Abstract: The undertaking to motivate workers at any task is exigent and at the same time challenging. Exigent because no amount of work can be performed efficiently and effectively without any amount of drive, but challenging because human beings are at any given point in time motivated by a wide range factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic. It is innately assumed that when one volunteers him/herself to do a task, they will undertake the work with devotion because of the element of self-drive since they volunteered to carry out that task. Faith-based community service organisations such as the church depend largely on volunteers. It is incorrect to assume that once people have volunteered themselves to a task, they are immune to demotivation. This paper stems from a study done that interrogated the motivation of volunteer workers at the Adventist Community Services (ACS) centre in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States of America. The choice to research ACS was driven by the fact that the organisation is one that is mainly serviced by volunteer workers who do not receive a salary to do their work. It is a volunteer community service organisation owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America whose duty it is to assist the needy through donations of clothes, food and supply of other necessities. It was interesting to understand generally what motivates volunteerism especially in community service work that focuses on helping the vulnerable and less advantaged in society. By collecting data through in-depth interviews, it was found that volunteer workers are mostly driven by a desire to be of service to other people, especially the less privileged as this brought peace within themselves and that being of service like that ultimately infuses blessings into their lives from God. Other workers at ACS indicated that doing community work gave them a sense of usefulness; a factor they stated was more gratifying and motivating than a salaried job.
Keywords: Motivation, volunteer, volunteerism, faith- based not-for-profit community service organisations.
Title: Volunteerism and Motivation: The Case of Volunteer Workers in Community Service Organisations
Author: Dr. Wilson Silungwe, Dr. Atangambuyu Sinyani Silungwe
International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations
ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online)
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