Similar but Different. Inter-Branch Diversification of Volunteers' Motivations

The article aims to verify whether volunteers working in the same branch of the nonprofit sector (e.g., culture, emergency services, and charity) share any similarities with respect to their motivation profiles. Moreover, the study tries to identify the mechanisms responsible for such inter–branch “motivation sorting.” In particular, three mechanisms are considered: functional matching, motivations to affordances matching, and motivation alignment. The data used in the analysis come from an original survey conducted among volunteers in Poland with the use of the Volunteer Functions Inventory (Clary, Snyder & Stukas, 1996). This questionnaire allows the identifying of six types of volunteer motivations: career, social, protective, understanding, enhancement, and values. The motivation profile of volunteers working in seven branches of the nonprofit sector is compared. The results indicate that the most distinctive group with respect to the motivation profile was made up of volunteers working in tourism and sports as well as emergency service volunteers. It was in the latter group that some traces of the motivation alignment and/or motivation to affordances matching were identified. The identification of some homogeneity of motivations within particular branches of the nonprofit sector is a valuable finding from the point of view of volunteer recruitment and retention.

The Dutch Comparative Scale for Assessing Volunteer Motivations among Volunteers and Non-Volunteers: An Adaptation of the Volunteer Functions Inventory

Currently, no valid scales exist to compare volunteer motivations between volunteers and non-volunteers. We aimed to adapt the Dutch version of the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) in order to make it applicable for the comparison of volunteer motivations between Dutch older volunteers and non-volunteers. The Dutch version of the VFI was included in the Lifelines ‘Daily Activities and Leisure Activities add on Study’, which was distributed among participants aged 60 to 80. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models were estimated for volunteers and non-volunteers separately, and subsequently a CFA model was created based on all observations irrespective of volunteer status. Finally, group-based CFA models were estimated to assess measurement invariance. The resulting measurement instrument (6 factors, 18 items), containing both a volunteer version and a non-volunteer version, indicated an acceptable model fit for the separate and the combined CFA models (root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.06, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.95). Group-based models demonstrated strong invariance between the samples. The current study provides support for the validity of the Dutch Comparative Scale for Assessing Volunteer Motivations among Volunteers and Non-Volunteers, among Dutch older adults.

Translation and Validation of the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) among the General Dutch Older Population

Improvement of volunteering rates in the Netherlands is important because increased productivity among older adults would contribute to societal sustainability in the light of population aging. Therefore, a better understanding of volunteer motivations of Dutch older adults is needed. The Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) for assessing volunteer motivations has good psychometric properties and is adapted to several languages, but no validated Dutch translation yet exists. The aim of the current study is to validate the VFI for use in the Dutch older population (60 years and over). The Dutch-translated VFI (6 scales, 30 items) is included in the Lifelines ‘Daily Activities and Leisure Activities add-on Study’, which was distributed among participants aged 60 to 80. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) are performed to assess the validity of the translated VFI. Internal consistency is assessed by computing Cronbach’s α’s. Results of the EFA (N = 4208) point towards a six-factor solution with a nearly perfectly clean structure. Deletion of three problematic items results in a clean factor structure. CFA results indicate moderate model fit (RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.90, TLI = 0.89). Cronbach’s α’s (0.78 to 0.85) indicate good internal consistency. Goodness-of-fit indices are sufficient and comparable to those obtained in the validation of the original VFI. The current study provides support for use of the Dutch-translation of the VFI (6 scales, 27 items) to assess volunteer motivations among Dutch volunteers aged 60 years and over.

Luzes em uníssono: gestão de pessoas no voluntariado informal

Esta pesquisa busca entender fatores motivacionais que influenciam indivíduos a exercerem atividades voluntárias no projeto social Vagalumes. Saber o que motiva ao trabalho em projetos como esse, é um dos possíveis caminhos para fomentar a gestão de pessoas no voluntariado e é uma das contribuições apontadas por esse trabalho. Para alcance do objetivo, foi utilizado o Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), ferramenta adaptada do trabalho de Clary e colaboradores, em 1998 e validada no Brasil por Pilati e Hees (2011). A ferramenta elenca seis fatores motivacionais (Valores, Compreensão, Aperfeiçoamento, Carreira, Social e Protecionismo). Pela aplicação de questionários, análises de médias, desvio padrão e correlação entre variáveis, procedeu-se a análise de resultados. Encontra-se, pela estatística descritiva, que participantes do projeto social estudado possuem, em média, motivações mais relacionadas a valores altruístas. Em uma outra análise, pela correlação entre as funções, as respostas passaram a apresentar viés motivacional mais orientado pelo egoísmo.

Doing Good Online: The Changing Relationships Between Motivations, Activity, and Retention Among Online Volunteers

Advances in Internet technology are making it possible for individuals to volunteer online and participate in research-based activities of nonprofit organizations. Using survey data from a representative sample of such contributors, this study investigates their motivations to volunteer for five online volunteering projects using the Volunteer Functions Inventory. We explore relationships between these six categories of motivation and actual recorded measures of both volunteer activity and retention. We also use quantile regression analysis to investigate the extent to which these motivations change at different stages in the volunteer process. Our results show that volunteers’ activity and retention tend to associate significantly and positively with the motivations of understanding and values, as well as significantly and negatively with the social and career motivations. We also find the importance of motivations changes significantly across the stages of volunteer engagement. In some cases, especially the understanding motivation, the changes observed for activity and retention are markedly different.

Impact of Motivation Behind Volunteerism on Satisfaction with Life among University Students

Volunteering is any action in which time is offered wholeheartedly to give advantage to other persons, assembling or cause. Purposive sampling technique was applied for collecting information. The sample of this study consisted of students (N=184) including male (n =83) and female (n=101) students of different universities of Karachi. Besides demographic sheet two instruments were used they included Volunteer functions inventory and satisfaction with life scale for data collection from the university students. Through Volunteerism, volunteers achieve physical and mental health as well. Objective of this study was, to investigate the association of motivation behind volunteerism on satisfaction with life among university students. Further study also investigated the gender difference on the variable of motivation behind volunteerism. The current study was conducted in the different academic institutions of Karachi. After review of the detailed literature following hypothesis was formulated; (a) there would be a predictive relationship between motivation behind volunteerism and satisfaction with life among university students, (b) there would be a significant gender difference on the variable of motivation behind volunteerism, and (c) there would be a significant gender difference on the variable of satisfaction with life between among university students. In order to investigate the results of the sample volunteer functional inventory and satisfaction with life were used. The findings of study shows that motivation behind volunteerism is a significant predictor of satisfaction with life among university students, further findings shows that there is significant difference on the variables of motivation behind volunteerism between male and female university students. Moreover there is a significant gender difference on the variable of life satisfaction exists.

Hubungan Motivasi dan Kepuasan Relawan pada Organisasi Seni

Relawan merupakan asset penting pada organisasi seni. Memahami motivasi dan kepuasan sangat diperlukan dalam merekrut maupun mengelola relawan. Tujuan utama penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui hubungan motivasi dan kepuasan relawan selama mengikuti kegiatan sukarela di tiga organisasi seni yaitu Komunitas Gayam 16, Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF) dan Yayasan Biennale Yogyakarta. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode survey dengan kuesioner Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) yang disusun oleh Clary, dkk (1998). Data diperoleh dari 179 responden dengan cara menyebarkan kuesioner cetak dan kuesioner elektronik (GoogleForm). Data yang terkumpul, dianalisis menggunakan metode analisis deskriptif, korelasi product moment Kruskall-Wallis dan Mann-Whitney. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dari enam dimensi motivasi yang diajukan, fungsi pemahaman, fungsi karir dan fungsi peningkatan, mempunyai peran penting dalam memotivasi seseorang menjadi relawan, serta mempunyai hubungan yang kuat dan signifikan dengan kepuasan. Motivasi relawan juga dapat dipengaruhi oleh jenis organisasi dan faktor demografi. Temuan ini dapat menjadi bahan pertimbangan bagi para pengelola untuk mendapatkan relawan yang sesuai dengan organisasi. Pengelola dapat menyusun sistem pengelolaan relawan yang efektif meskipun hasil dari penelitian ini tidak bisa digeneralisir. Penelitian ini diharapkan menjadi titik awal bagi penelitian berikutnya mengenai kesukarelawanan pada organisasi seni. Volunteers are the most important assets of an arts organization. Understanding motivation and satisfaction is needed in recruiting and managing the volunteer. The m ain purpose of this research is to find out the correlation between volunteer motivation and satisfaction in three arts organizations, Komunitas Gayam 16, Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival and Yayasan Biennale Jogja. The method used is survey method using Vo lunteer Function Inventory (VFI) developed by Clary et al. (1998). Data from 179 respond ents were collected through an hard copy and online questionnaires managed through GoogleForm. The collected data were analyzed using discriptive statistics, produc t moment correlation, Kruskall-Wallis dan Mann-Whitney. The result indicated that among six motivation functions, the understanding, career and enhancement are the most popu lar reasons for volunteering and significanly related to volunteer satisfaction level. Vo lunteer motivation can also be influenced by organization type and demographic factors. Th is findings have implication for arts manager to get the type of volunteer for their p articular type of organization. The arts manager can develop effectively volunteer m anagement system. This study serves as a starting point for more research on volunteerism in ar ts organizations.