Study on undergraduates' motivation to voluntour.

Abstract

Volunteer tourism (voluntourism) is not an entirely new phenomenon, having existed for the better part of half a century in its presently-recognisable form. However, in Singapore tertiary institutions, it is a relatively new phenomenon that is fast gaining prominence. What drives these generally well-to-do students to head out of Singapore by the hundreds to less well-off countries to engage in what is often manual labour? Is it altruism, self-serving aims or something else?

In this study, data was collected from 100 respondents across various universities in Singapore who have participated in, or are intending to participate in voluntourism. The questionnaire included factors developed from the existing Volunteer Motivation Inventory (VMI) as well as from the push-pull factor compendium theory of tour motivations. These factors were chosen due to their importance towards explaining the motivation to volunteer and tour respectively, which contribute significantly to the motivation to voluntour. A comprehensive regression analysis of the results was then conducted to develop a new model for the motivation to voluntour.

From the findings, prestige, novelty, social, self-esteem, and reciprocity were found to be significant factors behind the motivation to voluntour. These factors are not generally considered altruistic, indicating that utilitarian objectives do contribute to undergraduates’ motivation to voluntour. This could have managerial implications for organizations that organize such activities. First, organizations would have to re-evaluate whether the expense of organizing such trips is justified if the motivations are not entirely charitable. Second, organizations still intent on organizing such trips would do well to play up the presence of these factors in their trips.