Motivational factors of volunteerism among UUM students in campus events

Abstract

This research entails investigation of the motivational factors that leads to volunteerism among UUM students in campus events. As Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) campus is surrounded by beautiful natural environment, it has the potential in attracting tourists. Thus, various events have been organized by the university and students every year to promote the university as one of the tourists’ attraction in northern region of Malaysia. Many of these campus events relied on the cooperation and strong commitment by the Department of Student Affairs and thousand of student volunteers. Their contribution is undeniable and has been perceived as important as those given by full time employees. To know their motivational factors and satisfaction level enables organizers to plan, execute and evaluate their volunteers’ contribution. Many studies have been done on motivational factors and the level of satisfaction of paid employees but very few on volunteers. This research used a quantitative approach where 250 questionnaires were distributed between December 20 and December 30, 2004, using judgmental sampling technique with 79.6% response rate. The findings revealed that students volunteered for various reasons and the main motive of volunteerism in campus events is to learn something new. This may be due to the reason that as young people they are enthusiastic and looking forward for novelty that can be applied in their future undertakings. Besides knowing their motivational factors, the investigation on their satisfaction level would also provide better insights towards meeting or matching their needs with future career effectively. Results showed that most volunteers were fairly satisfied with their overall experience. In general, most respondents perceived campus events as beneficial and as a great platform for their future career preparation.