Table of Contents
Introduction
Volunteering has progressively developed in South Africa over the last few years. In 2018, there were 2,7 million volunteers compared to 1,3 million in 2010 (Statistics South Africa, [Stats SA] 2018). It was found by the authors that there is not enough information regarding volunteering in South Africa and it has been stated there is a “dearth of academic literature on the subject” (Everatt, Habib, Maharaj, & Nyar, 2005, p. 276). Subsequent to this Akintola (2011) states that the phenomenon of volunteering practices has received attention worldwide. Patel, Perold, Mohamed, & Carapinha (2007) found that volunteering in South Africa occurs by mainly by underprivileged volunteers. A survey conducted found that lower income provinces such as the Eastern Cape and Limpopo tend to have the highest levels of volunteering. In contrast, the higher income provinces such as Gauteng and the Western Cape appear to possess lower volunteering rates. (Everatt et al., 2005).
Research problem
Given that volunteer research is evident as stated in the preceding section, the most pressing question is why do people volunteer and what are the driving forces to commit to volunteering. In the literature there are few publications addressing the motivational factors behind volunteering. The researcher’s primary purpose for this explorative study is to understand what keeps volunteers motivated at a children’s home in Gauteng. The secondary purpose is to identify the challenges and how this interlinks with their personal motivational benefits and their experiences and thoughts about volunteerism. The researcher will interview three volunteers through snowball sampling.
In order to come to conclusions concerning this area the researcher will (1) use the information to make suggestions and to simplify the areas that need improvement, and (2) to help evolve the organisation to gain new volunteers and also to retain the existing volunteers. There is a dire need to understand what drives and keeps volunteers motivated and with this information an awareness can be made within the volunteering community and in other organisations. The researcher will also identify theories about motivation. The researcher will look at the aspects of motivation, as follows: the volunteer’s motivations, experiences, and challenges towards volunteering. In terms of motivations the researcher will look at the altruistic and egoistic approach, and together with this, the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), will also be used to understand the motivations of volunteers. For experiences and challenges, the Volunteer Process Model will be utilised.
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Definition of volunteering
Volunteering is defined as “Unpaid non-compulsory work; that is, time individuals give without pay to activities performed either through an organisation or directly for others outside their own household” (Salamon, Sokolowski, & Haddock, 2011, p. 225). Volunteering is a “conscience good or activity” to which people support
because they have a moral cause for it (Freeman, 1997, p. S140). “Volunteering means any activity in which time is given freely to benefit another person, group, or organization” (Wilson, 2000). From these definitions, it can be seen that these authors agree that volunteering is closely linked to a person’s action or behaviour, which begs the questions “How does volunteering enthuse a person to these actions and behaviour and what is the linkage between motivation and volunteering?” Kleinginna and Kleinginna (1981, as cited in Boz & Palaz, 2007) defines motivation as a need, desire or want that energise and directs behaviour.
Motivations to Volunteer
Monga (2006) state that there is extensive literature on motivations and commitment to volunteer. Additionally, he further state that the majority of literature is focussed on the dynamics of volunteering in human service and community welfare (Monga, 2006). It’s argued that individuals choose altruistic and egoistic reasons to undertake to do volunteer work and thus expanded the choice of selfless acts to interact in volunteerism by disengaging from negative behaviour (Uggen & Janikula, 1999).
Clary et al. (1998) identified six primary motives for volunteerism which are expression of altruistic values that are important to the self and for others, to use and gain new experiences or knowledge and skills, to socialise and improve relationships, to achieve job opportunities, to shield the ego from negative and guilt conscience and lastly to reinforce the self-esteem and develop the ego growth.
Omoto & Snyder (1995) identified three constructs that are critical to the volunteer process model (i.e., antecendents, experiences and consequences). The authors found that the volunteer process model is an ongoing process and that these antedecents, experiences, and consequences should be considered together to predict initiation and maintenance of volunteering (Omoto & Snyder, 1995).
Challenges of volunteerism
There are many studies that focus on volunteering motivations. Publications that report and explore the constraints and challenges of volunteerism are scarce. Hager & Brudney (2004) found the following challenges that organisations experience:
- unpredictability to recruit enough volunteers,
- limitations within the flexibility to manage volunteers,
- insufficient funds to manage volunteers, time demands for volunteer supervision,
- the potential for conflict to occur between paid staff and volunteers
Burnout
Volunteer burnout can affect the health of others when volunteers are stressed or over worked. It may cause the same reaction in others. Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter (2001) found that when burnout occurs, one develops a detached concern as a protective measure. Maslach et al. (2001) stated that increased risk factors of burnout is role confilict and role ambiguity. “Role conflict occurs when conflicting demands at the job have to be met, whereas role ambiguity occurs when there is lack of adequate information to do the job well” (Maslach et al., 2001, p. 407).
Research question
This research study seeks to understand the motivational factors and challenges related to volunteering and to gain more insight on the matter.
- What motivates volunteers?
- Why volunteers choose an organisation?
- What are the challenges that volunteers are faced with?
- What kind of training did they receive to fulfil their roles?
- How volunteering experience could be improved
In addressing these questions, the volunteer’s perceptions and experiences of volunteering will be explored.
Research outcomes
The researcher will use the results from this study to improve information and provide support to volunteers by addressing the barriers of volunteering. This research will help determine how to promote future volunteering, how to better enable volunteers to participate in volunteer services and how to greater contribute to civic and prosocial responsibilities.
Research objectives
The specific objectives of this research are to explore the propulsion behind volunteering; to attain insight on the advantages and challenges that are recognised by volunteers on their personal development and inclusion; to ascertain why the volunteers chose the respective organisations and to check the prevailing motivations and challenges; finally to produce recommendations for future volunteers on some way to improve the challenges faced and maintain motivational qualities.
Research rationale
This study is important and needs to be explored. The researcher will gain an in-depth perspective of the motivational and challenging aspects and how this relates to the volunteer’s experiences. Furthermore, the findings of the study will be used to support current volunteers and future volunteers to stay relevant in ways to their own motivational and personal growth.
Methodology
Research Aim
Primary research aim is to explore what keeps the participants motivated at a children’s home in Gauteng. Secondary research aim is to identify the challenges and how this interlinks with their personal motivational benefits and their experiences and thoughts about volunteerism.
Research design
“Research designs are types of inquiry within qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches that provide specific direction for procedures in a research study” (Creswell, 2014, p. 41). The method applied for this study is a qualitative in nature. A qualitative study promotes understanding of the human behaviour and responses and what that means to individuals, therefore qualitive research engage in questions such as what, how and why (Draper, 2004). Denzin (1989, as cited in Rahman, 2017) explains that the one advantage that qualitative research provides is that it involves thick descriptions and it is intersted in how people interpret their actions in a meaningful way. Although there are many advantages of doing a qualitative study Contrast to this quantitative research provide less
deeper and meaningful explanations (Rahman, 2017).
Participants
The sample of this study will consist of three volunteers. The sample group of volunteers will be identified through snowball sampling. Participation will be voluntary, and the participants will be contacted via email to inform them of the study and to request their participation. A letter of information and a letter of consent will be attached to the email. Once consent is approved the researcher will arrange for the interviews to be conducted at a private, safe, and quiet venue and will communicate this via email to all participants.
Data collection
The study will employ a qualitative research design (Creswell, 2013). Data will be collected through a series of semi structured interviews and open-ended questions will be used by the researcher. The duration time of the interviews will be no longer than one hour. The interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed for analysis and to ensure that accurate data will be collected.
Reliability and Validity of data collection
Questions of reliability and validity have been raised sometimes regarding qualitative research methods. The researcher will ensure that reliability and validity is in the study with a great deal of emphasis on trustworthiness (Lincoln and Guba 1989 – to check reference).
Data analysis
The method of analysis used in this study will be a qualitative approach, therefore the researcher will use a thematic analysis and it will offer further insight into the data trends. Braun and Clarke (2006) define thematic analysis as a method for identifying, analysing, and reporting patterns or themes that emerge from across the data and then organises and describes the data in detail. According to Holloway and Todres (2003, as cited in Braun & Clarke, 2006) thematic anaylis is a foundational method of qualitative analysis and provides core skills useful for conducting many other types of qualitative analysis.
Trustworthiness (reliability and validity of data analysis)
According to Lincoln and Guba (1985, as cited in Nowell, Norris, White, & Moules, 2017) posit that trustworthiness of a research study is important to evaluating its worth and that trustworthiness encompasses credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. Trustworthiness in qualitative research is achieved when the data collected in the study are applicable, consistent, and neutral. The researcher will use the four factors that contribute to trustworthiness of qualitative studies are explained below:
Credibility: addresses the issue of whether there is a consistency between the participants’ view and the researcher’s representation of them (Ryan, Coughlan, & Cronin, 2007).
Transferability: refers as to whether the results have the potential to be used in another setting of the context (Ryan et al., 2007).
Dependability: Ryan et al. (2007) explain that the researcher need to give the reader enough information to see how dependable the study and also the reseacher are.
Confirmability: Shenton (2004) refers to confirmability as the steps that are taken by the researcher to demonstrate what findings emerge from data.
Strengths and Limitations of Thematic analysis
The researcher will use a thematic analysis for this study. Thematic analysis has advantages of being flexible, simple to learn, accessible to a wider audience, it can summarise key points of large amounts of data and offer description of data set (Braun & Clarke, 2006). In contrast, the disadvantages of thematic analysis are that it fails to follow strict guidelines and this results in poor analysis, it cannot go beyond descriptive statements if it’s not used in a theoretical framework, there are contradictions to the method when compared to other qualitative methods and it cannot determine cause and effect (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Authors Braun and Clarke (2006) provide a step-by-step guide that identify six phases of thematic analysis. The researcher will use the following six phases that will be conducted in this study below:
- Phase 1: Familiarise yourself with your data
- Phase 2: Generate initial codes
- Phase 3: Searching for themes
- Phase 4: Reviewing themes
- Phase 5: Defining and naming themes
- Phase 6: Writing up the report
Ethical consideration
Given the nature of this study, there are certain ethical considerations that need to be taken into consideration. The researcher will ensure that all participants be treated with respect and courtesy. A strategy of informed consent will be adopted, with the aim and methods of the research being made clear to all three participants. The confidentiality and anonymity will be assured by using the following fundamental research ethical principles (Mack et al., 2005, p. 9):
- Respect for Persons: Requires a commitment to ensuring the autonomy of research participants, and, where autonomy may be diminished, to protect people from exploitation of their vulnerability.
- Beneficence: Requires a commitment to minimising the risks associated with research, including psychological and social risks, and maximising the benefits that accrue to research participants.
- Justice: Requires a commitment to ensuring a fair distribution of the risks and benefits resulting from research.
- Respect for communities: Confers on the researcher an obligation to respect the values and interests of the community in research and, wherever possible, to protect the community from harm.
Timeline
The timeline for this study is as follows:
- Week 1 and 2: The researcher will start with an extensive literature review on motivations and challenges of volunteering and during that time the researcher will arrange meetings via email to set up interviews with three volunteers.
- Week 3 and 4: The researcher will conduct the interviews with the three volunteers, record, and transcribe the data.
- Week 5 and 6: The researcher will complete methodology and ethical sections of the study.
- Week 7 and 8: The researcher will also conduct a thematic analysis, compile common themes, and write it up in the report. The researcher will complete the significance of the research findings, the strengths and limitations of the study, recommendations for future research, conclusion, and references sections.
