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Volunteers’ motives have been differentially linked to various aspects of successful volunteering. Using self-determination theory, we propose that volunteer functions are systematically related to the experience of self-determined versus controlled motivation. This “quality of motivation,” in turn, explains why motives are differentially associated with satisfaction. We conducted two studies: Study 1 (N1 = 824) addressed motives, quality of motivation, and satisfaction; Study 2 (N2 = 323) additionally examined function-specific benefits and the extent to which they match volunteers’ motives. Overall, our hypotheses were supported: values, understanding, and social justice motives were positively associated with relatively self-determined motivation (RSM), whereas career, social, protective, and enhancement motives showed negative correlations. The relationships between motives and satisfaction were partially mediated by RSM. Concerning benefits, Study 2 corroborated these findings for values, protective, enhancement, and social justice. This research introduces a new perspective on the quality of volunteers’ motives—with theoretical and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research addressed volunteering in the context of an international sports event. The functional approach assumes that matching volunteers’ motives and environmental affordances predicts favorable outcomes. We tested this assumption with respect to event volunteering and proposed two additional motivational functions that may be served by event volunteering: good citizenship and excitement. The results show that the total match index (TMI) proposed by Stukas, Worth, Clary, and Snyder accounted for additional variance in satisfaction and the intent to volunteer again, above and beyond the variance explained by motives and affordances alone. Furthermore, beyond the TMI, matching the excitement motive accounted for additional variance in outcomes. The conceptual innovation of excitement as an intrinsic volunteer motive was supported by a theoretically consistent moderator effect: The association between autonomy and volunteer outcomes was stronger for volunteers with a high excitement motive. Theoretical and practical implications regarding the design of volunteer jobs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to examine how the organizational context of a non-profit organization (NPO) influences the motivation and work behaviors of volunteers. We hypothesized that the organizational context-operationalized by the motivational potential of the tasks, autonomy supportiveness of the supervisor, and value congruence between volunteer and NPO-can benefit or thwart self-determined motivation, which in turn predicts work engagement and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB). In particular, the innovative aim of the study was to differentiate between general and organization-focused self-determined motivation (general and organization-focused SDM). Structural Equation Modeling revealed a distinction based on data from 2,222 volunteers: general SDM was related to the motivational potential of the task, whereas value congruence accounted for organization-focused SDM. Autonomy supportiveness of the supervisor similarly influenced both foci. Furthermore, general SDM enhanced work engagement, whereas OCB was solely linked to organization-focused SDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-determination theory proposes a multidimensional conceptualization of motivation comprising autonomous and controlled forms. Whereas autonomous motivation relates positively to individuals’ optimal functioning (e.g., well-being, performance), controlled motivation is less beneficial. To be able to use self-determination theory in the field of organizational behaviour, the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale was developed and tested using data from 3435 workers in seven languages and nine countries. Factorial analyses indicated that the 19-item scale has the same factor structure across the seven languages. Convergent and discriminant validity tests across the countries also indicate that the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness as well as the theoretically derived antecedents to work motivation (e.g., leadership and job design) are predictably related to the different forms of motivation, which in turn are predictably related to important work outcomes (e.g., well-being, commitment, performance, and turnover intentions). Implications for the development of organizational research based on self-determination theory are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study is to provide a deeper understanding of how autonomy-supportive leadership affects volunteer motivation by taking volunteers’ individual differences into account. For this purpose, self-determination theory (SDT) was utilized because this conceptual framework considers both the social context (i.e., autonomy-supportive leadership) and individual differences (i.e., causality orientations) as antecedents of motivation. Causality orientations alter the way individuals perceive their social context as either autonomy-supportive or controlling (i.e., autonomy orientation or control orientation, respectively). Therefore, it is hypothesized that both types of causality orientations serve as moderators of the relationship between autonomy-supportive leadership and volunteer motivation. The hypotheses were tested on N = 1,979 volunteers. The results revealed that the relationship between autonomy-supportive leadership and volunteer motivation varied as a function of the strength of autonomy and control orientation. The importance of the moderating role of individual differences on volunteer motivation is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the effect of illegitimate tasks (Semmer et al. Appl Psychol Int Rev 59:70-96, ) within the volunteer context. A total of 191 Red Cross volunteers were surveyed to reveal the impact of unreasonable and unnecessary tasks on the volunteers' work engagement and intent to remain at the non-profit organization (NPO). To shed light on the process through which illegitimate tasks affect outcomes, the mediating role of self-determined motivation was explored. Furthermore, the volunteers' role orientation was assumed to moderate the relationship between illegitimate tasks and outcomes. The results showed that unreasonable tasks directly decreased the volunteers' intent to remain. Unnecessary tasks, in contrast, had a more subtle effect in that they reduced the self-determined motivation of volunteers. Also, evidence was found for the moderating influence of the volunteers' role orientation: Whereas unreasonable tasks were equally harmful for both groups, unnecessary tasks more strongly affected those volunteers who expressed more organizational ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large sport events increasingly rely on volunteers. However, little is known about the impact these events have on volunteers' future engagement. This study, carried out at the European Football Championship 2008, examines how job characteristics, organizational features, and appreciation affect volunteers' satisfaction and intention to continue their engagement at events and for organizations. Distinguishing between genuine episodic volunteers, current long-term volunteers, and former long-term volunteers, five possible effects on volunteers' intention are proposed: event retention, recruiting, confirmation, comeback, and migration. While organizational features and appreciation primarily affected satisfaction, it was found that specific job characteristics can foster or diminish these five effects. For sport event managers, these findings suggest that in order to create a sustainable event volunteer workforce designing and assigning volunteer jobs is as crucial as attracting volunteers in the first place. Sending organizations, in turn, should pay more attention to which jobs their volunteers are assigned. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]