Motivation, Commitment, and Intention of Olympic Volunteers

This study examines whether volunteer motivation and commitment influence a volunteer’s intention to continue volunteering for future Olympics among the volunteers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Since this event occurred amid the pandemic, we expect this study will provide unique insights into the dynamics of volunteerism. In our study which follows the Olympic Volunteer Motivation Questionnaire (OVMQ), states that volunteer motivation includes four factors: organization attachment, volunteer attachment, internal benefits, and external benefits. In addition, volunteer commitment includes three factors: affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment. We collected data on volunteers’ demographic characteristics, volunteer motivation, volunteer commitment, and future intentions of volunteers. A total of 127 questionnaires were utilized for the data analysis. The results show that volunteers with volunteer attachment, internal and external benefit are more likely to volunteer for future Olympic events. Moreover, volunteers with continuance commitment are less likely to volunteer for future Olympic games. Given the value of volunteerism in the Olympic games, organizers are recommended to maximize volunteer motivations by promoting concerns for others or society and emphasizing potential benefits, such as personal growth and other tangible benefits. In addition, organizers may want to minimize the perception of continuance commitment among volunteers.