Factors determining individuals’ participation in volunteer work: A study of the Cape Coast Metropolis in the Central Region of Ghana

Abstract

Person-organisation fit is the compatibility between individuals' and the organisations' attributes. Researchers have used a variety of dimensions to measure this compatibility. In measuring the similarity between the individual and organization, this study has focused on goal and value congruence. The current study aimed to investigate the person-organization fit factors that influence individuals' participation in volunteer activities. A 16-item scale that consisted of two 8-item subscales was constructed to measure the individual and organization congruence. About 404 respondents completed the questionnaire in the Cape Coast Metropolis in Ghana. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, cross tabulation and principal component analysis. The study revealed that diverse group of people were involved in NGO volunteer activities. The factor analysis show a two-component solution that explained a total of 61.83 ​% of the variance, with component 1 (person factor) contributing 54.57 ​% and component 2 (organization factor) contributing 7.26 ​%. The high communality values of the individual items for the person and organization factors, ranging from .413 to .766, are indicative of the similarity of the goals and values. The strong positive correlation between the two subscales (r = .63) shows that fit exists between the individuals and organizations' factors might have a positive influence on the study respondents’ participation in volunteer activities. It is imperative that NGOs, especially those in the Cape Coast Metropolis pay particular attention to specific person-organization fit factors to attract, recruit and retain potential volunteers in the future.