Virtual Volunteering: A Cross-Cultural Study of Personal Values

Volunteers play an important role in organizational and humanitarian environments and all cultures. Given the prevalence of online technologies and the increasing global impact of emergency situations, understanding the factors that influence virtual volunteering decisions in different national cultures is essential for researchers and practitioners. In this study, we utilize identity theory to investigate the effects of personal values and volunteer identity on virtual volunteering. To test the proposed model, we administer an online survey to 219 citizens in the United States and Australia. The findings indicate antecedent factors affecting virtual volunteering differ based on national culture. Whereas individuals in Australia are motivated by values of self-enhancement power and self-transcendent benevolence, the U.S. sample is motivated by self-enhancement achievement and self-enhancement power. These findings offer new theoretical and practical insights into the factors influencing citizens' responses in two countries.