Dynamic Factors Of Sustained Volunteering: A Qualitative Research

This very study selected6senior volunteers in Wuhan Volunteering Union as the subject.Based on Phenomenology, the study found out that the volunteers could benefit fromvolunteering, as well as to probe into the dynamic factors that triggers volunteers continuouslydedicating themselves.This study has been carried out on the basis of interview survey with observation anddocumentary information online so as to collect the effective data. The study using theinterpretative phenomenological analysis to encode and analyze the data.After the aforesaiddata has been studied, the conclusions is as follows:(1) The volunteers’ initial motivation included expanding their network, enriching theirlives, avoiding to be self-enclosed and values.(2) The dynamic factors of sustainedvolunteering contained three themes, respectively are the secure attachment between volunteersand service objects, the belonging of volunteers’ community and volunteer’ s self-improvement. Firstly, the secure attachment between volunteers and service objects embodiestransference, responsibility, positive relation and identity; Secondly, the belonging ofvolunteers’ community covers cooperation, simple interpersonal relationship and the power ofgood examples; Thirdly, volunteer’ s self-improvement encompasses mind-improvement,personality-upgrading and career development.(3) During the volunteering, the initialmotivation would transform into sustained impetus for volunteering because that the “benefit”of relations among volunteers and service objects, as well as and the improvement of ability,mind and career.On the basis of the above research conclusion, the researcher proposed some suggestionswith respect to promote volunteering for ready-to-be volunteers and volunteer organizations.