The antecedents of volunteering What drives volunteers and their will to help others?

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was three-fold. First, the goal was to investigate the psychological sources to volunteering behaviour and why people choose to volunteer in a broad sense by comparing and evaluating current theories, frameworks and hypotheses. Second, through conducting an empirical investigation of some of the theorized psychological sources for volunteering, the aim was to test the most relevant theories and studies done on the topic and their capacity to predict volunteering behaviour. With this goal in mind, an internet survey was distributed amongst volunteers active in non-profit organisations and initiatives in Sweden. Finally, much of the research done on volunteering has been conducted in outside Sweden, which makes it valuable to look at the theories of volunteering in a different and local context to see if any cultural differences exist that have previously not been taken into account. Results of the empirical investigation are mixed, with varying degree of significant correlations and relationships between the psychological concepts recorded and the commitment to volunteering.