Volunteer Functions Inventory Research Articles

Profiles and motivations of disaster volunteers: a proposed framework in the brazilian context

Purpose: Environmental disasters have caused various human, ecological, and economic damage worldwide. To reduce the potential damage and save lives in the short term, the volunteers are involved in support in disaster situations. Given this scenario, studies on volunteers who work in disaster contexts in Brazil proved to be an interesting and necessary research topic. Design/methodology/approach: This research employed a qualitative methodology, utilizing 16 semi-structured, in-depth interviews to gather data. The process of selecting participants was carried out through the snowball sampling technique, focusing on individuals volunteering in disaster response within the Brazilian setting. Following data collection, a thorough content analysis was undertaken. The motivations uncovered through this analysis were then meticulously compared and contrasted against the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), which is rooted in the psychological functionalist theory of volunteerism. Findings: The findings of this study advance the literature by confirming four motivations for volunteers to act in disasters, as identified in the VFI: values, enhancement, protective, and social. Additionally, this study contributes by bringing to light two new motivations, knowledge, and readiness, which emerged from the content data analysis. The study also advances by clustering the behavior profiles determined from these motivations as expert, sensitive, altruistic, beginner, and social. Originality/value: Based on the results, a Disaster Volunteer Framework was proposed, which serves as a basis for developing public policies for the government and assists institutions that work in disaster management in attracting new volunteers.

The Indonesian version of volunteer functions inventory: Its validity and reliability

The volunteer function inventory (VFI) is an assessment tool to measure individual volunteer motivation. VFI measures individual motivation to volunteer by examining the functional motives of each volunteer. This research aimed to adapt the VFI to the Indonesian language. VFI consists of 30 items divided into five dimensions. This study utilized a non-experimental quantitative research method. Samples were acquired by accidental random sampling with N = 176. In this study, reliability testing was carried out with items and dimensions of Cronbach's α. Validity tests were examined using construct validity and item analysis. The results of the Indonesian version of VFI showed high reliability and validity. Besides, the item analysis also shows that the quality of each item is excellent. The Indonesian version of VFI will be suitable for various education fields in Indonesia to measure the students' voluntary willingness in community development activities, for example, in measuring the impact of volunteerism in the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) social activities and other activities within the communities.

The Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI): Adaptation and Psychometric Properties among a Portuguese Sample of Volunteers.

The Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) is an instrument widely used to assess volunteers' motivation based on the Functionalist Model of Omoto and Snyder. It assesses six factors that reflect several motivational functions. The VFI has been translated into various languages and validated in different cultural contexts, but some studies have reported different factor structures (e.g., five or four factors). In the Portuguese context, previous studies have also shown inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the VFI for Portuguese volunteers, testing several alternative models (nine models) using confirmatory factor analysis. The sample comprised 468 volunteers (76.3% women), aged from 13 to 81 years (M = 36.66, SD = 14.93). The results support the original interrelated six-factor model as the best-fitting one. The VFI showed good internal consistency and convergent validity. Significant correlations were found between the VFI factors, organizational commitment, and volunteers' satisfaction. Overall, the six-factor VFI is a valid and reliable tool for measuring the motivational functions of Portuguese volunteers, with implications for practice and research in the volunteering field.

Volunteers’ initial motivations in a community-based end-of-life care programme and the associations with their eudaimonic well-being

ABSTRACT Volunteers are integral to the success of community-based end-of-life care (EoLC) programme. However, volunteers’ exposure to death may affect their well-being and retention. This study investigated volunteers’ motivation to join EoLC teams, and their eudaimonic well-being. The self-determination theory (SDT) framed the analysis. A self-administered survey recorded demographics, the 30-item Chinese Version of the Volunteer Functions Inventory (C-VFI) and the 8-item Flourishing Scale (FS). Repeated measures analysis, MANOVA and multivariate regression models tested associations between motivation and eudaimonic well-being. Two hundred and eighty cases were applied for analysis. Eudaimonic well-being was positively associated with autonomous motivation and negatively associated with controlled motivation. To protect volunteers’ health, and optimise retention and EoLC service quality, volunteers’ motivations should be matched with tailored training and supports.

Assessing scale reliability in citizen science motivational research: lessons learned from two case studies in Uganda

Citizen science (CS) is gaining global recognition for its potential to democratize and boost scientific research. As such, understanding why people contribute their time, energy, and skills to CS and why they (dis)continue their involvement is crucial. While several CS studies draw from existing theoretical frameworks in the psychology and volunteering fields to understand motivations, adapting these frameworks to CS research is still lagging and applications in the Global South remain limited. Here we investigated the reliability of two commonly applied psychometric tests, the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), to understand participant motivations and behaviour, in two CS networks in southwest Uganda, one addressing snail-borne diseases and another focused on natural hazards. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire administered to the CS participants and a control group that consisted of candidate citizen scientists, under group and individual interview settings. Cronbach’s alpha, as an a priori measure of reliability, indicated moderate to low reliability for the VFI and TPB factors per CS network per interview setting. With evidence of highly skewed distributions, non-unidimensional data, correlated errors and lack of tau-equivalence, alpha’s underlying assumptions were often violated. More robust measures, McDonald’s omega and Greatest lower bound, generally showed higher reliability but confirmed overall patterns with VFI factors systematically scoring higher, and some TPB factors—perceived behavioural control, intention, self-identity, and moral obligation—scoring lower. Metadata analysis revealed that most problematic items often had weak item–total correlations. We propose that alpha should not be reported blindly without paying heed to the nature of the test, the assumptions, and the items comprising it. Additionally, we recommend caution when adopting existing theoretical frameworks to CS research and propose the development and validation of context-specific psychometric tests tailored to the unique CS landscape, especially for the Global South.

Kekerassan Verbal dengan Motivasi Menolong Korban pada Relawan PMI di Surabaya

A volunteer is someone who contributes their time, energy, and skill to meet the needs of a community without any financial benefit from the contribution. Verbal abuse is an utterance towards someone that is considered demeaning, insulting, racist, or degrading using a high-pitched voice, because this form of psychological violence can attack a person's emotional or mental state. Motivation is a person's encouragement in acting to carry out activities to achieve certain goals. The aim of the study is to analyze the relationship between verbal abuse and the motivation to help victims among PMI volunteers in Surabaya. The research design used is a correlational descriptive analysis that analyzes the relationship between verbal abuse and the motivation to help victims of PMI volunteers in Surabaya. The approach in this research is cross-sectional. The sampling technique in this study uses probability sampling. The population in this study are 121 members of KSR PMI Surabaya, with a total sample that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of 93 people. Data collection uses a questionnaire about verbal abuse that consists of 30 questions, reliability and validity test with a result of 0.0703, and a motivational questionnaire consisting of 30 questions using the Volunteer Function Inventory (VFI) questionnaire. The data is then tested using the Spearman Rho Correlation test. The results showed that the majority of respondents experienced high verbal abuse when helping victims as much as 77.4%. Most of the respondents had a strong motivation when helping victims as much as 36.6%. The results showed that there was a relationship between verbal abuse and motivation to help victims in PMI volunteers in Surabaya with a correlation test showing an r value of 0.513 with a value of <0.001. The high level of verbal abuse on PMI volunteers requires strong motivation. This requires support from family and fellow volunteers who always provide encouragement and strength when helping victims.

Library Volunteers at Gonzaga College High School Library: Motivation and Impact for Students

This study aims to determine the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of students as Library Lovers of Gonzaga College High School (PPKG) and the impact felt by students. The method used in this research is qualitative with a case study approach. Determination of informants using purposive sampling technique with a total of 5 informants. Data sources were obtained through interviews, observation, and documentation. Data validity test using source triangulation. The theories used for analysis are Frederick Herzberg's two-factor motivation theory, Janusz Reykowski's prosocial motivation theory, and Clary, et al's volunteer functions inventory (VFI) model. The results of this study show that the motivation most felt by students as library volunteers at Gonzaga College High School Library is extrinsic motivation. This motivation comes from outside oneself and usually there is influence from others, especially from the head of the library as the supervisor of PPKG activities, the existence of healthy interpersonal relationships, reciprocity from the library to the PPKG party, then a safe and healthy workplace, so that this PPKG activity can reduce something negative in its members. Meanwhile, the intrinsic motivation that is felt more than other aspects is that overall PPKG activities have a positive impact on the learning process and learning achievement in class. However, not all felt the impact on their information literacy skills. .

Developing the Civically Engaged Student Through Interprofessional Education and Community-Placed Service Learning: Three Years at Cardinal Wellness

While studies have examined the outcomes of interprofessional service-learning activities, the use of interprofessional, community-based health programming as an opportunity for fostering civic engagement in today’s public health students is less studied. This article examines the benefits of a student-run exercise and nutrition program as an interprofessional education and service experience for undergraduate students participating in a service-learning course, degree-required practicum, capstone project, volunteer experience, or internship. An online survey with items from the Volunteer Functions Inventory, Civic Attitudes Scale, and Social Responsibility subscale of the Prosocial Behavior Battery was administered to 233 students from a diverse variety of majors. A significant increase in positive civic attitudes, volunteerism, and social responsibility scores was observed for students participating as part of one of two course-based service-learning projects, and scores on all three measures persisted at moderate-to-high levels for all students across six-semester cohorts and 3 years of program implementation. These results suggest that interprofessional service experiences are essential to the development of civic engagement competencies in today’s students, largely through the focus on collective action for social change.

Volunteering in prisons: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

BackgroundIndividuals from the community who volunteer within prisons are an understudied population, despite previous research indicating the increase in involvement of the penal voluntary sector and benefits to both prisons and prisoners from effective implementation of volunteer programmes. ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify the characteristics, motivations and experiences of individuals who volunteer in prisons. Study designThis was a systematic review conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. MethodsPeer-reviewed publications were identified through searchers of five electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts and Social Sciences Database) without date restrictions, supplemented by hand searching and reference checking of retrieved articles. Explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria determined study eligibility. Study quality was appraised using standard tools. A narrative synthesis was conducted, and motivations were organised according to the Volunteer Function Inventory. ResultsEight studies (five qualitative and three quantitative) reported a total of 764 volunteers across five countries. More than half of the included studies investigated individuals providing primarily religious volunteer support; volunteers in these studies were typically middle aged, White and female. Prison volunteers frequently described motivations related to altruistic or humanitarian values, as well as social reasons. Positive experiences of volunteering were related to personal benefits to volunteers. Negative experiences were related to a lack of support and challenges in volunteers’ relationships with prison staff. ConclusionsPrison volunteer programmes have the ability to improve the psychological health of prisoners and provide a range of potential benefits to penal systems and volunteers themselves, but research on individuals who volunteer in prisons is limited. Difficulties in the volunteer role could be mitigated by developing formal induction and training packages, promoting closer integration with paid prison staff and providing ongoing supervision. Interventions to improve the volunteer experience should be developed and evaluated.

Assessing the ‘Why’ in Volunteering for Refugees: Exploring Volunteer Motivations

This article addresses what motivations volunteers have for volunteering for refugees and whether these motivations differ from or complement motivations to volunteer in general, such as included in the widely used measurement instrument, the Volunteer Function Inventory (VFI). We organized eight focus groups with volunteers for refugees (N = 44) and interviewed five involved coordinators, all working in one city in the Netherlands. Results show that humanitarian concerns and social justice were highly relevant for people’s motivations, next to volunteering to obtain or improve knowledge and skills. We find support for the earlier suggested extension of the VFI with the social justice motivation. Next, the current study expands existing analysis on volunteer motivations by identifying four areas that require further attention: (1) volunteers for refugees seek a meaningful role in life; (2) are motivated by the pragmatism of this volunteer work; (3) have emotional reasons; and (4) are motivated by media exposure.

Stress load and volunteer motivation of patient volunteers in Fangcang shelter hospitals in Shanghai, China during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey

ObjectivesThis study aims to assess the volunteer motivation and stress load of patient volunteers in the Fangcang shelter hospitals (FSHs), examine their associations, and explore the potential influence factors of...

Different motivations for volunteering are associated with different outcomes for Australian animal welfare volunteers: a mixed-methods analysis

ABSTRACT Objective Inspired by the important role volunteers play in Australian society, the current study examined the relationship between different motivations for volunteering and different outcomes experienced by animal welfare volunteers. Method An anonymous, self-report questionnaire was completed online by 278 volunteers (84.53% female; M age = 45.19 years, SD = 18.13) of a large state-wide animal welfare organisation. A latent profile analysis was conducted with data collected using the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), and interpreted alongside a thematic analysis of qualitative responses. Results Three groups of participants were identified, characterised by different prominent motivations to volunteer: personal values (values-driven group); personal values and personal growth (personal-gain group); and personal values, personal growth, and career-related factors (experience-oriented group). Values-driven volunteers experienced both pleasure and stress from the enactment of values-driven behaviour, and experienced increased opportunity for socialisation. Personal-gain volunteers experienced increased opportunity for socialisation and increased sense of purpose. Experience-oriented volunteers derived pleasure from enacting personal values, and increased opportunity to gain experience in animal-care. Conclusions Motivations for volunteering are complex and multifaceted. The current findings highlight how motivationally congruent volunteering behaviours can be associated with a range of positive outcomes for volunteers.

‘The Times They Are A-Changin’: the shifting motivations for volunteering in rural Wide Bay–Burnett Queensland

ABSTRACT This article explores why volunteers are motivated to make significant social contributions, either informally through personal interactions, or formally within rural healthcare organisations. Volunteerism is a form of civic engagement includes a variety of service, collective action, political involvement, and social change efforts by citizens to improve conditions for others or work towards shaping the civic sphere. The latest Federal Government Indicators show a 2% decline in formal volunteering rates. Thus, the implications for rural communities are problematic. Using the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), we surveyed volunteers at a rural voluntary organisation and found trends for volunteer types, based on demographic factors and volunteer motivations. A key finding was that altruistic motivations were the strongest motivator for these rural Wide Bay–Burnett Queensland volunteers.

Where experts and amateurs meet: the ideological hobby of medical volunteering on Wikipedia

The following paper advances our understanding of online volunteering in the medical context, through the study of Wikipedia volunteers who edit medical topics. It employs the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) model to study volunteers' motivations through a survey carried out in 2021 (N=74). It highlights the importance of the non-traditional VFI dimensions of "fun" and "ideology" which have not been adequately discussed in the context of medical volunteering. The findings also show that Wikipedia volunteers who edit medical topics are older, more gender-balanced, and better educated than typical Wikipedia volunteers from a decade ago. Many are medical professionals, and their significant involvement helps to explain the above-average quality of Wikipedia medical topics. Conversely, the study reveals the need for more experts to engage with Wikipedia. Lack of volunteers, in particular, experts, and inadequate support from professional institutions, are identified as main reasons for problems in Wikipedia's quality.

Self-Efficacy and Motivation to Volunteer among Undergraduate Students

Study shows that self-efficacy and motivation have emerged to be predictors of volunteering intention. This study aims to determine the relationship between self-efficacy and motivation to volunteer among undergraduate students. A total of 359 respondents were selected by using cluster sampling technique. The data for this study were collected by using a self-administered questionnaire. General Self-Efficacy Scale by Jurusalem & Schwarzer (1995) was used to measure students’ level of self-efficacy, while the motivation to volunteer was measured with Volunteer Functions Inventory by Clary et.al (1998). The results indicated that self-efficacy correlates significantly with motivation to volunteer in all the dimensions (protective, values, career, social, understanding and enhancement). Findings emphasize the concept of boosting self-efficacy as measures in reducing the lack of participation in volunteerism among university students.

Values Formation within the Family as an Antecedent of Civic Participation

Values formation during childhood is crucial in the development of children which serves as the basis of their behavior and actions outside the family and in later life. 131 volunteers of UPLB Ugnayan ng Pahinungód were selected as the sample of this study to understand how values formation in childhood translates to civic participation. Using explanatory sequential design, this research gathered data in two phases. Quantitative phase used Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) to determine the motivations of the respondents to volunteer while the Scales of Parenting Styles (SPS) assessed the parenting styles of the respondents’ parents. Data was analyzed using descriptive quantitative analysis. Six participants were chosen for the qualitative phase and their cases were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results highlighted the importance of values formation during childhood in the learning and practice of values associated to civic participation. Parents played important roles as models of desired behaviors and socializing agents through their parenting styles and practices as well as extended childcare. Modeling and practice of behavior through family socialization contributed to their positive development. Volunteers were motivated to participate in civic activities to seek understanding of social issues and real-life situations of Filipinos anchored by their values and high regard for humanity and life. Definition of civic participation based from their experiences was also presented in the results. Main values components of civic participation are pakikipagkapwa, malasakit, and pananagutan which are recommended to be embedded in the family’s core values to contribute to the development of children’s sense of civic duty.

Determining Factors Affecting Adult Volunteerism in the Texas 4-H Program

Volunteers have always been essential to the success of 4-H youth development programs. However, the number of available volunteers has declined. Although this decline is not new, it is imperative to recruit and retain adult volunteers for youth programming. Researchers sought to describe characteristics of current Texas volunteers and identify motivational functions according to the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI). This descriptive study utilized enrolled volunteers in the Texas 4-H program, with responses from 1,225 individuals. Most volunteers were white, college educated, females, and had no prior affiliation with the program. Volunteers were mainly motivated by the values and understanding function. It was recommended information from volunteer demographics and identified motivations be used by extension volunteer administrators to more effectively recruit and retain volunteers for 4-H youth development programing.

Humanitarian aid involvement factors among IMARET volunteers

In many domains, core activities of people’s lives would be disrupted if volunteers were not present to provide much-needed help especially medical-based mobile clinics that rely heavily on the labour of volunteers. This study was designed to identify the factors related to humanitarian aid involvement of volunteers, to discover the background of volunteers attending Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia (IMAM) Response and Relief Team (IMARET) mobile clinic and outreach mission and to determine the association between the humanitarian aid involvement factors and the background of volunteers. This cross-sectional study used Volunteer Function Inventory (VFI) scale to measure the motivation factors of volunteers and total of 178 volunteers were recruited. Among the six motivation factors such as values, protective, understanding, enhancement, security and social factors being studied, understanding factor was found out to be the highest factor that motivated the volunteers. Based on the Fisher’s Exact Test, the motivation factors were found to have no association with the demographic data of volunteers. This study suggests that non-profit organisations should be aware that people joining volunteering or humanitarian aid work were not influenced by their sociodemographic characteristics.

Motivation to Impact: Medical Student Volunteerism in the COVID 19 Pandemic.

ObjectiveVolunteerism represents an important mechanism to promote resilience, empathy, and general well-being in medical students, a group that stands to benefit. Medical students report feelings of fatigue, burnout, exhaustion, and stress that correlates with poor academic performance, and significant decline in empathy over the 3rd year of both MD and DO programs. Volunteer motivations have been shown to mediate participant well-being. The relationship between medical student volunteer motivations and specific outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been addressed.MethodsWe characterized features of medical student volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, including volunteering motivation using the Volunteer Functions Inventory, the types of activities in which they participated, and the physical, psychosocial, and emotional outcomes they experienced following volunteering.ResultsAltruistic and humanitarian values–centric motivation predicts positive volunteering outcomes including increased resilience, ability to deal with disappointment and loss, and ability to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Values-centric motivation also increases volunteer empathy independent of educational stage. Values-centric participants were more likely to select volunteering activities with patient contact, which promotes student empathy and resilience. Conversely, career-centric motivation does not predict positive outcomes. These students are more likely to engage in research-oriented activities.ConclusionsThe efficacy of integrating volunteerism into medical school curricula may be limited by professional pressure that manifests as career-oriented motivation. We propose that practical integration should promote altruistic and humanitarian values–centric participant orientation to the volunteering process, which is associated with enhanced recruitment, preservation of empathy, and additional positive volunteering outcomes of interest.

Angels of the night: exploring street-aid volunteer tourists and faith-based volunteer tourism

ABSTRACT Recent studies have started to discuss volunteer tourism and religion, and this study aims to build on this research momentum. The paper explores street-aid volunteer tourism as a micro-niche and, more specifically, Faith-Based Volunteer tourism (FBVT). Drawing on qualitative data, this study explores the activities of three organisations and their volunteers in an international setting. In the process, the author uses the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) to examine the motivations of faith-based volunteer tourist and what these motivations mean in today's secular society. The author confirms that religiosity, which is complex and multi-layered and requires further attention, should be a separate measurement. Thus, a clear framework or understanding of intrinsic/extrinsic or personal/ institutional religious motivations would help better understand religion's complexity and a deeper study of spiritual psychology.