Identifying motivators of African-American male volunteer-engagement in religious nonprofit organizations.

摘要

This study quantitatively explored the relationship between perceived organizational support (POS) and African-American male volunteer-engagement in religious nonprofit organizations. Utilizing as a framework the theory of perceived organizational support or POS, which posits that organizational members engage commitment to the degree they perceive organizational support; believing their organization values their well-being and work contribution, the study was designed to examine POS' overall effect on African-American male volunteerism. Examining a sample of 255 African-American male volunteer workers engaged in volunteerism in a multicultural religious nonprofit organization, study results reveal a statistically significant relationship between POS and both volunteer sense of effectiveness and volunteer feel-good factor. Results, however, measuring the impact of African-American male volunteer sense of effectiveness and volunteer feel-good factor on volunteer retention, when mediated by POS, did not show significant effect. African-American male volunteer workers who agreed they strongly perceived organizational support, believing their organization valued their well-being and work-contribution, did not demonstrate a propensity for longevity in volunteerism. Further research is required to explore other variables that may contribute to the long-term retention of African-American male volunteers in religious nonprofit organizations.