Motivations of corporate volunteers and factors influencing them

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17981/econcuc.43.2.2022.Org.4

Keywords:

Corporate Volunteering, Personal Volunteering, Motivations, Volunteers, Altruism, Uruguay

Abstract

The knowledge of the motivations of the volunteers is a critical input for the design of recruitment and retention strategies in corporate volunteering programs. Despite its importance, empirical research on the motivation in this type of volunteering is only incipient and isolated. The objective of the research was to identify the structure of motivations of corporate volunteers and to study whether that structure depends on socio-demographic and cultural factors of volunteers and the practice of personal volunteering in social institutions. It is a correlational type study supported by a quantitative type methodology. A self-administered questionnaire was applied to volunteers from 13 companies that implement corporate volunteering programs in Uruguay. The motivations were measured based on the Volunteer Functions Inventory, which is a validated and widely applied tool to measure the volunteering in social organizations The results are consistent with research conducted in other countries, with the difference that the reasons related to the interest in acquiring knowledge registered a higher relative weight than strictly altruistic motives.  It was also found that the structure of motivations was independent of most of the variables that characterize the volunteers, while significant differences were recorded between volunteers comparing different companies. Among the main conclusions, it stands out that the motivation of corporate volunteers combines altruistic and egocentric motives, that the structure of motivations of each volunteer does not seem to depend on personal factors and that there are factors related to the company that impact on that structure.

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Author Biographies

Oscar Daniel Licandro Goldaracena, Universidad CLAEH

He has a degree in Sociology (University of the Republic - Uruguay), a Master of International Management (Saint Thomas University - USA) and a Doctorate of Administration (Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina). He is a teacher, researcher and coordinator of the Cathedra of Social Responsibility of Organizations of the CLAEH University, Uruguay. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, the Editorial Board of the Journal of Business, Universidad del Pacífico de Perú, the scientific committee of the journal Ciencias Administrativas of the Universidad Nacional de La Plata and the scientific committee of the journal Economics CUC of the University of the Coast, Barranquilla, Colombia. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Research Network on Organizational Studies in Latin America, the Caribbean and Ibero-America (REOALCeI) and is the representative in Uruguay of the International Association on Public and Nonprofit Marketing (IAPNM). He coordinates the system of indicators on CSR (IRSE) of the Christian Association of Business Leaders (ACDE) of Uruguay. He is the author of articles published in international scientific journals and in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, Spain, Lithuania, Mexico, Peru, Switzerland and Venezuela. He has also published books, book chapters, and multiple articles in popular magazines. He has given lectures that took place in Latin American and European countries. He has served as a consultant for companies and for various international organizations (IDB, UNESCO, UNDP, IOM and CEPAL).

Stefanía Yapor González, Universidad CLAEH

She has a degree in Sociology and a Master's in Organizational Studies (Universidad Católica del Uruguay). Associate Researcher at the Chair of Social Responsibility of Organizations at Universidad CLAEH (Uruguay). Her research has focused on issues of volunteering and organizational culture.

María Patricia Correa García, Universidad Católica del Uruguay

She has a degree in Psychology (Universidad de la República, Uruguay), a Master's in Business Administration (Universidad Católica del Uruguay) and a doctorate in Business Administration (Universidad Católica de Argentina). Professor and researcher at the Department of Administration and Finance, Catholic University of Uruguay. His research focuses on Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Marketing.

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Published

2022-04-18

How to Cite

Licandro Goldaracena, O. D., Yapor González, S., & Correa García, M. P. (2022). Motivations of corporate volunteers and factors influencing them. ECONÓMICAS CUC, 43(2), 9–34. https://doi.org/10.17981/econcuc.43.2.2022.Org.4

Issue

Vol. 43 No. 2 (2022): July - December, 2022

Section

Articles: Administration, Organization and Methods

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Copyright (c) 2022 Oscar Daniel Licandro Goldaracena, Stefanía Yapor González, María Patricia Correa García

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