Association of Gratitude With Individual and Organizational Outcomes Among Volunteers: An Application of Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions

Abstract

By applying the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions to the context of volunteering, we investigated how gratitude is associated with individual (subjective well-being) and organizational (volunteer retention) outcomes through the positive thought–action repertoires of prosocial motivation and volunteer engagement. The data of 924 Chinese volunteers (mean age = 35.7 ± 9.1 years, 26.2% males) from voluntary organizations were collected through an online survey. The indirect effects of gratitude on subjective well-being and retention were analyzed through structural equation modeling performed using Mplus. Gratitude was revealed to be associated with subjective well-being and retention through indirect pathways involving (a) prosocial motivation, (b) volunteer engagement, and (c) a sequential pathway from prosocial motivation to volunteer engagement. Our findings indicate that grateful volunteers tend to exhibit increased intention to help others and actively devote themselves to volunteering, which can contribute to personal and organizational resources.

Teachers’ Burnout – The Role of Social Support, Gratitude, Hope, Entitlement and Loneliness

“…According to the theory's premise, gratitude is a positive emotion that broadens people's outlook, making them more likely to notice and appreciate positive aspects of their lives, and fostering a broader and more inclusive perspective. Over time, the experience of gratitude is believed to help people build personal resources, develop positive coping mechanisms and reinforce patterns of positive thinking (Xiang & Yuan, 2021;Yang et al, 2023). Indeed, research has indicated that cultivating a sense of gratitude can help shift one's focus away from negativity and pessimism and promote a more positive and contented mindset (Portocarrero et al, 2020).…”