Preference variation in volunteering decisions: public goods and private benefits

Bert Weemaes and Erik Schokkaert

Working Papers of Department of Economics, Leuven from KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Department of Economics, Leuven

Abstract: We use data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to explain the amount of time invested in volunteering in eight European countries. Direct information on motivations adds to the explanation over and above the effect of socio-demographic variables. The results for specific motivations are in line with the predictions from rational choice theory. While larger levels of ‘warm glow’ and ‘instrumental’ motivations lead to more frequent volunteering, the influence of the ‘public good’ motivation on volunteering frequency is found to be negligible.

Keywords: Volunteering; Motivations; Warm glow; Public good. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J22 L31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age and nep-pbe
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ete:ceswps:ces09.09

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