunteer services?” Day Pitney LLP October 24 2012

Cited: Joe Magee. ”The Contribution Revolution” Harvard Business Review. October 2008 Robert D. Ramsey, Ed.D. “Supervising Volunteers is Different” Daniel L. Schwartz and Jaclyn K. Leung ”When can employees provide unpaid volunteer services?” Day Pitney LLP October 24 2012