Motivation and emotion/Book/2024/Functional approach to volunteerism

Functional Approach to Volunteerism:
How does the functional approach explain volunteer motivation and how can it be applied?

Multimedia presentation (3 min)

Overview

What exactly is the functional approach when looking at volunteerism? The functional approach approach to volunteerism to simply define it, would be the exploration of the vast amount of different motivations an individual may have when they decide to choose to volunteer (Clary & Snyder, n.d.). While other perspectives would typically view volunteering as purely altruistic or self driven, this approach acknowledges that individuals volunteer for a vast amount of reasons, whether it is for personal growth, social connections or career advancements. When it comes to understanding these motivations it is crucial for effectively managing and retaining volunteers as it is crucial for designing volunteer programs that align with volunteers diverse needs.

Focus questions: What are the primary functions or motivations that drive individuals to volunteer? Why is matching volunteer motivations with opportunities important? What are the practical implications of the functional approach for volunteer? How can organisations assess and cater to the diverse motivations of their volunteers?

The functional approach to volunteerism is a psychological theory that seeks to focus on understanding the diverse motivations behind why a certain individual would choose to engage with volunteer work. People volunteer for a variety of reasons ranging from desire to help others, to seeking to fufill personal growth or developing social as well as career goals. This volunteer approach is significant as it provides a more overall view of volunteering as a behaviour moving beyond the traditional research view of volunteerism as a concept that's solely altruistic (Asghar, 2015).

By addressing the specific needs of motivations of volunteers and organisation can enhance volunteer satisfaction as well as commitment. This approach helps in recognising that volunteerism serves multiple factors and functions that very from one individual to another.

Origins of the Functional Approach

Concepts that can be traced to earlier psychological theories of motivation and behaviour that the functional approach to volunteerism employs would include:

Key Theorists:

-William James: Emphasised the importance and significance of understanding the functions of behaviours that layered the groundwork for later theories on motivation that influenced the functional approach in regards to volunteering. His approach focused on how behaviours serve practical purposes in everyday life, the perspective laid the foundation for later theories behaviours and motivations on actions including the drives behind volunteerism (Cherry, 2006).

-Kurt Lewin: Known for his work in social psychology. Lewin's work on motivation and emotion behavioural therapies provided a framework that looks at understanding how an individuals goals and needs drive actions. Coined the term Field Theory that focuses on understanding human behaviour with the context of both goals and needs that significantly contribute to motivational psychology Lewin’s research laid the foundation for understanding how an individual's goals and needs drive their actions. His contributions to motivational psychology stemmed from his Field Theory, which conclude that behaviour is a function of both the individual and their environment, or what he coined the "life space." This theory emphasises that human behaviour cannot be fully understood in isolation from the external forces both psychological and environmental, that shape an individual's goals and needs (Lewin, 1951; Roşca, 2020). (Roşca, 2020). Lewin’s contributions to motivational psychology continue to resonate today, particularly in the study of goal-oriented behaviour

Figure 1. Self-efficacy as a multi-dimensional construct.

-Vlary, Synder, and Ridge: These researchers were an important aspect in applying the functional approach to volunteerism. They developed the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), a tool that assessed the various motivations behind the concept of volunteering. This tool helped in revolutionising the understanding of why people engage in volunteer work by categorizing motivations into six distinct functional areas.

1. Values
2. Understanding
3. Social
4. Career
5. Enhancement
6. Protective

By catergorising reasons as to why people work/volunteer into "distinct functional motivations" concepts such as values, understanding and social enhancement. The functional approach to volunteerism concludes that understanding the 6 diverse motivations can then help in improving recruitment of candidates in volunteering.

-Daniel Katz: Worked on functional theories of attitudes that also contributed to the development of the functional approach that is employable in volunteering work. Katz approach highlighted how different attitudes serve different psychological functions for individuals. Katz proposed that attitude are not only just reflections of beliefs or emotions, rather specific functions in satisfying functions. This is a concept that parallels what it means to understand the different motivations that are in volunteering (Katz, 1960). This functional approach to attitudes parallels the functional approach to volunteerism, as both frameworks emphasise the motivational forces behind human behaviour. Just as Katz’s theory explains that attitudes fulfill specific psychological needs, the functional approach to volunteerism, developed by Clary, Snyder, and Ridge, identifies that people volunteer to satisfy various psychological and social needs, such as expressing values, gaining understanding, and/or building social connections (Clary & Snyder, 1999).

1 The Functional Approach to Volunteerism does not consider the importance of matching volunteer roles to the volunteers motivations? False, the Functional Approach emphasizes the importance of aligning volunteer roles with personal motivations. False, the theory only considers the organization's needs, not the volunteer's individual motivations. True, the theory suggests that motivations are irrelevant when assigning volunteer roles. 2 Which of the following is a key principle of the Functional Approach to Volunteerism? Volunteers are motivated purely by external rewards. The primary goal is to maximize organizational efficiency, not volunteer fulfillment. Matching volunteer roles with personal motivations increases volunteer satisfaction and retention. Volunteers are more effective when they have no personal motivations guiding their actions. 3 What is the main focus of the Functional Approach to Volunteerism? To ensure volunteers gain social status through their work. To understand and address the diverse motivations of volunteers. To match volunteer roles with the specific needs of the organization. To minimize the time volunteers spend in their roles.

How can a Functional Approach be Applied to Volunteering?

Assessing Volunteer Motivations

Assessing volunteer motivations is an essential aspect for organisations aiming to improve volunteer recruitment, retention, and satisfaction. One of the most widely used tools, the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) developed by Clary, Snyder, and Ridge, assess the six key motivations for volunteering as stated earlier in the theoretical framework section. By using this tool, organisations can then tailor volunteer roles to align with these motivations to then enhance engagement as well as commitment to the volunteering role. Beyond the VFI there are other tools that are typically used by organisations to assess volunteer motivation.

The Volunteer Satisfaction Index developed in 2001 by Galindo-Kuh. and Guzley, focused on motivations related to the satisfaction of volunteers. This tool is a valuable asset in helping organisations to identify the gap between what motivates a volunteer to join their project as well as the satisfaction they receive from the experience of doing their job. Using this formula it can allow for the volunteer to then be put in a better role placement within the organisation to improve the volunteer retention rate. A study in Hong Kong confirmed through the administration of VSI that it confirmed it had reliable and adaptable effects across different cultural settings (Wong et al., 2010).

Customising Volunteer Roles

Figure 2. Picture of EG Clary, a pioneer in shaping the functional approach in volunteering and motivation theory.

By matching volunteering opportunities with identifiable motivations, organisations can then create roles that satisfy volunteers more specific needs. There a few key insights that when taken into account help with organisations and customising their roles for their volunteers.

1. Value-Driven Volunteers: For certain volunteers that are motivated by altruism and the need to help, Clary & Snyder proposed that organisations can create roles that can directly impact and fulfil those needs. By an organisation setting up their volunteers with and underserved community or environment restoration project, these roles can fulfill the volunteers desire to act in line with their moral values and goals. (Clary & Snyder, 1999).
2. Socially Motivated Volunteers: Volunteers seeking to expand their social networks and please their social needs organisations can offer more social focused based roles to help fufill that social need. Clary et al proposed that offering team based roles or placing volunteers in community outreach programs that help in facilitate new social interactions that serve their social needs. By fulfilling that quota for volunteers that thrive more with increased susceptibility of socialising, programs can then boost engagement and satisfaction (Clary et a., 1998).
3. Knowledge-Seeking Volunteers: Individuals that are motivated by desires to understand new concepts that could either be educational or research based. Their motivation behind why they pursued the volunteering opportunity was to further grow their skill set that can be applied in many different contexts whether its for future workplaces or gain new knowledge for their research. A typical example when volunteering would be educational outreach that can further help in their personal learning and meeting their understanding function (Omoto & Snyder, 2004).

Case study Happy_Cartoon_Man_Using_A_Smartphone Sarah's story: Sarah, a 35 year old marketing professional that has recently begun volunteering at a local animal shelter. Initially, her involvement was motivated by her love for animals (Values Function), she then realised that the experience also allowed her to network with like-minded individuals in her field as well as gain new skills in event management (Career Function). After a year of volunteering Sarah had started to feel disengaged as the tasks no longer matched her evolving interests and needs. This case study highlights the importance of understanding and matching volunteer motivations ensure a more longer term engagement model.

Influence on Policy and Practice

Evidence-based decision-making is critical for organizations seeking to enhance volunteer management practices. By applying the functional approach to volunteering that primarily focuses on understanding volunteers' motivations and needs so that organisations can than make more informed and data-driven decisions. This allows programs to efficiently allocate resources, tailor roles to individual preferences, and ultimately boost volunteer satisfaction and retention to help fuel both parties in satisfying all needs from both the volunteer and the program (Einolf, 2018). The usage of evidence-based strategies ensure that decision-making is grounded in actual volunteer feedback and patterns of behaviour, contributing to a more responsive management system.

Incorporating the functional approach into volunteer management policies can also lead to better alignment with volunteers' evolving motivations. According to Silverberg et al. (2000), such policies help ensure that roles remain relevant and appealing to volunteers over time. This proactive alignment of roles with volunteer needs is essential, as motivations can shift with social trends, personal circumstances, or life stages. By staying attuned to these changes, organizations can foster a more engaged and satisfied volunteer workforce. Structured feedback mechanisms, training sessions, and leadership opportunities are crucial in making volunteers feel empowered and appreciated (Mateiu-Vescan et al., 2020). This not only keeps them engaged but also allows the organization to benefit from their increased commitment and enhanced skills

Designing volunteer programs with a functional approach significantly enhances the volunteer experience. By acknowledging that volunteers have diverse motivations from social engagement to personal growth organisations can offer varied roles that cater to these needs (Bidee et al., 2012). This customization leads to a more fulfilling experience for volunteers, as their tasks align with personal interests and values, When organisations recognise the multiple factors that help in driving volunteerism, they can create programs that not only attract but also retain a wide range of volunteers, ensuring long-term success.

Overall, volunteer management practices that utilize the functional approach are both efficient and effective. By creating policies and programs based on volunteer data, organizations are better equipped to meet the needs of their volunteers. This ensures that volunteers feel valued and fulfilled, which in turn increases retention rates and boosts organizational success. Research by Galindo-Kuhn and Guzley (2001) supports the notion that understanding volunteer satisfaction is key to long-term program success​

Application into Policy Evidence-based decision-making is essential for organizations aiming to improve volunteer management practices by applying the functional approach, which focuses on understanding volunteers' motivations and needs. For example, an organization might analyze volunteer feedback to determine that many participants are seeking personal growth opportunities

Conclusion

The functional approach to volunteerism provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the diverse motivations behind the question on "why" individuals choose to engage in volunteer work. By categorising these motivations into distinct functional areas—such as values, understanding, social connections, career advancement, enhancement, and protective factors, organisations can design volunteer programs that align with the specific needs and desires of their volunteers. This approach moves beyond traditional views of volunteerism as purely altruistic or self-serving as the functional approach highlights that volunteers are driven by a combination of both personal growth and social contributions (Clary et al., 1998; Asghar, 2015).

Recognising and catering to these varied motivations has significant implications for volunteer management. Organizations that effectively match volunteer roles to individual motivations are likely to enhance satisfaction, commitment, and retention among their volunteers. Moreover, by implementing assessments to identify these motivations, organizations can foster a more engaged volunteer workforce, ultimately contributing to their success (Glick, 2006; Einolf, 2018). The functional approach, rooted in psychological theories of motivation, underscores the importance of understanding volunteerism as a multi-faceted behavior that serves both individual and societal needs.

See also

• The Functional Approach to Volunteerism(External Site)
• Motivations for Volunteering and Giving: A Functional Approach(External Site)
• Self Actualisation and Motivation (External Site)

References

Asghar, H. (2015). The Volunteer Functions Inventory: Examination of Dimension, Scale Reliability and Correlates. https://engagejournal.org/sites/default/files/1741.pdf

Bidee, J., Vantilborgh, T., Pepermans, R., Huybrechts, G., Willems, J., Jegers, M., & Hofmans, J. (2012). Autonomous Motivation Stimulates Volunteers’ Work Effort: A Self-Determination Theory Approach to Volunteerism. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 24(1), 32–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-012-9269-x

Cherry, K. (2006, April 18). William James Biography (1842-1910). Verywell Mind; Verywellmind. https://www.verywellmind.com/william-james-biography-1842-1910-2795545

Clary, E. G., & Snyder, M. (1999). The Motivations to Volunteer: Theoretical and Practical Considerations. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8(5), 156–159. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.00037

Einolf, C. (2018). Evidence-based volunteer management: a review of the literature. Voluntary Sector Review, 9(2), 153–176. https://doi.org/10.1332/204080518x15299334470348

Gil, E., Clary, Snyder, M., Ridge, R. D., Copeland, J., St James Associates, Stukas, A. A., & Haugen, J. (2004). PERSONALITY PROCESSES AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Understanding and Assessing the Motivations of Volunteers: A Functional Approach. http://www.communicationcache.com/uploads/1/0/8/8/10887248/understanding_and_assessing_the_motivations_of_volunteers-_a_functional_approach.pdf

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Lewin, K. (1951). Field theory in social science: selected theoretical papers. Psycnet.apa.org. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1951-06769-000

Mateiu-Vescan, R., Ionescu, T., & Opre, A. (2020). Reconsidering Volunteering: Individual Change as a Result of Doing Good for Others. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-020-00247-0

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