Volunteer Motivation Research Articles

“My Dog Needs a Job”: Identifying the Motivations of Therapy Animal Volunteers

“My Dog Needs a Job”: Identifying the Motivations of Therapy Animal Volunteers

Financial incentive for community health workers, a necessity for achieving universal health coverage: integrated literature review

Community health workers (CHWs) are vital to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). They have been identified as effective workforce to improve access to primary health care particularly for underserved and hard to reach populations. Lack of appropriate incentives, with resulting high rates of turnover are common challenges in large-scale CHW program. Debates about paying community health workers typically focus on the trade-offs between reliance on volunteerism underpinned by intrinsic motivation of volunteers and the need to recognise and remunerate work fairly. Financial payment for CHWs will also help in increased employment, and women’s economic empowerment, tackling gender-based inequities, as seventy percent of CHWs globally are women. This study reviewed existing literature- published peer reviewed articles and grey literatures on financial incentives for community health workers and program considerations for effective implementation. Synthesis from the relevant studies revealed four relevant themes: need for financial incentives, categories of financial incentives, funding mechanisms for financial incentives and program considerations for effective implementation of financial incentives. The study provides program considerations for effective implementation of financial incentive for community health workers. There is need for countries to review their community health worker program design and establish enabling policy environment and implementation mechanisms for realistic and appropriate financial incentives for the community health workers based on their workload, responsibilities, and local context. Appropriate tools should be used to model the community health workers working hours which will guide in determining fair and commensurate renumeration and effective monitoring system established.

The Volunteer Motivation Scale (VMS): Adaptation and Psychometric Properties among a Portuguese Sample of Volunteers

Using self-determination theory, this study examined the autonomous motivation and regulatory styles of volunteers. The Volunteer Motivation Scale (VMS) is one of the main instruments available to assess these constructs, but it requires validation and adaptation for different contexts. Therefore, the goal of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the 12-item VMS in a sample of Portuguese volunteers. The sample consisted of 207 volunteers, mostly women (74.4%), aged from 14 to 81 years, from various areas of volunteering. The measures included self-regulation, basic psychological needs, causality orientation, and autonomy support. Confirmatory factor analysis using the lavaan package in R was performed to test a four-factor model and a two-factor model. The results indicated that the four-factor model had a better fit to the data. The VMS showed good internal consistency, discriminant validity, and convergent validity. The VMS can be viewed as a valuable tool for professionals and a promising avenue for future research on the motivations of volunteers.

Cultural, philosophical and legal aspects of volunteering in Kyrgyzstan: Current challenges

The relevance of the study of volunteer activity in Kyrgyz society is due to the epistemological need for a comprehensive understanding of this sphere of human activity at the current stage of development of Kyrgyzstan. This is due to the insufficient conceptualisation of this issue in the country's scientific space. This study uses two main theoretical and methodological approaches: axiological and praxeological. The survey method was chosen for the empirical part of the study. The total number of participants in the study was 284. The purpose of the study is to analyse the motivation and features of volunteering in Kyrgyzstan, taking into account historical contexts, current conditions, legal framework, and potential areas of development. Volunteers in Kyrgyzstan actively support educational and cultural projects, focusing on the development of society in these areas. Social projects are less of a priority. The main motivations for volunteers are social responsibility and personal interests, while traditional and religious factors are less important. The professionalisation and standardisation of volunteering is becoming increasingly prominent, given the rational motivations. The main challenges for volunteers and volunteer organisations in the country are lack of funding and resources, difficulties in organising projects, and limited access to professional training for volunteers. Social and legal aid, education, youth support, healthcare and medical care remain priority areas for volunteering in the current environment. Most respondents expressed optimism about the future of volunteering in Kyrgyzstan. They are confident that it will continue to develop and play a more important role in society. Improved funding, stronger cooperation with government agencies by introducing a legal framework for volunteer activities, development of the infrastructure and global cooperation are seen as key factors for effective organisation of volunteer activities and addressing social and legal challenges in the future. The study contains valuable information for government institutions related to volunteering and will be useful for the development of high-quality state policy in this area

Hospitality in volunteer engagement: navigating complexities in residential care facilities for children

ABSTRACT This study investigates the multifaceted realm of volunteer engagement in orphanages and residential care facilities for children, as places of hospitality towards volunteers, in low- and middle-income countries. While the positive outcomes of such engagements, including assistance, economic contributions and personal growth, are acknowledged, the study critically examines the potential ethical challenges inherent in these settings. Drawing from a theoretical framework developed by Duursma and colleagues on motives for volunteering, the research focuses on 25 volunteer applications submitted to a residential care facility in Bali, Indonesia. The qualitative analysis, guided by thematic analysis, explores motives, exchanges, individual behaviour, place and space considerations, time-based dimensions and outcomes and impacts. Ethical considerations, including data anonymisation, were rigorously implemented to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of potential volunteers and child-related data. The findings reveal diverse motives among potential volunteers, encompassing moral imperatives, leisure needs, personal interests and a genuine desire to care for others. The emphasis on non-monetary exchanges and a commitment to the community echoes Duursma and colleagues’ framework, aligning with concepts of voluntary exchange, individual behaviour and place/space considerations. The study underscores the transcendence of empathy and compassion in motivating volunteers to engage with orphanages and residential care facilities for children, reflecting a dedication to making a lasting impact, and fostering substantive connections within the community. The discussion integrates the empirical findings with the theoretical framework, providing a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding hospitality volunteering in orphanages and residential care facilities. The study acknowledges ethical concerns and calls for continued scrutiny, ethical considerations and collaboration to ensure that volunteerism remains a force for positive change and authentic care.

ALTRUISME DAN SELF ESTEEM PENGARUHNYA TERHADAP MOTIVASI MENJADI RELAWAN MELALUI LOCUS OF CONTROL

A volunteer is someone who joins hands with groups, communities and institutions to produce a beneficial impact on the general public. There are several factors that can influence a person's motivation to be a volunteer. The purpose of this research was to examine the direct and indirect effects of altruism and self-esteem to volunteer motivation through locus of control. The method of analysis uses path analysis. The research sample was 76 volunteers at Rumah Makan Rakyat Malang. All items were declared valid and reliable. The results of the path analysis prove that there is a direct effect between altruism and self-esteem on motivation to volunteer with a significance <0.05. However, there is no direct effect between locus of control on motivation to volunteer because the significance value is > 0.05. It means that locus of control did not mediate altruism and locus of control on volunteer motivation. The biggest direct effect on motivation is self-esteem with the largest standardized beta value of 0.554.

PARTICULARITIES OF THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE INVOLVEMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN VOLUNTEERING ACTIVITIES

The behavior of young people involved in volunteer activities is also the result of society's challenges. Therefore, the management of volunteering activities must focus on the motivation of young volunteers. Identifying the main factors that influence the motivation and frequency of young people's involvement in volunteer activities is one of the solutions that contribute to empowering many volunteers and increasing the involvement of young people in more volunteer projects. Using PLS-SEM, we evaluated how personal attributes (age and education) guide the behavior of young people involved in volunteer activities. The research results indicate that their seriousness and rigor in volunteering activities (regardless of gender) allow young people to experience activities in various fields, contributing to developing personal skills.

Assessing the Motives of Active Volunteers: A Turkish Perspective

Assessing the Motives of Active Volunteers: A Turkish Perspective

The relationship between volunteer management, satisfaction, and intention to continue volunteering in sport events: An environmental psychology perspective

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between volunteer management, motivation, satisfaction, and continuance intention to volunteer through the lens of Mehrabian and Russell's (1974) environmental psychology model. Moreover, the moderating effect of the volunteer experience was examined in the relationships between constructs. Data were collected from volunteers participating in various sport events in Singapore (N = 290). Results showed volunteer management positively influenced volunteers' satisfaction, which in turn affected their continuance intention. Moreover, motivation had a positive impact on both satisfaction and continuance intention. In addition, the moderating role of volunteer experience was identified. Based on Mehrabian and Russell's (1974) environmental psychology model, the findings of this study offered an alternative perspective on volunteers' satisfaction and continuance intention and provided insights into specific groups of volunteers.

Assessing Event Volunteer Motivational Factors and Quality of Life among University Students

Volunteerism is a selfless and altruistic act of individuals dedicating their time, skills, and resources to support various causes and organizations without financial compensation. Hence, this paper aims to propose a conceptual framework for event volunteer motivation among university students and its impact on quality of life. Motivational factors measured by the volunteer motivational scale were proposed as independent variables, and quality of life as the dependent variable. This variable will regress to identify the relationship between quality of life among university students. The motivation to engage in volunteer work significantly impacts an individual's quality of life. However, few studies have been conducted on the impact of volunteering activities on quality of life. Therefore, this study aims to develop a quality of life framework by considering event volunteer’s motivation as independent variables. This study will take place at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Puncak Alam Campus whereby students from this university who already experience becoming volunteers will be involved as respondents. It is hoped that the contingency model of sports event volunteer motivation that is developed through this study will contribute to a better understanding of volunteerism and quality of life among students in higher institutions. Encouraging volunteering activities will educate youths to become responsible citizens by practicing a positive quality of life.

Retaining public health volunteers beyond COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a change in people's volunteering behaviours; participation has increased in informal volunteering (giving unpaid help to those who are not a relative) while decreasing in formal volunteering (unpaid help to groups or clubs). There is an interest from stakeholders who have experienced increased participation in maintaining the positive patterns of volunteering, aligning with National Health Service (NHS) objectives and realising benefits in a wider public health context. This research uses a local COVID-19 public health volunteering programme case study to explore the volunteer's journey and perspective using volunteers' reported experiences to consider the potential for volunteer retention and role expansion into other public health issues beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Recruitment was undertaken by Birmingham City Council Public Health Team via the COVID-19 Community Champions programme mailing list. Semi-structured focus group discussions, one-to-one interviews and email interviews were conducted with volunteers. Data were analysed through directed thematic analysis using an iteratively developed coding frame. Data were collected from three focus group discussions, four interviews, and one email interview involving a total of 16 participants. Six themes were identified: volunteer motivations and expectations; volunteer management; programme organisation; feeling valued; continued need for role, and interest in new responsibilities. Our findings indicate that the factors which are conducive to volunteer recruitment, retention and re-purposing were: maintaining the original terms of engaging with the volunteering opportunity (including retaining the original brief and remit), adjusting these through consultative processes with an emphasis on seeking permission from the volunteers already involved and ensuring a reliable and consistent management and support structure. While some of the learning is specific to the local volunteer programme in question and the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are lessons that can be generalised to other scenarios and settings.

‘It’s Simply Intrinsic’: Exploring Motivations of Full-Time Volunteers in Humanitarian and Spiritual NGO of India

ABSTRACT This qualitative study centers around humanitarian and spiritual non-government organizations (H&S NGOs) of India, many of which are essentially driven by full-time volunteers. Semi-structured interviews of 22 full-time volunteers in a large and renowned H&S NGO helped us explore their volunteering journey, which moved through three phases of casual volunteering, fixed time volunteering, and finally full-time volunteering. Thematic analysis of the interviews led to different types of motivation in different phases. We used self-determination theory to understand their needs and found out that their decision of full-time volunteering was driven by relatedness needs, autonomy needs, and competence needs. These needs are thoroughly discussed using the lens of Indian ethos in volunteering traditions. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

A Conceptual Framework to Study Factors Influencing Volunteers’ Motivation

Many researchers agree that motivation plays a key role for people to volunteer. This is because volunteering sometimes offers them no money or recognition. Understanding volunteer motivations and variances between groups of people will enable management to build management methods that will help volunteers perform better. Little study has been conducted on the volunteer motivational factors due to crisis although there were many studies on other forms of factors related to volunteerism. By understanding volunteer motivation, volunteers can be better managed to ensure that the benefits of helping outweigh the potential negative consequences for individuals and the community as a whole. The Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports was selected because although the initiative has just been launched recently but the Ministry able to attract more than 200,000 volunteers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence people to volunteer as trained Satria. This will help government and non-profit organizations understand the factors that influence people to motivate during crises and emergencies as well as less-emergencies situations. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the factors influencing volunteers’ motivation from a population of 508 trained Satria volunteers of the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports throughout Malaysia.

The Impact of Volunteerism on Community Resilience in Disaster Management

This research investigates the indispensable role of volunteers in disaster management and their profound impact on communities grappling with the aftermath of natural disasters. The study comprehensively explores the motivations that propel volunteers into action, their effectiveness in disaster response, and the far-reaching consequences of their involvement. The primary motivation of volunteers is revealed to be altruism, accompanied by a strong sense of duty and personal experience with disasters. Their effectiveness in disaster management is evident in their rapid response times and versatile contributions, complementing formal emergency services. Importantly, the impact of volunteers extends beyond immediate relief efforts, fostering heightened community resilience, accelerated economic recovery, improved psychological well-being among survivors, and community empowerment. The research also highlights the need for nuanced investigations into the psychological well-being of volunteers, the influence of cultural contexts on volunteer motivations, and ethical considerations within the framework of disaster volunteering. This study underscores the transformative potential of volunteers in disaster management and calls for policies and practices that recognize, empower, and support these altruistic individuals. By fostering a culture of volunteerism and enhancing disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts, communities can become more resilient and better equipped to navigate the challenges posed by natural disasters.

The Effect of Covid-19 Volunteer Motivation on Affective Commitment Through Volunteer Satisfaction

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a huge wave of compassion. In particular, volunteering platforms established channelling help for high-risk groups. Volunteers have become a valuable set of human resources in many sectors of society. This study focuses on the research on the effect of volunteer motivation involved on affective commitment of members mediated volunteer satisfaction in work. This research was conducted at the Muhammadiyah University Maharesigana organization. The subjects in this study were 114 volunteers from Maharesigana. Data analysis was carried out using SEM-PLS with WARP PLS 5 software. In this study it was found that volunteer motivation was not in line with their affective commitment. volunteer satisfaction at work also has a unidirectional relationship in mediating the influence of volunteer motivation on affective commitment

Exploring the delivery of community‐based trauma support by volunteer counsellors in a South African context

AbstractSouth Africa experiences high levels of violence and trauma in a context where formal mental healthcare is not widely accessible. Lay (non‐professional) trauma counselling services, staffed by volunteers, often fill this gap in provision. Extant research highlights the risk of secondary traumatic stress and burnout for volunteers, and although volunteering is often a collective activity, research typically focuses on the individual volunteer's characteristics, motivations and attitudes. Drawing on a case study with one organisation, this study explores lay counsellors' experiences of providing voluntary emotional support in a context of high trauma and low resources. Semi‐structured interviews with volunteers (n = 12) explored the nature of the work, reasons for volunteering and perceptions of the organisation. Thematic analysis generated two overarching themes, each with three subthemes: ‘We serve our community’ (sub‐themes: ‘Giving back to our community’, ‘Need outstrips resources’ and ‘Being there is powerful’) and ‘We are family’ (sub‐themes: ‘Being there for each other’, ‘Working through the work’ and ‘Being put in a safety net’). Findings illustrate how organisations with few resources can mitigate the psychological risks of trauma‐focused work by fostering strong bonds, collective identity and an ethos of care.

Motivation and Compassion Satisfaction of Volunteer Bereavement Photographers: A Mixed Methods Study

Research into the use of bereavement photography is limited and the experiences of volunteer photographers remains understudied. For families with perinatal loss, bereavement photography allows for lasting mementos of a child and facilitates the maintenance of continuing bonds. This study investigated bereavement photographers’ reasons for volunteering, factors predicting their compassion satisfaction, and the support and retention of volunteer photographers. Utilizing a mixed methods design, 141 Australian and New Zealand volunteer bereavement photographers completed the Volunteer Motivation Inventory. The strongest motivators for volunteering related to Values, Reciprocity and Recognition. The results concur with other research showing altruistic motivation has the greatest influence on becoming a volunteer in end of life services. Moderate to high levels of Compassion Satisfaction were found on the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5. Support from the volunteering organization and a higher number of photography sessions with families predicted higher Compassion Satisfaction. Additionally, 31 photographers participated in semi-structured interviews. Motivators for volunteering identified by the thematic analysis were: Giving Back, Being Appreciated, Healing Past Grief, and Satisfaction with the Organization. Overall, the findings suggested that providing sensitive supportive care, experiencing positive interactions with families, feeling supported, and having a sense of purpose led to higher levels of CS.

An examination of event Volunteer's motivation, self-efficacy and empowerment on volunteer outcomes

Event volunteers are a significant asset for event organisers as they contribute to the successful execution of events. However, organisers face challenges when recruiting and retaining volunteers due to the lack of understanding of factors contributing to volunteering outcomes. Building on the Motivation, Ability and Opportunity (MAO) model, the current study aims to deepen the understanding of antecedents of event volunteer outcomes (satisfaction, intention to volunteer again and Organisational Citizenship behaviour). An online survey distributed via event organisers collected 320 responses from event volunteers in Queensland, Australia. The Structural Equation Modelling underlined the positive effect of event volunteers' motivations on satisfaction. The analysis revealed that event volunteers' perceived opportunities are an antecedent of their satisfaction and intention to volunteer again. Finally, the study found that abilities positively impact event volunteers' organisational citizenship behaviour. Theoretically, the study contributes to the episodic event volunteer literature by systematically identifying the interrelated antecedents of event volunteer outcomes. Managers should consider the impact of MAO elements on volunteering outcomes when attracting and retaining event volunteers.

"I Am Now Five Steps Ahead": How Co-design Platforms Sustain Kenyan Community Health Volunteer Engagement

Abstract: Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine how humancentered design (HCD) as a platform for co-production might function to explain community health volunteer (CHV) motivation in self-directed and self-funded community health activities. Sustaining engagement has been difficult for CHVs who lack monetary incentives, expense reimbursement, and are rarely given opportunity to give their own voice to local health priorities. Design: Qualitative study utilized focus group discussions 12 months post intervention and included both an inductive and deductive level of analysis. Setting: Three community health units (CHU) representing Kenya's diversity were selected with the local Ministry of Health including peri-urban slum, rural agrarian, and a unit where informal day labor and rented housing was the norm. Participants: The participants were selected according to Kenya's community health strategy norms and had previously had the standard basic community health training. Intervention: A 3-day training rooted in HCD utilized multiple quality improvement tools (asset mapping, root cause analysis, key drivers) in order to help CHVs uncover unarticulated community needs and assumptions and encourage behavior change. Action plans with Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles were tracked longitudinally. Results: Key themes were self-interest, common goal, gratitude/indebtedness. Additional thematic analysis identified altruism as supporting sustained engagement. Conclusions: This study supports HCD as a platform for sustained CHV engagement. It builds the evidence for self-interest, common goal, and gratitude/indebtedness as sustaining factors. These factors are also seen in process-based theories that operationalize and measure trust building reciprocity cycles that mirror the iterative P-D-S-A cycles seen in HCD.

Why build mountain bike trails? An exploratory mixed-methods study of volunteer motives in Danish MTB-trail building

Why build mountain bike trails? An exploratory mixed-methods study of volunteer motives in Danish MTB-trail building