Reciprocity and volunteering

Abstract

This paper evaluates whether volunteering is imbued with altruistic or strategic reciprocity. Although scholars have intensively studied the motivations and social norms to volunteer, to date there is no agreement why human beings perform activities in which time is freely given up in order to benefit another person, group or organization. We argue that attitudes towards reciprocity and volunteering are related, but that this relationship becomes only visible if we refine the conceptual framework for both concepts. Using data from the Swiss Volunteering Survey 2009, the empirical results of our Bayesian multilevel models show the following: firstly, individuals exhibiting high levels of altruistic reciprocity are more likely to engage in informal volunteering; secondly, we find a negative relationship between altruist reciprocity and the individual likeliness to do voluntary work within non-solidary associations; thirdly, once individuals opted to engage in formal volunteering, we find that strategic reciprocity is clearly related to voluntary engagement in non-solidary associations. Overall, our conceptual foundation provides a more appropriate model to explain the formation of volunteering.

Howmuch Do We Knowabout the Contributors to Volunteered Geographic Information and Citizen Science Projects?

“…This extends to crowdsourcing where the degree to which an individual can contribute towards the collective good in a VGI or CS project depends on the quality of their own skill set and their concept of achievement and evaluation of extrinsic rewards. Manatschal and Freitag (2014) content that there are clear differences in the motivational structures in those involved in crowdsourcing activities such as VGI and CS. VGI and CS are types of "formal volunteering" and participation in these activities are often driven by hedonistic (having fun) or egoistic (recognition and rewards) reasons.…”

“…Interestingly Manatschal and Freitag (2014) asks researchers to consider that most studies evaluating the motives of volunteering naturally analyse only active volunteers thus neglecting the group of non-volunteers. What are the factors which prevent these nonvolunteers becoming involved in a specific VGI or CS project?…”

“…Coleman et al (2009) explains that there are many reasons why citizens volunteer for VGI and CS projects. Individual informal volunteering does indeed coincide with high personal levels of altruistic reciprocity (Manatschal and Freitag, 2014).…”

“…Every year nearly one billion people throughout the world volunteer through public, non-profit or for-profit organizations, or directly for friends or neighbours (Manatschal and Freitag, 2014). Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) and Citizen Science (CS) both involve citizens volunteering for the the collection, management and analysis of spatial and/or scientific data relating to the natural and built environment.…”

Occupation, Prestige, and Voluntary Work in Retirement: Empirical Evidence from Germany

“…Volunteering has been widely discussed in OECD societies in the last few years (recently by Manatschal andFreitag, 2014, Häuberer, 2014). One reason for this may be the association of volunteering with virtue, since it can be seen as "any activity in which time is given freely to benefit another person, group, or organization" (Wilson, 2000: 215).…”