Volunteer Behavior Research Articles

Effect of gender difference on sleeping comfort and building energy utilization: Field study on test chamber with thermoelectric air-cooling system

In this study we have examined the gender-wise differences in sleeping behavior of volunteers subjected to thermo-electric air conditioning test-room conditions. For this purpose, fifteen males and fifteen female subjects were recruited. After filling the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PQSI) questionnaire, each subject was required to sleep in the room under all the three study conditions i.e. normally ventilated room (NH), thermoelectrically cooled room at input power supply of 600 W and thermoelectrically cooled room at power input of 720 W. Each subject was required to complete one night's sleep in each of the study conditions. Objective sleeping parameters such as body movement, heart rate, sleeping quality were measured using a Fitbit Alta HR watch. A subjective assessment of the sleep quality was also done after each session. The observed findings were compared for all the three conditions for each subject. It was found that male subjects had an overall better sleep quality at a lower surrounding temperature as compared to the female subjects. For female subjects the indoor environment was found to be comfortable to slightly cold when the thermoelectric cooling system was operated at 600 W. On the other the male subjects had a better sleep quality at 720 W. Based on these cooling requirements, males are estimated to consume 485 kWh more energy annually (which would result in CO2 emissions in excess of 6 tons) as compared to females to maintain comfortable sleeping environment.

Factors Associated With Volunteering Among Asians In The United States: Findings From 2015 Current Population Surveys

Factors Associated With Volunteering Among Asians In The United States: Findings From 2015 Current Population Surveys HaeJung Kim, Ahyoung Lee Abstract This study examines factors influencing volunteer participations and volunteer hours among Asians. Specific attentions are paid to explore the similarities and differences in the factors associated with volunteer behaviors between Asians and other racial/ethnic groups. The results showed that citizenship, donation, and community service experience increase the likelihood of volunteering for Asians. For the volunteer hours, citizenship status, community participation, employment status, age, and marital status are significant factors among Asians. However, in contrast to other groups, income and education do not significantly influence volunteer hours. The implications for nonprofit professionals who work with ethnic/racial minority groups are discussed. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jssw.v7n1a3

Mothers and Moral Activists

AbstractMany sociological studies have discussed the importance of religion and gender as two key components facilitating civic engagement, which in turn is believed to foster citizenship and democratization. Most female members of Japanese new religions engage in a variety of service-oriented volunteer initiatives where they tend to provide help and support to individuals directly, outside of organized volunteer organizations and civic associations. Such volunteer behaviour is defined in the literature as informal volunteering. In this respect, this paper addresses three main questions: 1) What aspects of religiosity relate to women’s participation in informal volunteering sponsored by Japanese religious organizations? 2) What specific volunteer models of women’s social engagement are articulated through informal volunteering and what is the dominant background neoliberal ideology? 3) How do these models foster women’s citizenship and social participation? This paper draws upon two sets of qualitative data (2010–2012 and 2015–2017) of religious-based volunteer activities performed by women belonging to four Japanese religious organizations: Risshō Kōseikai 立正佼成会, Shinnyoen 真如苑, the Roman Catholic Church in Japan (Nihon Katorikku Kyōkai 日本カトリック教会), and GLA ジーエルエー (God Light Association).

Nonprofits’ Internal Marketing and Its Influence on Volunteers’ Experiences and Behavior: A Multiple Mediation Analysis

Drawing from theory and research on internal marketing as a relevant factor influencing volunteer behavior, we hypothesize that internal marketing practices are positively associated with the way volunteers act in the interest of an organization and that this relationship is mediated by volunteers’ satisfaction and organizational identification. In a study of volunteers in German arts organizations, this relationship is analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results indicate mediation effects of satisfaction on volunteer behavior and internal marketing. Similarly, identification with the organization positively influences volunteer behavior, although not in the form of a mediation. Implications for internal marketing practices and arts organizations relying on volunteers are discussed.

Proud volunteers: the role of self- and vicarious-pride in promoting volunteering

This research examines the role of self- and vicarious-pride in eliciting divergent mindsets and behaviors toward volunteering. We propose that the congruent matching of self-pride (vicarious-pride) emotions with promotion (prevention) focus-framed messages increases the effectiveness of promoting volunteering behaviors. The positive “match-up” effects arise because self-pride elicits a competitive mindset, whereas vicarious-pride elicits a collaborative mindset toward volunteering. We test our predictions across three experimental studies using behavioral measures in different non-profit organizational settings. The findings contribute to research on the role of pride in prosocial consumer behavior by providing empirical evidence that self-pride and vicarious-pride lead to different mindsets and behavioral outcomes.

Changing preferences for environmental protection: evidence from volunteer behaviour

ABSTRACTOver the past couple of decades, public awareness about environmental issues and concern for environmental protection appears to have increased substantially in Canada as it has in many other countries. This research has two objectives: first, to empirically assess the factors affecting voluntary participation in activities to protect the environment in Canada and to determine if participation has changed from 2000 to 2010, and second, to contemplate whether a change in environmental participation over time might be considered evidence of changing preferences, and thus demand, for environmental protection. Analysis makes use of data from Statistics Canada’s 2000, 2004, 2007 and 2010 Canadian Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating used to estimate two IV probit models. Results suggest the likelihood of participating in environmental protection has increased over time providing a signal that preferences for environmental protection may have increased in Canada. Post-secondary education and social capital developed in youth have the largest impacts on the likelihood of participating. The results are expected to provide valuable information for public policy makers and environmental non-profit organizations.

Participation in Science Service: Factors Influencing Volunteers’ Intentions

In spite of previous researches in large-scale volunteerisms have explored volunteer’s theory of planned behavior (TPB), little has been known concerning the scale development of volunteers’ Satisfaction and Motivation in related to science volunteer service. This study tested an expanded TPB model with a sample of 443 volunteers taken from a project for science volunteers run by the Ministry of Science and Technology in Taiwan. To explore volunteers’ perspectives on their involvement in science service, structured questionnaires examined their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, Satisfaction and motivation via continued observation throughout the duration of the project. The findings from the path analyses suggest that the TPB is a useful tool for understanding event volunteers’ intention. In addition, Satisfaction emerged as the exclusive determinant of sustained volunteering and also as the potential predictor of the effects of other variables on future volunteering behavior. However, it was found that the science volunteers’ motivation had significant negative correlation with behavioral intention. In general, the expanded model of TBP provided an appropriate framework for understanding the factors associated with volunteering. Practical implications and future research directions for science volunteer management are also discussed.

Too Much of a Good Thing? The Emotional Challenges of Managing Affectively Committed Volunteers

This article presents the emotional challenges of managing affectively committed volunteers and the associated impacts on the managerial task. Through a qualitative arts-based study at a U.K. nonprofit organization, the National Trust, dominant rhetoric positioning volunteering as positive is problematized. Paid managers find managing affectively committed volunteers emotionally demanding and are often reluctant to address what they perceive to be difficult volunteer behavior. This study conceptualizes the emotionally challenging behaviors of volunteers and the reluctance of their paid managers to address them, as a consequence of a variation in adherence to the organizational display and feeling rules that define their shared emotional arena. This is influenced by the existence or lack of an employment contract within the context of their affective commitment. Suggestions are made for further research and practice regarding the management of volunteers.

The Impact of Collaborative leadership on Voluntary Organizational Behavior of Working Individuals

The current research problem focuses on the level of leadership practice of leadership ehavior and the effect of organizational volunteer behavior. The aim of the research is to diagnos end interpret the nature of the relationship between the leadership and the voluntary organizational behavior.The questionnaire consisted of (80) respondents representing the research ommunity (440anagers of sections and40 divisions, working individuals) And the results of the research ched a set of conclusions, the most important of which was the existence of a significant correlation relationship between the cooperative leadership in voluntary organizational behavior. Based the findings of the research, a number of recommendations were made. The organization is en coaged by the support and approach and promotes the cooperative leadership behavior in order to carry out their roles more effectively andefficiently. Attention to instilling the oncept of oluntary behavior of individuals working at different levels by holding courses and minarsto highlight the concept of volunteer behavior and its importanc‏1e and side effects Especially in light of the scarcity of financial resources and increased needs for services, by directing them to courses, training programs 
 and worksho.

Citizen science and roadkills: trends along project lifespan and comparison of tropical and temperate projects

The collection of scientific data by people without a science degree is at least as old as Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, but thanks to smartphones it now involves large numbers of volunteers, leading to studies about who the so called “citizen scientists” are, how they behave, and how to improve their work. There are, however, no worldwide studies about citizen science projects reporting fauna killed in road collisions. Here we analyze data from the 31 projects available in September 2017 in iNaturalist.org, the largest website for this subject. The USA and Europe have the most projects, but after correcting for population size, countries like Costa Rica and Canada are outstanding, possibly thanks to widespread Internet access and high educational levels. Projects had a mean of 431 observations, 48 species, of 32 volunteers who, on average, posted 19 observations each. Most volunteers contributed few records and were active only briefly. The roadkill data shows that, in the tropics, seasonal mortality trends match the movement of animals in search of water for drinking and for reproduction, while in temperate sites project differences depended mostly on which particular species is studied. We recommend future consideration of how the behavior of volunteers and projects changes along time, a subject that has seldom been considered in previous studies

The Effect of Educational Intervention based on the Self Efficacy and Health Literacy Theory on Health Promoting Lifestyles among Female Health Volunteers of Neyshabur, Iran

Background: The importance of health promoting behaviors are due to their potential role in preventing chronic diseases, reducing morbidity, improving quality of life and reducing health care burdens in the community. Health literacy and lifestyle are social determinants of health. This study was designed to determine the effect of educational intervention based on the Self Efficacy and health literacy Theory on the health promoting behavior of female health volunteers in Neyshabur, Iran. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 80 female health volunteers in Neyshabur. Participants were randomly divided into the two control and experimental groups. Data gathering tools were the Healthy Lifestyle questionnaire (HPLPII), Sherer General Self-Efficacy Scale and Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA). Educational intervention was conducted based on the self-efficacy theory and health literacy. The subjects in the intervention group received 4 sessions of 1 hour education on a weekly basis. Data analysis was done through SPSS16 and using Chi- square, Repeated Measures and Friedman Test. Results: Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in mean score of lifestyle (P=0.89) and self-efficacy (P=0.146) between the two groups. But, after the intervention, the two groups showed significant difference in all variables (P. 0.001). Conclusion: Educational intervention based on the self- efficacy and health literacy theory can promote healthy lifestyle among health volunteers.

Perceptions of Nonprofits and For-Profit Social Enterprises: Current Trends and Future Implications

Nonprofits and for-profits use the term entrepreneurial to describe the mind-sets, be-haviors, and strategies they employ to achieve organizational goals. Relatively little analysis has been conducted about public perception of the differences between non-profit organizations (NPOs) and for-profit social enterprises (FPSEs) and how these perceptions influence the behavior of potential investors, donors, employees, and vol-unteers. This study explores how Gen Z respondents (those born in the early 1990s) perceive NPOs and FPSEs along multiple dimensions, including values, motivations, and organizational culture. Overall, Gen Z young people perceive NPOs and FPSEs as having distinct orientations to expressive roles (values and social welfare goals) and affiliative roles (inclusive community engagement), but perceive NPOs and FPSEs as more likely to have overlapping approaches to instrumental roles (getting the work done). Our results identify some perceptions that align with a priori assumptions, as well as views that indicate new ideas about the NPO and FPSE sectors. These results have implications for leaders of all types of organizations, but especially for leaders of FPSEs who may seek to assert their expressive and affiliative similarities with their nonprofit peers.Subscribe to JNEL

Analysis of the factors affecting volunteering, satisfaction, continuation will, and loyalty for public library volunteers: An integrated structural equation model

This study aims to develop an integrated model to analyze the behaviors of public library volunteers in order to help the libraries utilize them as helpful and important human resources. An integrated structural equation model which consists of factors affecting volunteering, volunteer satisfaction, continuation will of volunteering, and loyalty/contributing intention to the library has been developed and tested using survey data from 401 public library volunteers in Daegu Metropolitan City, Korea. Understanding/enhancement and value functions, as well as those significantly directly influencing volunteer satisfaction, are higher motivating factors than other functions of the Voluntary Function Inventory. Direct effects of factors affecting volunteering, and indirect effects mediated by volunteer satisfaction, both on the continuation will of volunteering and loyalty/contributing intention to the library of the volunteers, are investigated: volunteer satisfaction has strong direct positive effects on both factors. Considering the total effects, support and recognition, perceptions of experience, and understanding/enhancement function have positive effects on the continuation will of volunteering, whereas the career function has negative effects; and support and recognition, perceptions of volunteer experience, values function, protective function, understanding/enhancement function, and social function have positive effects on the loyalty/contributing intention to the library, whereas the career function has a negative weak effect on it. Mean differences among groups are also analyzed. Because this study is a kind of extensive exploratory research for library volunteers with some limitations, recommendations for further research are offered, as well as research and managerial implications based on the discussion.

Contradições no agir do voluntário nas organizações da sociedade civil: ensaio teórico à luz da sociologia pragmática francesa

Resumo O voluntariado é um fenômeno social crescente no contexto atual e que se apresenta como alternativa à lógica do capitalismo na gestão das organizações da sociedade civil. Contudo é possível que haja contradições no agir do voluntário, cuja ação humana pode estar sendo mediada por fatores comportamentais subjacentes ao comportamento aparente, nem sempre considerado nobre, como, por exemplo, o egoísmo. O presente ensaio teórico tem como objetivo compreender o que está por trás da ação humana no comportamento do voluntário das organizações da sociedade civil (OSCs), razão pela qual os argumentos teóricos foram construídos pela Sociologia Pragmática, que busca encontrar razões do agir pelas mediações simbólicas, em detrimento da psicologia comportamental. Afirma-se que os voluntários são dotados de comportamento racional e justificável por três regimes pragmáticos desenvolvidos por Laurent Thévenot e pelos conceitos complementares de Frédéric Vandenberghe; ambos defendem que as ações humanas são justificáveis. Os argumentos apresentados confirmam teoricamente que os fatores comportamentais dos voluntários produzem efeitos nos resultados das OSCs, como o seu baixo grau de envolvimento, uma vez que as justificativas do agir podem estar centralizadas nos mundos “da fama” e o “mercantil”, contribuindo para gerar inquietações entre os pesquisadores sobre a possível inferência daquilo que está por trás da ação humana.

A far greater sense of community: The impact of volunteer behaviour on the wellness of rural older Australians

This paper builds on place-based research investigating the transformative potential of volunteering for service-deprived, ageing rural communities. Here, we critically explore the relationship between communities of place, voluntarism and wellness for rural older Australians. We draw on data from a large qualitative multi-site study, and utilise Ryan et al.’s (2005) systemic model of community attachment. Findings support the dual perspective of strong community sentiments through social embeddedness in rural communities; and personal interests, associated with rational choice theory, through healthy ageing practices. Both aspects have demonstrated positive impact on wellness, but also risks to wellness associated with over-expectations of volunteers.

Camp based volunteers: psychological contracts and intentions to volunteer

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the nature of the psychological contract (PC) developed by episodic and traditional volunteers in camp-based leisure organizations in Australia and the relationship between their PCs and intentions to continue volunteering. The nature of the volunteer experience means that volunteers will tend to develop a social exchange relationship with their “employer”. Due to the absence of financial payment for volunteers, the understanding of their PC may provide a powerful tool to help leisure organizations understand and manage the behaviour of volunteers, including enhancing their ability to retain their services. Volunteers will not have any expectations for financial compensation; however their PC may include expectations that their needs and motives for volunteering will be met. Contrary to the bulk of studies examining the motives for volunteering (Clary, E. G., Snyder, M., & Ridge, R. D. [1992]. Volunteers’ motivations: A Functional Strategy for the Recruitment, Placement, and Retention of Volunteers. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 2(4), 333–350), literature and research on the PC of volunteers is rare (Liao-Troth, M. A. [2005]. Are they here for the long haul? The effects of functional motives and personality factors on the psychological contracts of volunteers. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 34(4), 510–530) and as such this research extends our knowledge of volunteering in leisure organizations. A qualitative research design involving the use of 40 in-depth interviews was used to explain the differences in the nature of the PC that existed between episodic and traditional volunteers and their respective organizations and individuals’ intentions to continue volunteering. The study found that volunteers’ PCs are developed through the initial interview or exposure to a social cue or external message that attracts them to the organization to volunteer and that the culture of the organization had an influence on the PC of volunteers especially after they had completed a numbers of hours with their organization. The volunteers’ previous experience with volunteering did influence their PC with their current organization; they brought the expectations of their past experience with them and compared them to the current experience, making assumptions and comparisons about their current role. Episodic volunteers reported that their expectations around training and induction, communication and supervisor support were not often met compared to the experience of traditional volunteers. Intentions to continue volunteering were enhanced by (1) the development of feelings of importance and belonging to the group (campers or volunteers) and not particularly the organization, (2) enabling volunteers to achieve personal and professional growth, (3) ensuring equality amongst paid staff and volunteers. The paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical implications for PC amongst volunteers in leisure focused organizations.

Participation and Local Political Culture: Analysis of Recent Nationwide Trends in Volunteering

Volunteer behavior and participation can be a proxy for social capital accumulation. Using the Census’ Current Population Survey, we test two basic questions: 1. Has social capital accumulation in the form of participating in volunteer organizations increased or decreased over time? What factors influence participation? 2. How does local political culture influence participation and volunteer behavior? We find strong evidence of an Elazar-style breakdown of US political culture in the form of volunteer work. We hypothesize that building social capital through volunteering is more strongly favored and prestigious in moralistic cultures. We find that the moralistic, agricultural Midwest resembles the traditionalistic South in traditional volunteer activities such as Religion because these regions draw their morality from traditional sources such as the Bible. However, in moralistic regions such as New England, the Pacific Northwest, and to a lesser extent the Mountainous Midwest, volunteering New Political Culture issue-specific volunteering is more common than the country as a whole. These regions maintain the strong Puritan tradition of helping others and prestige in volunteering generally, but have moved on from valuing traditional morality like religion to new issues like the environment. We still find that individualistic cultures tend not to volunteer as much, but that Alaska may be actually moralistic in nature and California more individualistic, as opposed to Elazar’s original classifications. We find some evidence that Putnam’s diagnosis of declining civic participation may be partially correct. For every type of organization except environmental, we find that volunteering as increased over the last decade. This is true of most volunteer activities as well. However, the exception of “working with people in your neighborhood to solve a problem” is non-trivial. Participation has increased, all else equal, since the question was originally asked in 2006. “Working with people in your neighborhood” was the question best designed to parse out volunteer activities not done through any organization. An increasing in working with people in your neighborhood while formal organizational activity has decreased suggests that Putnam is correct in that formal organizational membership is declining, but Clark is also correct in that informal organization is stagnant or increasing. The social landscape is simply changing, not weakening.

What drives employees to participate in corporate volunteering programs?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how some of the key aspects of employee motivation and their perception of volunteering programs impact their participation in corporate volunteering. Specifically, this study argues that employee’s self-oriented motives to significantly influence employee participation than other-oriented motives. Similarly, this study also hypothesized that the corporate volunteering program characteristics to significantly relate to employee participation in corporate volunteering.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 461 employee volunteers representing various industries across four different locations in India. A self-reported method was used to collect the data by administering the questionnaires.FindingsThe structural equation modeling results indicate that other-oriented motives (altruistic) and characteristics of corporate volunteering programs to significantly predict employee participation in corporate volunteering and self-oriented motives did not show significance in predicting employee participation.Research limitations/implicationsResults suggest that employee participation in volunteering is a function of not merely employee motivation but also how the volunteering programs are conceptualized and implemented.Originality/valueThis research study moves beyond mere role of employee motives analysis and considered the role of characteristics of corporate volunteering programs to impact employee volunteering behavior. Further, it highlights there is a differential impact of self- and other-oriented motives in predicting employee participation.

The helping orientations inventory: Measuring propensities to provide autonomy and dependency help

AbstractResearch on helping behavior distinguishes between giving recipients the tools to solve problems for themselves (autonomy‐oriented help) and direct solutions not requiring recipients' involvement (dependency‐oriented help). Across three studies, we examined whether individuals can be characterized by dispositional propensities toward offering autonomy‐oriented and/or dependency‐oriented help. In initial studies, factor analyses revealed the two hypothesized Helping Orientations Inventory scales along with an additional scale capturing opposition to helping, all acceptable in internal consistency and test–retest reliability (Studies 1a–1c). Next, we found that the three scales related in distinct ways to constructs from the intergroup (e.g., social dominance orientation) and interpersonal (e.g., empathic concern) helping literatures (Studies 1d and 1e). Additionally, these orientations predicted satisfaction with volunteer behavior (Study 2) and interest in future volunteering (Study 3). Overall, people vary in their helping orientations, and these orientations implicate a range of variables relevant to intergroup and interpersonal helping.

Valores humanos y voluntariado: Un estudio en personas mayores

Purpose: This research goes in depth in the human values profile that influences elderly to volunteer. In exploring possible relationships between values and volunteering, we adopt the analysis perspective of the Theory of Basic Human Values framework developed by Schwartz (1992).Design/methodology/approach: Based on an initial exploratory analysis, the study presents a logistic regression model that shows the extent to which an individual’s personal values explain his/her volunteer behaviour on elderly people.Findings: The results confirm that a retiree’s engagement or lack of engagement in volunteer activities may be satisfactorily explained by the set of human values. The results show that retired volunteers experience a stronger sense of self-transcendence and predisposition towards change, and higher aversion to self-enhancement and conservation.Practical implications: To increase the commitment and motivation of retired elder volunteers and to thus firmly confront challenges that threaten the non-profit sector, human resource professionals of non-profit organizations must ensure consistency between individual values and the nature of activities that volunteers perform, increasing such way those people’s commitment.Originality/value: Despite the abundant studies that have related volunteering by elders to physical and socio-emotional wellbeing and to seniors’ motivations while performing volunteer work, fewer studies have focused on personal values that prompt such individuals to participate in altruistic efforts.