What motivates volunteer work in an emergency? Evidence from the 2011 East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Isamu Yamamoto and Kazuyasu Sakamoto ()
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Kazuyasu Sakamoto: Faculty of Economics, Keio University

Economics Bulletin, 2012, vol. 32, issue 3, 1933-1941

Abstract: This paper studies the mechanism of volunteer labor supply using panel data gathered during the period before and after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, which occurred on March 11, 2011. The results obtained from descriptive statistics and random probit model estimates show that the lower the opportunity costs of workers were, the more inclined they were to participate in volunteer activities prior to the earthquake. However, the data also suggests that this trend had become reversed during the period following the earthquake. This shift indicates that besides opportunity costs, factors such as altruistic and philanthropic sentiment may have inspired people to volunteer, particularly when serious conditions necessitate urgent assistance.

Keywords: Volunteer labor supply; Disaster volunteerism; East Japan; Earthquake and Tsunami; Opportunity cost (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J2 J3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-07-16
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Working Paper: What motivates volunteer work in an emergency? Evidence from the 2011 East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (2012)
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