Relationship between motivational factors and functional roles chosen by student volunteers at sports competitions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v66.112443Keywords:
sports volunteering, volunteer motivation, student volunteers, volunteer managementAbstract
Introduction: The growing role of the volunteer movement in sports highlights the importance of effectively distributing functional roles among volunteers based on their motivation and competencies.
Objective: This study aimed to identify the relationship between motivational factors and the functional roles chosen by student volunteers at sports competitions.
Methodology: The research involved 252 student volunteers from seven universities who had participated in sports events as volunteers within the last two years. Data were collected through an online survey using an adapted version of the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), supplemented with additional questions on volunteering experience and satisfaction.
Results: Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in motivational factors between groups (p < 0.001) and confirmed a correlation between motivation alignment with role selection and satisfaction levels (rs = 0.45–0.58). Additionally, a correlation was found between academic specialization and role choice (V = 0.30–0.34). A trend toward professionalization was observed, with the proportion of specialist volunteers increasing from 12.3% to 67.8% as experience accumulated.
Discussion: The findings align with prior research on volunteer role allocation and suggest that motivation-based placement strategies can enhance volunteer engagement and satisfaction. These insights contribute to optimizing volunteer management practices in sports events.
Conclusions: A differentiated approach to role allocation, considering students' specialization, experience, and motivation, is essential for improving the effectiveness of volunteer programs at sports events.
References
Akhmetov, L., Istomina, O., Levicheva, S., Koshokova, S., Kochetkov, E., & Shelygov, A. (2024). Direc-tions for the development of higher education aimed at stimulating students’ creative abilities and self-education in scientific research: developing a model of interpersonal learning. Multi-disciplinary Science Journal, 7(3), 2025106. https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2025106
Akhmetshin, E., Abdullayev, I., Sverdlikova, E., Bankova, N., Tagibova, A., & Makovetskaya, E. (2024a). Strategies for the development and regulation of higher education in the digital era. Revista Ju-rídica, 2(78), 656-668.
Akhmetshin, E., Klochko, E., Kapustina, D., Iagiaeva, Iu., Baksheev, A., & Gulina, I. (2024b). Impact of modern international trends on the development of the education system. Revista relações in-ternacionais do Mundo Atual, 2(44), 19-32.
Akhmetshin, E. M., Miftakhov, A. F., Murtazina, D. A., Sofronov, R. P., Solovieva, N. M., & Blinov, V. A. (2019). Effectiveness of using football basics in physical education and organizing arts and cul-tural events for promoting harmonious development of orphan children. International Journal of Instruction, 12(1), 539-554. http://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2019.12135a
Allen, J. B., & Bartle, M. (2014). Sport event volunteers’ engagement: Management matters. Managing Leisure, 19(1), 36-50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13606719.2013.849502
Bang, H., & Ross, S. (2009). Volunteer motivation and satisfaction. Journal of Venue and Event Man-agement, 1(1), 61-77.
Bubnovskiy, A. (2023). Universitet kak igra bez pravil (novyye vzglyady na protsess postroyeniya vysshego obrazovaniya) [University as a game without rules (new views on the process of building higher education)]. Pedagogika i prosveshcheniye, 4, 31-40. https://doi.org/10.7256/2454-0676.2023.4.68733
Çali, M., Lazimi, L., Ippoliti, B. M. L. (2024). Relationship between student engagement and academic performance. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 13(4), 2210-2217. http://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v13i4.28710
Chacón, F., Gutiérrez, G., Sauto, V., Vecina, M. L., & Pérez, A. (2017). Volunteer functions inventory: A systematic review. Psicothema, 29(3), 306-316. http://dx.doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2016.371
Chernyakevich, Е. Yu. (2024). Students' ideas about life and professional success in relation to career orientations and life satisfaction. Perspektivy nauki i obrazovania – Perspectives of Science and Education, 71(5), 620-631. https://doi.org/10.32744/pse.2024.5.36
Cho, H., Li, C., & Wu, Y. (2020). Understanding sport event volunteers’ continuance intention: An envi-ronmental psychology approach. Sport Management Review, 23(4), 615-625. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2019.08.006
Dickson, T. J., Benson, A. M., & Terwiel, F. A. (2014). Mega-event volunteers, similar or different? Van-couver 2010 vs London 2012. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 5(2), 164-179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJEFM-07-2013-0019
Dickson, T. J., Darcy, S., Edwards, D., & Terwiel, F. A. (2015). Sport mega-event volunteers’ motivations and post-event intention to volunteer: The Sydney World Masters Games, 2009. Event Man-agement, 19(2), 227-245. http://dx.doi.org/10.3727/152599515X14297053839692
Doğru, Y. (2024). Technological pedagogical content knowledge from the perspective of educational sciences and physical education. Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences, 22(2), 1183-1192. https://doi.org/10.57239/PJLSS-2024-22.2.0082
Doherty, A. (2009). The volunteer legacy of a major sport event. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism Leisure and Events, 1(3), 185-207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19407960903204356
Fadeyev, A., Druzhinina, A., Vafina, Sh., & Talipova, D. (2023). Promotion of Russian sports content on online platforms for international audiences in the face of external constraints. Relações Inter-nacionais do Mundo Atual, 1(39), e06266.
Fairley, S., Kellett, P., & Green, B. C. (2017). Volunteering abroad: Motives for travel to volunteer at the Athens Olympic Games. Journal of Sport Management, 21(1), 41-57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jsm.21.1.41
Feiler, S., Wicker, P., & Breuer, C. (2015). How to raise voluntary giving for nonprofit sports clubs: An analysis of factors influencing donations. Voluntas, 26(4), 1219-1239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11266-014-9489-3
Fithroni, H., Nurhasan, N., Setijono, H., Aman, M. S., Dafun, P. B., Kartiko, D. C., Ilham, I., Mario, D. T., Ko-maini, A., & Ayubi, N. (2023). Sports volunteer involvement in strategies to increase sports community participation: Systematic review. Retos, 51, 373-376. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v51.101283
Fomicheva, T. V., Dolgorukova, I. V., Sulyagina, J. O., Kryukova, E. M., Filimonova, N. N., & Zhukova, V. I. (2021). Changing national health values of Russian youth aged 13-17: Motivation for engage-ment in physical culture and sports in regions. International Journal of Health Sciences, 5(3), 542-549.
Hallmann, K., Downward, P., & Dickson, G. (2018). Factors influencing time allocation of sport event volunteers. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 9(3), 316-331. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJEFM-01-2018-0004
Hallmann, K., Zehrer, A., Fairley, S., & Rossi, L. (2020). Gender and volunteering at the Special Olympics: Interrelationships among motivations, commitment, and social capital. Journal of Sport Man-agement, 34(1), 77-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2019-0034
Jeyaraj, J. J., Shyue Chuan, C., Mui Yin, C., & Lee Peng, F. (2024). Mitigating youth unemployment through big employment: A system GMM analysis. Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences, 22(2), 2173-2185. https://doi.org/10.57239/PJLSS-2024-22.2.00156
Khasanzyanova, A. (2017). How volunteering helps students to develop soft skills. International Review of Education, 63(3), 363-379. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11159-017-9645-2
Khayrullina, Y., Garipova, R., & Talibova, F. (2023). Volunteerism in the Republic of Tatarstan. E3S Web of Conferences, 449, 07008. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202344907008
Kim, E., & Cuskelly, G. (2017). A systematic quantitative review of volunteer management in events. Event Management, 21(1), 83-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.3727/152599517X14809630271195
Koutrou, N., & Pappous, A. S. (2016). Toward an Olympic volunteering legacy: Motivating volunteers to serve and remain – A case study of London 2012 Olympic Games volunteers. Voluntary Sector Review, 7(3), 269-291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1332/096278916X14767760874050
Kristiansen, E., Skille, E. Å., & Hanstad, D. V. (2015). From community based identities to individual benefits for volunteers: A comparison of three sporting events. Scandinavian Sport Studies Fo-rum, 5, 47-68. http://hdl.handle.net/11250/218823
Lockstone-Binney, L., Holmes, K., Smith, K., & Baum, T. (2010). Volunteers and volunteering in leisure: Social science perspectives. Leisure Studies, 29(4), 435-455. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2010.527357
Lee, Y., Kim, M., & Koo, J. (2016). The impact of social interaction and team member exchange on sport event volunteer management. Sport Management Review, 19(5), 550-562. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2016.04.005
Lukmanova, R. H., Frolova, I. V., & Stoletov, A. I. (2024). Social solidarity of students: University prac-tices and fashioning tools. Perspektivy nauki i obrazovania – Perspectives of Science and Educa-tion, 71(4), 30-44. https://doi.org/10.32744/pse.2024.5.2
Mirsafian, H., & Mohamadinejad, A. (2012). Sport volunteerism: a study on volunteering motivations in university students. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 7(1), 73-84. http://dx.doi.org/10.4100/jhse.2012.7.Proc1.09
Nassar, F. S., Abbas, A. O., Al-Saify, H., & Ali, O. M. (2024). The impact of extracurricular activities on developing academic standing, student satisfaction, performance, and bolstering the academic reputation of higher education institutions from the perspective of SDGs. Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 5(1), e02758. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965-730X.SDGsReview.v5.n01.pe02758
Nurutdinova, A., Kuznetsova, N., Sadrieva, A., Dontsov, D., Arzamasova, E., & Koneeva, E. (2024). Global perspectives on volunteerism in education: Enhancing professional development and societal impact. Revista Relações Internacionais do Mundo Atual, 1(43), 25-35.
Peachey, J. W., Bruening, J., Lyras, A., Cohen, A., & Cunningham, G. B. (2015). Examining social capital development among volunteers of a multinational sport-for-development event. Journal of Sport Management, 29(1), 27-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2013-0325
Pierce, D., Johnson, J., Felver, N., & Wanless, E. (2014). Influence of volunteer motivations on satisfac-tion for undergraduate sport management students. Global Sport Business Journal, 2(2), 63-72.
Podolskiy, V. (2023). Ekonomicheskiye i politicheskiye predposylki transformatsiy sotsial'noy politiki v XX veke [Economic and political causes for transformations of social policy in the 20th centu-ry]. Sotsiodinamika, 12, 81-91. https://doi.org/10.25136/2409-7144.2023.12.69294
Saleh, S. G., & AlAli, R. M. (2024). Psychological and cultural preparation of university students to face the challenges of globalization in alignment with the sustainable development goals (SDGs): A field study. Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 5(1), e02782. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965-730X.SDGsReview.v5.n01.pe02782
Shurygin, V., Abdullayev, I., Hajiyev, H., Yakutina, M., Kozachek, A., & Zakieva, R. (2024). Blended learn-ing: The effect on students’ self-regulation and academic achievements. Novitas-ROYAL, 18(1), 137-154. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11057892
Stavruk, M., Beloglazova, L., Polozhentseva, P., Shapauov, A., Safonova, E., Orekhova, O., Rets, N., Ma-lukina, G., Abramova, O., & Godzinevskaya, S. (2023). Using smart devices in forming the foreign language competency of economics students. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 14(5), 1181-1188. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1405.05
United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme. (2021). 2022 State of the world’s volunteerism report: Building equal and inclusive societies. Bonn, Germany: United Nations.
Vos, S., Breesch, D., & Scheerder, J. (2012). Undeclared work in non-profit sports clubs: A mixed method approach for assessing the size and motives. Voluntas, 23, 846-869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-011-9232-2
Wang, C., & Yu, L. (2015). Managing student volunteers for mega events: Motivation and psychological contract as predictors of sustained volunteerism. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 20(3), 338-357. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2014.889027.
Won, D., Chiu, W., Bang, H., & Bravo, G. A. (2021). Perceived organizational support on episodic volun-teers’ affective and behavioral outcomes: A case of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 12(2), 240-258. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJEFM-10-2020-0060
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nazym Tleuova, Alfira Hajrullina, Roman Aleshko, Igor Shichkin, Sergei Kolganov, Emil Hajiyev, Swetlana Iwanowa, Andrey Baksheev
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
- Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.
