Exploring the factors that influence volunteer satisfaction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15170/MM.2025.59.03.02Keywords:
offline and online volunteering, satisfaction, loyalty, PLS path analysisAbstract
THE AIM OF THE PAPER
Volunteers are key actors in shaping communities, strengthening social cohesion, solving global problems and promoting positive change. And with the rise of the internet, they can now volunteer not only offline but also online. The aim of this study is to clarify what factors contribute to the satisfaction of online and offline volunteering and to better understand the relationship between satisfaction and volunteering.
METHODOLOGY
The research was conducted through an online questionnaire survey. Our questionnaire was sent to 106 organisations in Hungary that both host and looking for volunteers. A total of 201 valid responses were collected from volunteers in the surveyedorganisations. Data were analysed using PLS path analysis.
MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS
The results show that social factors, organisational support and professional development have a significant effect on satisfaction: and the latter has also on loyalty. Among the input factors of our model, organisational support has the strongest effect on satisfaction. However, these effects are not different between those who are volunteering only on offline way and between those who are volunteering on offline and online way also.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For volunteers, organisational support has a significant impact on volunteer satisfaction, and therefore the favourable environmental conditions provided by the organisation and the effective performance of volunteer coordinators are also key factors. It is therefore recommended that organisations develop organisational protocols and a supportive environment to retain volunteers.
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