| The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to answer the research question: Why do members in professional associations make the commitment to volunteer? This research presupposed that members have strong ties to their occupation and/or professional association, identified as occupational or organizational commitment, that account for a member's decision to volunteer. It set out to describe the experiences, feelings, and events that bound members to their profession and/or association, leading to the commitment to volunteer. This researcher reviewed literature pertaining to organizational and occupational commitment, socialization and social identity, motivation, volunteer job satisfaction, volunteerism, professional associations and professionalization and interviewed seventeen association leaders from two professional associations who completed a demographic sheet, in either focus groups or individual interviews. Questions were categorized into three clusters where volunteers described experiences and feelings during their initial decision to volunteer, during the volunteer experience and about volunteerism and commitment. In summary, this research identified that professional association volunteers in both organizations exhibit both occupational and organizational commitment. It identified antecedents to both occupational and organizational commitment that professional associations can use to identify prospective volunteers and foster loyalty and obligation. |
