The quality of volunteers’ motives: Integrating the functional approach and self-determination theory

Abstract

Volunteers' motives have been differentially linked to various aspects of successful volunteering. Using self-determination theory, we propose that volunteer functions are systematically related to the experience of self-determined versus controlled motivation. This "quality of motivation," in turn, explains why motives are differentially associated with satisfaction. We conducted two studies: Study 1 (N1 = 824) addressed motives, quality of motivation, and satisfaction; Study 2 (N2 = 323) additionally examined function-specific benefits and the extent to which they match volunteers' motives. Overall, our hypotheses were supported: values, understanding, and social justice motives were positively associated with relatively self-determined motivation (RSM), whereas career, social, protective, and enhancement motives showed negative correlations. The relationships between motives and satisfaction were partially mediated by RSM. Concerning benefits, Study 2 corroborated these findings for values, protective, enhancement, and social justice. This research introduces a new perspective on the quality of volunteers' motives-with theoretical and practical implications.

Congruence Matters: Volunteer Motivation, Value Internalization, and Retention

“…First, we suggest a more complex portrait of the relationship between volunteer motivation and retention. Whereas previous theory and research suggest that a high level of volunteer motivation can improve outcomes such as satisfaction, intention to continue, and well-being (Güntert et al 2016;Stukas et al 2009Stukas et al , 2016, we demonstrate that individuals' behavioral responses are not the same across different combinations of motivation and experience. Because altruistically motivated volunteers may perceive incongruence with their experience during a non-altruistic event, the relationship between altruistic motivation and retention in a non-altruistic event may be negative.…”

“…Among others, volunteer motivation is an important antecedent that influences volunteer retention (Clary et al 1998;Harrison 1995;Newton et al 2014;Pearce 1993;Stukas et al 2016). Motivated volunteers are more likely to participate (Harrison 1995), be satisfied (Güntert et al 2016), and exert work effort (Bidee et al 2013).…”

“…The core proposition of the functionalist approach is that the act of volunteering may reflect different underlying motivational processes, influencing the initiation and maintenance of voluntary activity (Clary et al 1998). One especially compelling argument of the functionalist approach is that it suggests the importance of congruence between motivation and the actual experience of volunteering (Clary et al 1998;Güntert et al 2016;Stukas et al 2009). For instance, Clary et al (1998) found that messages of advertising are perceived as more persuasive by participants when the messages are aligned with their motivation.…”

“…Because altruistically motivated volunteers may perceive incongruence with their experience during a non-altruistic event, the relationship between altruistic motivation and retention in a non-altruistic event may be negative. Second, while a majority of research focuses on individual volunteers' pre-dispositional attributes (e.g., self-oriented vs. other-oriented motivation) and their reactive responses toward the functional nature of volunteering (Clary et al 1998;Güntert et al 2016;Newton et al 2014), we shift attention toward the role of individuals' proactive interpretation of the environment (Kim and Rousseau 2018), particularly the role of value internalization that buffers the negative impact of motivationexperience incongruence. Such a shift is conceptually and practically important, given the proactive nature of volunteering (do Nascimento et al 2018) and the critical importance of value in volunteering to individuals who are willing to devote their time and efforts to the focal volunteer work (Wilson 2000).…”

Volunteering to Support Refugees: A Question of One’s Scope of Justice

“…These six functions have been validated in many studies by the original authors, as well as by the wide range of international literature referring to volunteering in various contexts 51 and using different forms of conceptualization. 52 The multiple specific motives defined above show that the simple differentiation of "egoistic" versus "altruistic" motives is outdated; 53 thus, the dichotomous approach should be replaced by the multiple motive approach.…”