Understanding the Motivation of Volunteers: An Examination of Personality Differences and Characteristics of Volunteers' Paid Employment

Abstract

Volunteers from three soctal service agencies were surveyed to test the hypothesis that some people volunteer in order to satisfy needs that are not satisfied through their other activities. The findings indicated that those volunteers whose regular employment failed to satisfy their needs for psychological growth tended to be in volved and satisfied with volunteering to the extent that they (a) felt personally in control of their lives, and (b) wanted and expected that volunteering would satisfy their growth needs. Volunteers whose regular employment did provide oppor tunities for psychological growth were more motivated by other potential rewards of volunteering.