The Relation Between Motives for Organizational Volunteering and Frequency of Volunteering by Elders
- 1 June 1994
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Journal of Applied Gerontology
- Vol. 13 (2) , 115-126
- https://doi.org/10.1177/073346489401300201
Abstract
The influence of motives for volunteering on frequency of volunteering by elders was examined. A secondary analysis was conducted on data from the Marriott Seniors Volunteerism Study. It was hypothesized that the number of major motives for volunteering would be positively related to frequency of volunteering. Contrary to the hypothesis, a stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that specific motives for volunteering—to feel useful or productive and to fulfill a moral obligation—were significant predictors of frequency of volunteering. Each increment on the motives for volunteering scale (from 0 to 2) multiplied the odds of volunteering 2 or more times a month by 2.11 for feeling useful or productive and by 1.38 for fulfilling a moral obligation. It was suggested that some older adults use frequent volunteering as a strategy to sustain their self-esteem.Keywords
This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- Volunteerism and Society's Response to the HIV EpidemicCurrent Directions in Psychological Science, 1992
- Motives and intent to continue organizational volunteering among residents of a retirement community areaJournal of Community Psychology, 1992
- Volunteers' motivations: A functional strategy for the recruitment, placement, and retention of volunteersNonprofit Management and Leadership, 1992
- Measuring Motivation to Volunteer in Human ServicesThe Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 1991
- Toward Satisfaction and Retention of Senior VolunteersJournal of Gerontological Social Work, 1991
- The Amount and Effectiveness of Help: The Relationship of Motives and Abilities to Helping BehaviorPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1991
- The Lives of Older People and Changing Social RolesThe Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1989
- Exchange variables as predictors of job satisfaction, job commitment, and turnover: The impact of rewards, costs, alternatives, and investmentsOrganizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1981
- The Motivation To VolunteerJournal of Voluntary Action Research, 1978
- Increasing adherence to a stressful decision via a motivational balance-sheet procedure: A field experiment.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975