Journal of Agricultural Education - Vol. 38

Highly motivated volunteers can greatly extend organizational andprogrammatic outreach to involve audiences which may otherwise be unserved. Determining what motivates individuals to volunteer is a key component of volunteer administration. The purpose of this study was to identify the motivators of adult volunteer 4-H Leaders and to determine if positive and negative motivations were similar for current and former 4-H volunteers. Findings from this study revealed three primary motivations which influence people to volunteer: Youth (issue/cause motive), the 4-H Program (affiliation motive) and Perceived Need (personal motive) . Two negative motivators were found for current andformer 4-H volunteers and included a lack of adult assistance, (which volunteers coupled with feelings of being unwanted or unneeded); and a lack of time and employment conflicts. Understanding what motivates individuals to volunteer is a key component of volunteer administration (Murk & Stephan, 1990). The relationship between volunteers and the organizations they serve is defined by two elements: volunteer motivations and organizational needs. The point of contact between volunteer motivations and organizational needs is the actual volunteer experience, which has the potential to satisfy the needs of both the organization and the volunteer (Balenger, Sedlacek, & Guenzler, 1989). Volunteers serve an organization because they expect certain motivational needs to be met during the process of volunteering (Balenger, et al.). Clarifying the reasons and motivations prompting volunteerism is one means of attempting to stimulate volunteer involvement. Each volunteer experience and involvement is accompanied by the individual’s own expectations and is precipitated by unique personal motivators (Henderson, 1980). Ascertaining these unique personal motivators and expectations can contribute to providing volunteers with a satisfactory and rewarding experience. Henderson (1981) determined that most volunteers were motivated by the need for affiliation. An affiliation motive influences a person to be most concerned about his or her Journal of Agricultural Education relationships with the organization and other people (Atkinson & Birch, 1978). Similarly, Rouse and Clawson (1992) determined that the vast majority (85.5%) of youth volunteers agreed that they wanted to “spend time with youth.” Identifying and learning to fulfill personal volunteerism motivations may reduce turnover by improving volunteer satisfaction and retention. Retention is best accomplished through the development of feelings of importance and belonging to a particular agency. If the volunteer’s role is not perceived as being of value to the operation of that agency, the longevity of volunteer service to the agency will be shortened (Murk & Stephan, 1990). Similarly, Rohs (1986) produced evidence which indicated that both continued participation and length of service were positively affected by the attractiveness of 4-H to the volunteer leader. Rohs therefore determined that leader retention efforts should emphasize the individual benefits (attractiveness) a person may realize from being a 4-H volunteer leader. However, in a study conducted in Germany, Zeutschel and Hansel (1989) found that parents were most often ready to volunteer in efforts benefitting their own children. They identified a distinct pattern of moving from one volunteer position to the next as parents, mostly 1 VoL 38, No. 2,1997 mothers, accompany their children through different educational experiences from kindergarten through secondary school. Rohs and Lee (1989) observed a one-third annual turn-over rate in 4-H volunteers, meaning that in order to maintain volunteer numbers, a new cadre of volunteers must be identified, recruited, screened, selected, and educated every three years. These processes demand a considerable amount of time from the Extension Educators or Volunteer Administrator. Learning how to increase volunteer retention and improve motivational techniques would enable Extension Educators and volunteer coordinators to devote more time to program management. Rohs and Lee (1989) called for a more thorough understanding of the factors associated with individual volunteer participation in the 4-H program as a means of enhancing retention and involvement in 4-H. Each year, Extension Educators spend countless hours recruiting, orienting, educating, developing and supporting new volunteers. Improving volunteer retention would provide additional time for Extension professionals to devote to program support and development by reducing the time which they devote to volunteer management. It is necessary, therefore, to study the motives contributing to 4-H volunteerism, determine how the motives for initiating, continuing and discontinuing are different and determine why negative motives led to volunteer resignation in discountinuers but did not in continuing volunteers. Purpose and Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify the motivators of adult volunteer 4-H leaders. The objectives of this study were to: + Identify the motivators for beginning service as a volunteer 4-H Leader. Identify the motivators for continued service as a volunteer 4-H Leader. Identify negative motivators and determine which negative motivators led to discontinuation of 4-H Leader’s volunteer service. Determine if positive and negative motivators were similar for current and 4-H Leaders. former volunteer