An examination of event Volunteer's motivation, self-efficacy and empowerment on volunteer outcomes

Abstract

Event volunteers are a significant asset for event organisers as they contribute to the successful execution of events. However, organisers face challenges when recruiting and retaining volunteers due to the lack of understanding of factors contributing to volunteering outcomes. Building on the Motivation, Ability and Opportunity (MAO) model, the current study aims to deepen the understanding of antecedents of event volunteer outcomes (satisfaction, intention to volunteer again and Organisational Citizenship behaviour). An online survey distributed via event organisers collected 320 responses from event volunteers in Queensland, Australia. The Structural Equation Modelling underlined the positive effect of event volunteers' motivations on satisfaction. The analysis revealed that event volunteers' perceived opportunities are an antecedent of their satisfaction and intention to volunteer again. Finally, the study found that abilities positively impact event volunteers' organisational citizenship behaviour. Theoretically, the study contributes to the episodic event volunteer literature by systematically identifying the interrelated antecedents of event volunteer outcomes. Managers should consider the impact of MAO elements on volunteering outcomes when attracting and retaining event volunteers.