Do Incentives Mediate the Willingness of Civil Defence Force Volunteer Members to Respond in Pandemic and Stay as Volunteers?

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysia opened over thirty Low-Risk COVID-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC). These PKRCs needed many volunteers to help first responders with non-medical services and patient management. Luckily many new volunteers signed up for this risky work. These volunteer hours were paid. How willing are they to volunteer? Will they stay? Did the incentive mediate volunteering and staying? To illuminate, this research was done. 391 respondents involved. They were the volunteers registered with the Civil Defence Force (the Force). They were chosen by voluntary sampling technique. An online survey was used for data collection. The survey instrument contains two main variables: willingness to respond and intention to stay, and a mediator: incentives. The instrument adapted the Expectancy Theory of Motivation and the Extended Parallel Process Model. The study found that their willingness to respond during pandemics was at a moderate level. Their intention to stay, however, is low. The availability of incentives has been identified as a significant mediator in influencing volunteers' willingness to respond during pandemics and retain them as Civil Defence Force volunteer members. This was significant because many people lost their jobs when the pandemic occurred. Their job alternative at that time was paid volunteering. Thus, it is relevant for the government to offer incentives if a huge number of volunteers is required during a long-term disaster.