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Sociodynamics
Reference:

The Problem of Volunteer Motivation in Volunteering Management: A Sociological View

Kruglova Marina Sergeevna

ORCID: 0000-0002-8469-565X

PhD in Economics

Kruglova Marina Sergeevna - Senior Lecturer, Department of General Psychology and Social Communications, Sochi State University

354000, Russia, Krasnodar Territory, Sochi, ul. Plastunskaya, 94

marin.kruglova@gmail.com
Other publications by this author
 

 
Kruglova Lorina Ermondovna

PhD in Technical Science

Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, Design and Ecology, Sochi State University

354000, Russia, Krasnodar Territory, Sochi, ul. Plastunskaya, 94

lorinakruglova@gmail.com
Other publications by this author
 

 
Shuvanov Igor' Borisovich

PhD in Psychology

Associate Professor, Department of General Psychology and Social Communications, Sochi State University

354000, Russia, Krasnodar Territory, Sochi, ul. Plastunskaya, 94

schuvanov@rambler.ru
Other publications by this author
 

 
Shuvanova Viktoriya Petrovna

Senior Lecturer, Department of General Psychology and Social Communications, Sochi State University

354000, Russia, Krasnodar Territory, Sochi, ul. Plastunskaya, 94

v.shuvanova@mail.ru
Other publications by this author
 

 

DOI:

10.25136/2409-7144.2023.1.39576

EDN:

AOCYFK

Received:

07-01-2023


Published:

25-01-2023


Abstract: The article deals with the problems of analyzing the motivational component in the management systems of youth volunteering. The subject of the study is the totality of managerial relations that arise in the process of organizing the volunteer movement and the implementation of volunteer activities. The object of the study is the activities of volunteer, non-profit organizations. The problem lies in the possible outflow of volunteers after the first contact or event, without repeated or regular participation. It is important for managers and leaders of the voluntary sector to successfully involve young people in volunteer projects and develop their voluntary participation in the long term. The study of this issue will make it possible to form a holistic view of the significant aspects of the organization of the volunteer movement. The study is aimed at identifying existing approaches to motivating volunteers, finding the most effective ways to increase the level of volunteer motivation, developing tools to ensure a high level of motivation and involvement in projects of volunteer associations. To collect data on motivation in youth volunteering, the authors conducted a questionnaire survey, the participants of which were volunteers from Russian volunteer organizations based in higher educational institutions. The predominance of the non-material nature of the motivation of volunteers was revealed; a scale of motives was developed for testing volunteers and designing an individual route of volunteer experience in organizations. The unity and opposition of the types of volunteer participation in the concept of dual motivation of volunteers (altruism and selfishness) gives grounds for using a combined approach that takes into account various motives for participation.


Keywords:

the youth, volunteering, volunteer organizations, non-profit organizations, management, volunteer, motivation, motive scale, survey, sociology research

This article is automatically translated.

In the last ten years, there has been a growing attention to the volunteer movement in the regions of the Russian Federation[2]. At the State level, support is provided for the dissemination of the practice of volunteer work. At the same time, volunteerism carries an idea that competes for the attention and time of young people with many other leisure options. Today, every person has a very wide choice of activities, and for the promotion of volunteer activity, it is critically important to understand the motives that drive volunteers when making a decision about volunteering.

The researchers' interest in the motivation of volunteer personnel is determined by the influence it has on the involvement of a person in volunteer projects and the activities of volunteer communities in general[5].

The substantiation of the problem of motivation and stimulation of labor was carried out in domestic and foreign science as the theories of personnel management developed. The evolution of views on the motivation of work is reflected in various approaches of schools of general theory of motivation, which were developed during the XX century. As the main function of management, motivation is associated with the process of encouraging subordinates to work through the formation of behavior motives to achieve personal goals and goals of the organization. In the process of motivation, it is assumed to use interdependent categories in a certain sequence: people's needs – their interests – motives of activity – actions[3].

Performance management is the process by which organizations try to achieve strategic goals consistently through formal and informal motivation, monitoring, evaluation and encouragement for work. Managing the productivity of volunteers is problematic, if only because volunteers are not as dependent on the organization as the staff, and their independence leads to less subordination in the system of organizational behavior. Volunteer work is not paid, and the management of volunteering is complicated by non-commercial specifics.

In connection with the above, during the performance of volunteer duties, a person is invariably at risk of a decrease in motivation. The choice of erroneous incentive methods can affect the quality of volunteer functions, the overall performance of the volunteer team[6].

A number of researchers believe that selfish motives are at the heart of the help: people help others or a specific organization to achieve personal goals. By engaging in interaction, a person tries to extract the maximum benefit, which, in turn, can be "internal" (related to the psychological state of a person) and "external" (related to material reward or approval from other people)[7]. Other authors believe that help is generated mainly by altruistic motivation: a person helps others for the sake of improving their condition. They focus on assistance that requires a lot of effort, is associated with a risk to the material, psychological or physical well-being of the assistant.

The concept of dual motivation of volunteers was proposed by Canadian researcher K. McCallum[11]. The author divides volunteers into conditional egoists and altruists. Let us explain that in the first case, motivation and responsibility depend solely on the volunteer's interest in obtaining personal benefits; the second type is characterized by the desire for selfless work for the common good, solidarity with a social group. Many authors agree that if at the initial stage of volunteer activity the motives of its participants are rather "individualistic", then later they become more socially oriented, directed at others, even strangers.

T. Nezhina [5] points out that one of the explanations of the phenomenon of altruism may be the theory of social exchange. This theory is based on the fact that in addition to the exchange of goods and services, there can also be an exchange of social values, such as status, information, love. D. Krebs writes that the provision of altruistic assistance is important not only to the person to whom it is directed, but also to the volunteer who performs these actions to increase self-esteem, gaining recognition and skills.

Volunteer motivation is closely related to the concept of satisfaction[10]. An integrative indicator reflecting the well-being or disadvantage of an individual in the workforce is job satisfaction, which contains assessments of interest in work, satisfaction with relationships with employees and management, the level of claims in professional activity, satisfaction with conditions, work organization, etc.

Another related concept is organizational commitment[13], which in turn provides a basis for understanding the relationships that develop between volunteers and the organization and is both a factor in retaining volunteers and, to some extent, their productivity. It was found that commitment is an important distinguishing feature between sports volunteers who stay in the organization and become team leaders, and those who leave the organization after the first event or project [4].

The question of motivation of volunteers can be considered through the prism of the theory of continuity of R. Atchley. Internal continuity means the ability to reproduce one's own experiences and preferences in memory; external continuity includes the memory of a person's physical and social environment in the past, for example, memories of activities and relationships. With this theory, the author explains the return of an individual to an already known field of activity, but in a new capacity as a volunteer – if, for example, being an athlete in the past, a person has the desire and opportunity to return to the sports industry through volunteer participation[12].

According to the key thesis of D. McGregor's motivational theory[1], the indispensable task of management is to organize conditions in which people could best achieve their goals by directing efforts to reward the organization. Volunteering, unlike professional employment, does not have an exchange value in the form of material remuneration, but it is stimulated through various kinds of non-material means that can compensate for the resources spent by volunteers. At the same time, the benefits of volunteer work are not always obvious, and, according to J. Pierce, the awards that seem most important to volunteers are not under the control of the organization[3]. Nevertheless, R. Knaan found evidence that differences in the performance of volunteers can be partially explained within the framework of volunteer management practices. He concluded that the use of symbolic awards influenced volunteer commitment[4].

The studied results of research on the topic of motivation of volunteers show that students, like all volunteers, are engaged in volunteer activities for a number of reasons. Motivational scales compiled from surveys of volunteers by different authors are systematized in Table 1. 

Table 1. Motivational scales of volunteering

¹

Authors

Scale of motives

1

I. Clary,

M. Snyder

- expression of values

- gaining new experience and skills

- formation of social relations

- expanding career opportunities

- solving personal problems

- psychological development

2

S.L. Gamayr

- altruism

- idealism

- social contact

- work experience or training

- education

- self-improvement

- development of professional contacts

- providing access to a specific organization

- social status, prestige

- pleasure

3

H. Bang,

K. Alexandris,

S. D. Ross

- expression of values

- patriotism

- interpersonal contacts

- personal growth

- career guidance

- external awards

- love of sports

4

N. Pinkham,

L. M. Robson,

U. Samenfink

- helping others

- for a good cause

- getting a new experience

- contribution to the community

- interest in the event

- professional experience

- for a resume

- new skills

- self-development, communication skills

- order (at school, at work, etc.)

- meet new people

- to communicate with friends

- by belonging to a group

- meet celebrities

 

We have attempted to compile our own scale of volunteer motivation. This tool allows you to flexibly assess the potential of each volunteer of the organization, and therefore motivate and encourage, based on his personal motives for participation. We conditionally group all the motives into blocks, which can be characterized as follows:

1) patriotism, contribution to the common cause, benefits for small and large social groups;

2) acquiring new acquaintances, expanding contacts, maintaining relationships with people;

3) personal and professional growth, a chance to show abilities, gain new experience and recognition of achievements, develop leadership qualities and any skills;

4) solidarity with others, friends, relatives;

5) the opportunity to receive souvenirs, souvenirs, paraphernalia, autographs, uniforms, volunteer equipment;

6) prestige, respect and interest of the environment;

7) availability of free time, occupation as a hobby;

8) encouragement and encouragement from the management, administration at the place of study/work;

9) access to event venues, a chance to see mega-events and various events live, meet celebrities and VIPs.

On the basis of the indicated scale, motivation was measured using a questionnaire survey of volunteers. 478 people registered in volunteer associations took part in the survey. Respondents answered questions online. Most of the respondents are students (82.6%). Respondents were asked to rate their agreement with the probable reasons for volunteering in points, where 5 – "completely agree" and 1 – "completely disagree". The analysis of the results showed the distribution of the motives of gratuitous labor according to the above-described categories of volunteer motivation. As can be seen in Fig. 1, the choice in favor of intangible bonuses prevails – contribution to the common cause, new acquaintances, disclosure of personal potential. Less significant are material bonuses and personal benefits associated with obtaining uniforms, access to sports competitions and cultural events, discounted tickets to any events.

 

Figure 1. The results of the survey on the motivation of volunteers

Another question that was answered during the research was the choice of tools for expressing gratitude to volunteers (Fig. 2). Gratitude to volunteers is an integral part of recognizing the importance of their work, encouraging them to give more and strengthening their connection with the organization. There are many actions, both small and large, that the organizers can take and make sure that the volunteers feel appreciated. Respondents rated the options offered in the survey on a 5-point scale. The greatest motivational effect, according to the respondents, is the presentation of diplomas and free attendance of closed events that may be of interest to volunteers.

Figure 2. Evaluation of ways to recognize volunteer contributions

 

In order to find out whether the volunteers' own work satisfies and, consequently, to find out whether the motivation is sufficient to achieve success in volunteer activity, we used the method of determining the integral satisfaction with the work of A.V. Batarshev. The results of the methodology study showed that the overwhelming majority of respondents have a high level of overall job satisfaction (75%), while the rest of the respondents (25%) have an average level.

The range of motives for volunteer activity can be very diverse, depending on the sources of their formation, the needs of a particular participant in volunteer activity[8]. Thus, managers should consider how to support and retain volunteers with differing goals and motives, significantly divergent interpretations of volunteer work and attitudes towards it. For students, the application of various motivational measures and the formation of new value patterns is practiced, in particular, the promotion of the opportunity to gain knowledge for free, to study foreign languages. It should be noted that the motivational policy, taking into account relevant management experience and modern research in the field of volunteering, is aimed both at attracting interested young people, and at supporting their work, and at keeping them in the organization for a long time.

At the same time, it is important to recognize the individual motivation of the volunteer. In order to motivate volunteers most effectively, event organizers should take into account the life cycle of attracting volunteers from initial recruitment to long-term retention and growth. Understanding the specifics of the life cycle of interaction with volunteers will help managers determine which types of training opportunities and resources will be most effective at each stage. The needs of volunteers – from beginners to experienced volunteers – will vary depending on what stage of the life cycle they are at.

The motivation block can be designed by testing a volunteer based on the developed scale of evaluation of volunteer motivation. By asking volunteers about themselves and their interests in advance, event organizers can better distribute tasks. For example, if a volunteer is interested in developing soft skills such as communication and listening skills, organizers may assign him more people-oriented tasks that will give him the hands-on experience he is looking for.

Testing allows you to flexibly assess the potential of each volunteer of the organization, and therefore motivate and encourage, based on his personal motives for participation. Effective promotion of volunteer participation requires a personalized approach to the motivation of the volunteer and the design of a personal route of volunteer experience. Targeted involvement of volunteers requires adaptation of the organizers' strategy to the intentions of potential volunteers in order to align the key message of communication with the motives and personal goals of the recipients. Depending on the prevailing type of personal motives, it is possible to choose an appropriate management strategy and a combined approach to non-material incentives.

In the light of the above, we can conclude that there is no single approach to the problem of motivation of volunteers. A review of modern publications devoted to the motivational aspect of volunteering demonstrates the methodological and conceptual diversity of approaches to this problem. Researchers are trying to classify volunteers and identify possible incentive strategies for different groups. The tasks of diagnosing and improving volunteer motivation are related to the key stages in the development of the relationship between the organization and the volunteer – involvement in volunteer participation and retention for re-participation. An effective motivational program and recognition of volunteer contributions can simultaneously increase the overall effectiveness of work and minimize the possible outflow of volunteers.

Once volunteers are recruited into a volunteer squad, motivation is crucial to encourage continued participation and long-term success. Motivation tactics should be built into volunteer management strategies to help maintain volunteer engagement over time. The longer volunteers work with the organization, the more of an asset they become. Today, in the era of rapid technological progress and turbulence of the socio-political situation, as well as in the period of frequent organizational transformations within various enterprises, organizations and firms, each of them must show flexibility and change quickly in accordance with the current conditions of society. Also, the effectiveness of work often depends on the atmosphere, internal environment and work ethic within the organization, and not only on motivating factors. Accordingly, there is a set of requirements, during the implementation of which it becomes possible to interest the volunteer team in effective work. Let's consider these requirements in more detail:

1. Link remuneration directly to activities that lead to an increase in the volunteer's labor productivity and the effectiveness of the volunteer organization.

2. Have the ability to express gratitude to those employees whose efforts, together with the results, will be able to exceed the average for the volunteers of the presented category.

3. Encourage employees to participate together with management in the development of indicators and goals, as well as making decisions on the basis of which performance will be evaluated.

4. Pay attention to the difficulties and problems that a volunteer, especially a beginner, may face from time to time. To ensure the adaptation of newcomers to the volunteer team.

5. Exclude situations of contradictions between the activities of volunteers and the overall work of the entire organization, strive for consistency.

Measures to increase the involvement and motivation of volunteer staff can serve as:

1. Recognition cards. Such postcards help to encourage the volunteer with praise, to focus attention on the successful completion of certain tasks.

2. Badges of distinction. This is a step above the recognition card, the badge is harder to get. The presentation of the badge of distinction shows the high efficiency of the volunteer in the aggregate for a certain period.

3. A gift for loyalty. The award is given to volunteers who have continuous volunteering experience in the organization for one year, three and five years.

Accordingly, if these recommendations are followed, the head of a volunteer organization can build his own system of motivation for the work of volunteers, while forming a trusting relationship with his own team, achieving full return from employees and getting effective performance of duties in the working group as a result, which will eventually lead to the qualitative development of activities in the future.

References
1. Borisova N.M., Kukartsev A.V. D. McGregor's Theories of Motivation and Application in Russian Practice // Actual Problems of Aviation and Cosmonautics. 2012. No. 8. pp. 167-168.
2. Vetitnev A.M., Kruglova M.S., Maznichenko M.A. Fundamentals of the organization of the volunteer movement in the system of higher education: a study guide.-Sochi: SSU, 2016. 88 p.
3. Kruglova M.S., Vetitnev A.M. The relationship of motivational theories and practical aspects of volunteer management // In the collection: Youth-science-VII. Actual problems of tourism, sports and business. Materials of the All-Russian scientific-practical conference of students, graduate students and young scientists. 2016. P. 32-36.
4. Kruglova M.S., Vetitnev A.M. Problems of motivation of volunteer work in the management of volunteering // Student scientific research in the field of tourism and sports management. Materials of the conference in 2 volumes. 2016. P. 57-60.
5. Nezhina T.G., Petukhova K.A., Chechetkina N.I., Mindarova I.S. Motivation of youth participation in the volunteer movement // Issues of state and municipal management. 2014. No. 3. P. 49-71.
6. Romantseva E.E. Peculiarities of Volunteering Motivation in Russia // Sociology. 2019. ¹2. pp. 115-121.
7. Stegniy V.N., Nikonov M.V. Motivation for volunteering // Bulletin of PNRPU. Socio-economic sciences. 2018. No. 1. pp. 146-156.
8. Sukharkova M.P. Approaches to the study of motivation for participation in volunteering practices // Theory and practice of social development. 2017. No. 9. pp. 16-24.
9. Management of the effectiveness of volunteer organizations in the context of the functioning of the institution of volunteering in the Russian Federation: monograph. / A.M. Vetitnev, A.M. Ignatenko, M.S. Kruglova, M.A. Maznichenko, O.S. Nadolinskaya.-Sochi: SSU, 2016. 196 p.
10. Cuskelly, G., & O’Brien, W. Changing roles: Applying continuity theory to understanding the transition from playing to volunteering in community sport. European Sport Management Quarterly, Special Issue: New Perspectives on Sport Volunteerism. Vol. 13(1). 2013. P. 54-75.
11. McAllum, K. Meanings of Organizational Volunteering: Diverse Volunteer Pathways // Management Communication Quarterly. 2014 Vol. 28(1). P. 84-110.
12. Vetitnev A., Kruglova M., Bobina N. The economic dimension of volunteerism as a trend of university research // Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences. Worldwide trends in the development of education and academic research, 2015. P. 748-757.
13. Ying Lau, Lue Fang, Ling Jie Cheng & Ho Keung Dennis Kwong. Volunteer motivation, social problem solving, self-efficacy, and mental health: a structural equation model approach, Educational Psychology, 39: 1, 2019, pp. 112-132

Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The subject of the peer-reviewed study is the problem of motivation of participants in volunteer activities. The author rightly points to the expansion of volunteering practices in modern Russia and predicts the growth of the volunteer movement in our country. This indisputable fact already indicates the high relevance of both the scientific research topic and its practical applications in the form of the volunteer motivation scale developed by the author. The conceptual basis of the research was the general theory of motivation in the context of personnel management, the methodology was a critical conceptual analysis, which allowed, based on the study of existing motivation scales, to develop their own and test it on empirical material. The methodology for collecting this material was a well-conducted questionnaire survey. However, an incomplete description of the questionnaire methodology and procedure (there is no indication of statistical error, the size of the target group, the time of the survey, etc.) somewhat reduces the scientific value of the results obtained due to the lack of the possibility of verifying and comparing these results with the results of research by other scientists. From now on, the author is recommended to take a more responsible approach to the description of the research procedure. There are other minor flaws in the design of the research results. So, in the graph shown in Fig. 2, representing the assessment of ways to recognize volunteer work on a five-point scale, for some reason the gradation "6" is indicated. Nevertheless, the correct application of the described methodological tools allowed the author to obtain results with signs of scientific novelty. First of all, we are talking about the development of an author's scale of volunteer motivation. But the recommendations formulated by the author based on the results of the study to the heads of volunteer organizations are no less interesting. Structurally, the article also makes a positive impression: its logic is consistent and reflects the main aspects of the research. Although the rubrication of the text would not hurt. Conditionally, the following sections can be distinguished in the work: - an introductory part devoted to the formulation of a scientific problem, substantiation of its relevance and formulation of research objectives; - a theoretical and methodological part devoted to reflection on existing approaches to the problem, critical analysis of conceptual contexts for solving tasks, as well as methodological choice; - presentation of the results of the author's development of a scale of volunteer motivation and its approbation on specific empirical material; - recommendations to the heads of volunteer organizations to increase the motivation of participants in volunteer activities and their satisfaction with the results of this activity; - the final part, in which (unnecessarily!) The results of the conducted research are summarized briefly. From now on, the author can be recommended to pay more attention in the final part to the formulation of conclusions with an emphasis on their scientific novelty. It is also considered good form to indicate in conclusion some prospects for further research. The style of the reviewed article also does not cause any complaints: the text is written quite competently, in good language, with the correct use of scientific terminology. With the exception of a few minor errors, serious stylistic and grammatical errors have not been identified. It should be specially noted the use of illustrative material in the article: one table summarizing in a convenient form the results of the development of motivational scales of volunteerism by other researchers, as well as two drawings representing some of the results of the questionnaire. The bibliography of the reviewed article has 13 titles, including sources in foreign languages, and adequately represents the state of research on the problems of the article. An appeal to opponents takes place in the formation of the author's motivational scale of volunteering. GENERAL CONCLUSION: the article submitted for review can be qualified as a scientific work that meets all the requirements for works of this kind. Minor flaws discovered during the review process cannot be considered decisive when deciding on the publication of an article; recommendations to the author will suffice to avoid such errors in the future. The presented material corresponds to the topic of the journal "Sociodynamics". The results obtained by the author will be of interest to sociologists, political scientists, psychologists, specialists in the field of youth policy, students of the listed specialties, as well as practicing politicians and heads of volunteer organizations. According to the results of the review, the article is recommended for publication.