An Analysis of the Motivations of Japanese College Students Volunteering in Human Services

Abstract

In this study, 167 college students involved in human service organizations were asked to rank in importance 32 motives for volunteering that had been identified in a literature review. They were asked about their motives that concern one ; to begin volunteering and two ; to continue volunteering. Results indicate the tendency that to Japanese students in their initial and continued involvement, the most important are egoistic or individual-oriented motivations, that is, "excellent educational experience," and "broadening my horizons." When orthogonal factor analyses with varimax rotation were executed on the 32 motives, 6 factors, which underlie such motives, were obtained as their initial involvement. The first factor was labeled "part of club activities," the second "altruistic intention," the third "realization of the importance of volunteering for people in need," the forth "commitment to the cause of democratic society," the fifth "sense of emptiness," and the sixth "expectations from other people." As for their continued involvement, 5 factors were obtained as follows, from the top to the bottom. "Acquisition of valuable experiences," "realization of the importance of volunteering for people in need," "commitment to the cause of democratic society," "altruistic intention," and "getting a job." To conclude, from the above results, it is better for recruiters or volunteer coordinators to keep in mind that when designing volunteer work for students, it should be structured to satisfy the factors of students' motives as well as their motivations.