Motivations to volunteer: the case of Armenia Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference 2014

Valentina Gevorgyan, Turpanjian Center for Policy Analysis, American University of Armenia

Yevgenya Paturyan, Turpanjian Center for Policy Analysis, American University of Armenia

Introduction Armenia is a post-Soviet country with a complicated history behind and number of challenges on the way of establishing a free and a democratic state. Despite the existing challenges however there seem to be certain positive signs, namely the development of the civil society, defined as increased civic engagement and activism. The role of volunteers in this process cannot be underestimated. Some research indicate the increasing tendency of volunteering, mainly among youth (see for example, Sargsyan 2012). Notwithstanding a few studies conducted so far, both the region and the subject are under researched. There has been no nationwide analysis on the condition of volunteering in the republic. There are no studies focusing on the motivations to volunteer in the post-Soviet sphere and specifically in the region of the South Caucasus.

This research aims at unleashing and comparing the motivations, purposes and reasons to volunteer reported by volunteers and leaders of Armenian NGOs that have volunteers. The research expands the understanding of volunteering and its usage by organizations; provides recommendations for volunteer-involving organizations and contributes to the body of literature on volunteering in post-communist societies.

Literature review Motivations to volunteer The motivations to volunteer have been constantly discussed in academic literature. Numerous studies explore motivations, purposes and reasons behind volunteering through different theories. Most frequently the research is based on the application of quantitative methods.

Placing the functionalist theory in the core of their study, and having analysed reasons and motivations underlying human behaviour, Clary and Snyder identified six personal and social functions served by volunteering. These include values, understanding, enhancement, career, social and protective functions (Clary and Snyder 1999).

According to Wilson and Musick the values and norms characterized as expression of altruism lie behind people’s decisions to volunteer (Wilson and Musick 1997). Analysing the motivational perspective through behaviourism and rational choice theory, Wilson explains that volunteerism takes different forms based on the values which can be regarded both as sacrifice and self-improvement (Wilson 2000). Some studies advocate that motivating factors such as self-development, expression of

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personal values and strength of social ties are the ones to bind individual to organizational activities (Thoits and Hewitt 2001; Salamon and Sokolowski 2003).

In the framework of the research on motivations to volunteer there is a debate focusing on the humanitarian motives of volunteers. The “altruism” debate has generated an understanding that it is a natural process for the people when asked to list altruistic reasons for volunteering as the main ones (Smith 1981; Pearce 1993). Surveying international volunteers, Rehberg found out that the majority of respondents define the willingness of helping others as the main motive to volunteer (Rehberg 2005). Another study examining motivations of college students indicates that altruism is involved in each of the various motivations highlighted by the young adults (Burns et al. 2006).

Few authors have discussed the motivations to volunteer with a qualitative methodology focusing on interviews with hospital volunteers. In this regard, sense of generosity and personal fulfilment are discussed as the main motivational factors. Thus, motivation can be regarded as specific combination of altruistic and egoistic factors (Skoglund 2006; Blanchard 2006).

Some authors speak about the existence of a conceptual problem related to the notion of motivation. Shye (2010) puts forward the idea that the very concept of motivation to volunteer is not well-grounded in the academic scholarship and is in need of a clarified explanation. The author argues that besides motivation, there are demographic antecedents in terms of personal capacities to volunteer and circumstances which are required for volunteering.

The research on volunteering usually explains motivations either from altruistic or egoistic perspective. Both philanthropy and self-oriented concerns are interlinked in people’s willingness to volunteer. There is no single and clear theory applied or accepted for the concept of human motivation to volunteering.

Volunteering in Armenia The Armenian history is characterized by different periods of domination and hardships. During the 20th century Armenians have survived almost any kind of destructive policy and oppression including the genocide, the Soviet regime (when people were subjected to ‘mandatory volunteering’1), and war.

Volunteering is not a new phenomenon in Armenia. Armenians have proved to be participatory and mutually supportive especially in the times of crises. For example,

1 Voluntary Service of Armenia: Republican Headquarters of Student Brigades: Historical Overview of Volunteerism in Armenia, 2014. Available at: http://www.huj.am/index.php/overview

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after the Spitak Earthquake in 1988, Armenians provided a united response by assisting the victims of the earthquake. In early 1990s, a mass assistance was provided to the refugees and similar vulnerable groups during the Karabakh2 conflict (Aslanyan et al. 2007).

The study on volunteerism in Armenia conducted within the Civil Society Index Initiative (2010) has found that Armenian non-governmental sector is largely ‘staffed’ by volunteers and that there is a lack of legislative framework to provide a clear definition for the scope of voluntary work and reward. The study highlights the lack of legislative encouragement for voluntary action, and that an “informal, unmanaged volunteering is the dominant form” of the Armenian culture of volunteerism. Regarding motivations, altruism is defined to be the strongest decisive factor for most people to volunteer (Hakobyan and Tadevosyan 2010). The lack of an appropriate legislative framework for the voluntary work is also highlighted by the European Union (EU) Advisory Group to Armenia. The paper highlights volunteers often lacking capacities and skills and that various civil society organizations promote volunteerism in Armenia, unlike many European states (Ochoa 2012).

The draft law on the voluntary work was developed by the Armenian Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in 2010 (Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Armenia 2014). Since then it was debated and encountered disapproval on behalf of NGOs over various points such as to remove the notion of volunteer work contract in order not to cause further complications of the process, or to specify mechanisms within the law that would clearly differentiate between the volunteer and paid work. The draft law on the voluntary work generated burning discussions and was put back and forth in the parliament several times since 2010.

The comparison of the civil societies of the three South Caucasian republics focusing on trust toward NGOs and volunteering revealed that Armenia has the highest level of self-reported volunteering in the region (Paturyan and Gevorgyan 2014).

Methodology The study uses a qualitative research method by analyzing semi-structured interviews with volunteers and leaders of NGOs. A total of 30 interviews were conducted: ten with volunteers and 20 with leaders of NGOs. The data was analyzed using the MaxQDA qualitative data analysis software.

The participants were selected with a fairly good representation of age, gender, location and sector of organizational operation. The age of the youngest volunteer is

2 Armenia-Azerbaijan war over the territory of Nagorno Karabakh was fought after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The conflict is not resolved until present.

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18, the oldest 50 (average age 25); seven volunteers are female, three male; seven volunteers were selected from the regional towns, three from the capital city. Eight out of ten volunteers have higher education, one vocational and one high school education.

The age of the youngest NGO leader is 22, the oldest 60 (average age 43); the gender balance was maintained with ten female and ten male interviewees; eight NGOs located in the capital city and 12 in towns. All the leaders of NGOs have higher education. The year of establishment of the oldest NGO is 1993, the youngest 2012. The participants represent NGOs of various fields of operation ranging from peace building and human rights to tourism.

Volunteers were requested to speak about the motivations, purposes and reasons to volunteer, as well as the role and impact of volunteering on their lives. The participants were asked questions regarding volunteering in general and their own reasons for choosing to volunteer for an NGO. Questions were designed to allow respondents to explain their feelings about the type of volunteer work they do and what they gain in return. The leaders of organizations were asked to speak about what in their opinion are the motivations, purposes and reasons of volunteers to stay in organizations, as well as volunteers’ recruitment procedure and their involvement in organizational activities.

The duration of the interviews varied among respondents. Some interviews were very brief, some longer than anticipated. The shortest interview was 15 minutes, the longest interview one hour and 12 minutes3. The data was collected in the period from October to December 2013.

Findings and discussion Volunteers at NGOs Volunteering experiences are characterized by the existence of an intervening factor which has led participants to volunteer. These factors are usually events through which they learned about the opportunity to volunteer. Such events include various workshops and seminars organized by NGOs where participants had took part. Another factor leading to the voluntary involvement is a recommendation by a friend, a fellow volunteer or an involvement of a family member (usually a brother/sister) in volunteering activities that has led participants to engage with volunteering as well. This is usually the practice for the young people which comprise the majority of volunteers at NGOs. Volunteers at organizations located in smaller towns are mostly

3 The interviews included also other questions related to the condition of the civil society in Armenia, trust toward NGOs etc.

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characterized by not being a part of any initiative before their volunteering experience.

Interplay of different factors brings participants to the voluntary involvement. The motivational factors are divided into the following aspects: a) acquiring knowledge and new skills, b) work experience, c) wish to help others, d) self-confidence (defined as becoming confident and initiative taking), e) networking and better information, f) personal pleasure and a pure change in life brought about by volunteering. The answers of participants are characterized by no single factor definition. Several motivational reasons are mentioned at once.

The majority of participants indicate volunteering to be important for mainly two reasons: (1) it helps in gaining knowledge and developing skills, and (2) it compromises the lack of work experience. Volunteering contributes to the personal development by providing knowledge and skills, and a line in resume in order to find a job.

Gaining knowledge and skills seems to be the most frequently mentioned factor regarding motivations to volunteer. Moreover, this is also the case with a volunteer having a different educational background. According to one volunteer, “I graduated from my university with a completely different degree, but it has always been interesting for me to see how NGOs operate. Since I knew little and had no experience in working with NGOs, I decided to volunteer to gain experience and new skills.” (Female, 26, Yerevan)

Volunteers at a benevolent NGO that works to help disadvantaged individuals (mostly children with limited abilities) highlight psychological factors in developing a wish to help people by becoming a part of volunteering teams. As one volunteer indicated referring to the interviewer, “If you visit our organization only once and look into the eyes of these kids, you would not ask the question on why I volunteer.” (Male, 23, town) As he further elaborated, the indication refers to the moral and psychological gains acquired through helping the children who are very much in need of this help. These moral values are incompatible with any financial or other gains.

It is interesting to observe that notwithstanding a lot of overlapping answers of volunteers regarding motivational factors, there are also diverse reasons that exclude each other. The two most divergent reasons indicated are: wish to help others (based on the moral values), and the line in the resume (for the purpose to find a job).

Among the most frequently overlapping answers are acquisition of qualities such as self-confidence, becoming initiative-taker, informed and a better participant in the civic life of their communities. As one volunteer indicated “I have ‘opened the doors’

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to the civil society for myself through volunteering. This was the greatest impact.” (Male, 18, town)

Activities of volunteers differ depending on the sector of NGO operation. Most of the time, however, the tasks are organizational and administrative. The tasks include provision of support in the process of organizing events such as workshops and seminars, preparation of documents such as invitations and announcements, translations, distribution of information online, participation in flash mobs, answering phone calls, making copies and fulfilling other administrative help as required.

The reasons behind volunteering differ. One factor however that unites them all is the positive image of volunteering. No matter the sector, activities and location of organization all participants rank high the opportunity to be involved in volunteer work and consider it to be of great value for themselves. Volunteering helps them understand their role and show better ways of pursuing their goals in life.

Leaders of NGOs Throughout the existence of their organizations at a certain point in time all heads of organizations had volunteers at their NGOs. The number, tendency and scale of volunteers’ involvement differ depending on the sector and scope of organizational activities. In most cases volunteers are students and youth. Their age usually ranges from 18 to 30. The leaders of older NGOs refer to volunteering as a newly developed phenomenon. In the early 1990s there were few volunteers and the concept of volunteering was not ‘on demand’ the way it is today.

According to the heads of NGOs volunteers are guided by three possible reasons to volunteer: a) personal growth and development; b) resume highlight and recommendation letter; c) interest and curiosity.

The majority of leaders think that the main motive behind volunteering is volunteers’ personal growth and development. This becomes possible through the knowledge, skills and abilities gained throughout their experience as volunteers. Learning new things stands as the main motivational factor. While ranking high volunteers’ motivation to learn new things, a concern has also been raised due to the need of skills. When speaking about volunteers’ motivation, one leader highlighted, “Motivations are important but not enough for us. One has to have skills. Volunteers can be committed but know nothing. We can’t work like this.” (Male, 47, town) People volunteer to gain knowledge and develop their skills, it is although required to bring a certain amount of knowledge as a volunteer.

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Over half of participants think that the main reason for volunteers to involve in a voluntary work is to enrich their resume and get a recommendation letter. Students graduate from universities but they have no working experience to find a job. This condition brings them to volunteering with a purpose to become employed afterwards. In general, this motivation is approached with an understanding on behalf of leaders, but not always. As one head of NGO indicated, “There are volunteers who come simply for the sake of a signed recommendation letter, which is a shame.” (Female, 30, Yerevan)

Some of the heads indicate volunteers’ interest and curiosity in the process of volunteering. These highlight that volunteering is a manifestation of personal interest and curiosity. Volunteers try to find out if their knowledge can be applied in a corresponding setting.

There are organizations that consider volunteer work as helpful, but not highly important. According to one interviewee, “Volunteers are good, helpful and can do a very good job. But their job is going to be conditioned by small tasks such as holding posters and distributing information. When it comes to the hard work, one can’t rely on volunteering.” (Male, 46, town) Three NGO leaders indicated that having volunteers is a good thing when it comes to organizing flash-mobs, or other similar activities that require availability of mass public participation.

Overall NGOs recognize the importance of volunteers’ involvement. But the personal approaches of the leaders of organizations toward the volunteer work differ. Notwithstanding, at times reserved attitude toward volunteers the majority of leaders highlight that public awareness and practice of volunteering is grown in the country, which is unanimously considered to be a positive development for Armenia.

Comparison and implications Analysis of the interviews revealed two major findings: (1) Both, volunteers and leaders of NGOs report that the main motivational factor to volunteer is to gain knowledge and to develop skills; (2) NGO leaders consider volunteers’ motives to be self-oriented, while volunteers highlight a range of both self-oriented and altruistic motivations to volunteer.

(1) The main motivational factor to become involved in a voluntary work reported by participants is personal development, defined as gaining knowledge and developing skills. The tasks and duties of volunteers at organizations are mainly administrative. The implication for the volunteer-involving organizations is to pay a particular attention to the activities of volunteers. It is recommended to provide effective task distribution to ensure motivational needs of volunteers are fulfilled. Organizations

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should pay attention to matching skills, assignments and, importantly, motivational needs of volunteers.

(2) The research shows that none of the NGO leaders admit the existence of altruistic reasons behind volunteers’ decision to volunteer, whereas almost half of volunteers highlight the wish to help others as a decisive factor in their volunteering activity. To escape the condition of volunteers’ work being unrecognized it is recommended to consider volunteers as a potentially valuable source for their organizations instead of solely treating them as people volunteering for egoistic reasons.

To make the best use of volunteers, organizations should properly match volunteers’ skills and assignments and reconsider task distribution strategies by treating volunteers as potential future employees taking into account that the main motivations behind volunteering are to gain knowledge, develop skills, and get work experience with a purpose to find a job afterwards.

The existing studies on motivations to volunteer show that range of various factors serve as reasons behind volunteering. The reasons range from highly altruistic to grounded self-oriented motives. The findings of this research likewise suggest that volunteers at NGOs are guided by both altruistic and egoistic reasons. The motives however differ according to the types of activities and the organizational setting.

Conclusion Volunteering is a newly developing phenomenon in Armenia. One of the main reasons for this is the existence of active youth. As was observed volunteers are mainly youth under the age of 30. The youth however is not only active in volunteering but also in the civic life of their communities at large. Over half of NGO leaders rank high the role of youth in the modern civic life of Armenia.

The main motivation for the young people to engage in volunteering is personal growth. The tasks of volunteers differ due to the organizational setting. Most of the time however, the tasks are limited to small scale administrative duties. Volunteer-involving NGOs consider young people volunteering for self-oriented motives only, while volunteers rank high the opportunity to be of support highlighting interplay of self-oriented and altruistic reasons. More attention should be paid to the effective task distribution to match the motivational needs of volunteers. Volunteers at NGOs should be considered as a valuable source taking into consideration their wish to help among other reasons to volunteer.

There is an increasing tendency of volunteering in Armenia, which can be considered to be a positive development for a post-Soviet and developing country. More studies

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should be focused on volunteering in the region of the South Caucasus to encourage volunteering and to nurture the development of democratic principles. A recommendation for further research would be to study volunteers’ satisfaction related to the knowledge and skills gained in the capacity of volunteers. Further study would necessitate an enquiry to volunteers already having a longer experience of volunteering behind, to see if the expected motivational needs are matched and fulfilled by the organizations.

Acknowledgements I would like to thank my teacher and friend Jenny Paturyan whose support and advice were instrumental in the development of this research. I would also like to acknowledge the help of Tatevik Badalyan and Arman Gasparyan for their active participation and feedback in the discussion over the literature review.

This research became possible through the Academic Swiss Caucasus Net (ASCN) grant. My special thanks to ASCN for supporting young scholars and promoting academic research in the region of the South Caucasus.

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