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Relationships Between Volunteerism and Social Responsibility in Young Volunteers

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Abstract

A vexing research question concerns reciprocal relationships between social responsibility and volunteerism, characterized by volunteer identity and low volunteering cost perceived among young volunteers. This study analyzes panel data collected from 527 university students engaged in a volunteering project at a university in Hong Kong, China. Controlling for background and selectivity factors, the study reveals that the volunteer’s social responsibility displayed a positive effect on volunteerism 6 months later, but volunteerism did not yield a positive effect on social responsibility 6 months later. These results imply the emphasis on social responsibility as a precursor to sustain volunteerism. They also imply the need for university to orchestrate volunteering projects that foster volunteers’ volunteerism and social responsibility.

Résumé

La relation réciproque entre la responsabilité sociale et le bénévolat, caractérisée par l’identité des bénévoles et le faible coût du bénévolat perçu par les jeunes bénévoles, est une question de recherche difficile. Cette étude analyse les données d’un panel de 527 étudiants universitaires impliqués dans un projet bénévole dans une université de Hong Kong, en Chine. En tenant compte des facteurs personnels et de sélectivité, cette étude révèle que la responsabilité sociale des bénévoles a un effet positif sur les actes de bénévolat six mois plus tard, mais que la réciproque n’est pas vraie : les actes de bénévolat n’ont pas d’effet positif à six mois sur la responsabilité sociale. Ces résultats suggèrent la prépondérance de la responsabilité sociale en tant que précurseur de poursuite de l’activité de bénévolat. Ils tendent également à prouver la nécessité pour l’université d’orchestrer des projets de bénévolat qui promeuvent l’activité de bénévolat et la responsabilité sociale des bénévoles.

Zusammenfassung

Ein leidiges Forschungsthema ist die Wechselbeziehung zwischen sozialer Verantwortung und ehrenamtlichen Tätigkeiten, welche durch die Identität der ehrenamtlich Tätigen und die geringen Kosten ehrenamtlicher Tätigkeit, wie sie von den ehrenamtlich Tätigen wahrgenommen werden, geprägt ist. Die vorliegende Studie analysiert Paneldaten von 527 Studenten, die in einem ehrenamtlichen Projekt an einer Universität in Hongkong, China involviert waren. Nach einer Prüfung der Hintergrund- und Selektivitätsfaktoren zeigt die Studie, dass nach sechs Monaten die soziale Verantwortung ehrenamtlich Tätiger einen positiven Effekt auf die ehrenamtliche Tätigkeit hatte, eine ehrenamtliche Tätigkeit jedoch keinen positiven Effekt auf die soziale Verantwortung ausübte. Diese Ergebnisse implizieren eine Betonung auf die soziale Verantwortung als ein Vorläufer für die Fortsetzung ehrenamtlicher Tätigkeiten. Sie implizieren weiterhin die Notwendigkeit, dass die Universitäten ehrenamtliche Projekte organisieren, welche die ehrenamtliche Tätigkeit und die soziale Verantwortung der ehrenamtlich Tätigen fördern.

Resumen

Una cuestión espinosa de la investigación concierne a las relaciones recíprocas entre responsabilidad social y voluntariado, caracterizadas por la identidad del voluntario y el bajo coste del trabajo voluntario percibido entre los voluntarios jóvenes. El presente estudio analiza los datos de panel recopilados de 527 estudiantes universitarios comprometidos en un proyecto de voluntariado en una universidad en Hong Kong, China. Mediante el control de factores de selectividad y antecedentes, el estudio revela que la responsabilidad social del voluntario mostró un efecto positivo en el voluntariado seis meses después, pero el voluntariado no produjo un efecto positivo sobre la responsabilidad social seis meses después. Estos resultados implican el énfasis en la responsabilidad social como precursor para sustentar el voluntariado. También implican la necesidad de que la universidad orqueste proyectos de trabajo voluntario que fomenten el voluntariado y la responsabilidad social de los voluntarios.

Chinese

一个棘手的研究问题是社会责任与志愿精神之间的互為影響,志願精神特征为志愿者身份認同和低的志愿工作成本。此项研究分析了参与香港一所大学的志愿者项目的 527名大学生的定組数据。通过控制背景和选择性因素,研究表明志愿者的社会责任對六个月后的志愿精神展现出正面效应,但志愿精神未對六个月后的社会责任方面顯示正面效应。这些结果暗示着,社会责任作为维系志愿精神的前提条件,具有相当的重要性。研究结果还暗示,大学需要组织志愿者项目,以培养志愿者的志愿精神和社会责任。

Arabic

سؤال البحوث المزعج يتعلق بالعلاقات المتبادلة بين المسؤولية الإجتماعية والعمل التطوعي، يتميز بهوية المتطوعين و تكلفة العمل التطوعي المنخفضة التي ينظر إليها بين المتطوعين الشباب. تقوم هذه الدراسة بتحليل بيانات حالات متعددة جمعت من 527 من طلبة الجامعة شاركوا في مشروع العمل التطوعي في جامعة هونج كونج، الصين. السيطرة على الخلفية وإنتقائية العوامل، تكشف الدراسة أن المسؤولية الإجتماعية للمتطوع تظهر تأثير إيجابي على العمل التطوعي بعد ستة أشهر، لكن لم يسفر العمل التطوعي عن أثر إيجابي على المسؤولية الاجتماعية بعد ستة أشهر. هذه النتائج تعني التركيز على المسؤولية الاجتماعية تمهيد˝ا لإستدامة العمل التطوعي. هي تنطوي أيضا˝ على الحاجة إلى الجامعة لتنظيم مشاريع العمل التطوعي الذي يعزز تطوع المتطوعين والمسؤولية الاجتماعية

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Acknowledgments

The paper evolves from a research grant by the General Research Fund of Hong Kong, China (9041460).

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  1. Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China

    Chau-kiu Cheung, T. Wing Lo & Suk-ching Liu

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  1. Chau-kiu Cheung
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Cheung, Ck., Lo, T.W. & Liu, Sc. Relationships Between Volunteerism and Social Responsibility in Young Volunteers. Voluntas 26, 872–889 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-014-9486-6

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