Thesis on Volunteering and Social Motivation

Not just for kicks – a qualitative study of volunteer motivation in Swedish football clubs (BSc) 

Matilda Nilsson and Elin Ruland (2020) 

Abstract: According to recent population studies, the Swedish sports movement is experiencing a decline in the voluntary engagement on which it relies. This creates a need for further research on what motivates volunteers and how to attract and retain them. The aim of this study is to examine what motivates people to volunteer as coaches in Swedish football clubs. 

The study is based on qualitative in-depth interviews with 13 coaches from eight clubs. The results show empirical patterns that can be categorized according to the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI). These patterns are analysed using Self-Determination Theory and theories of altruism to provide a more theoretically grounded explanation of a phenomenon that has previously been described in more objectivist terms. 

The findings show that motivations are primarily driven by altruistic concern, based on both empathic and egoistic incentives; opportunities for autonomy and self-direction; the ability to express competence; and a sense of relatedness. However, these motivations appear to be more dynamic than previously assumed. As volunteers shift between different motives over time, the authors suggest that volunteering exists on a continuum between collective and reflexive forms. 

A practical implication is that football clubs need to provide a flexible environment where these different motivations are continuously supported to sustain volunteer engagement.