A natural field experiment is designed to explore the impacts of social distance
and network flow on other-regarding behaviors. A greater degree of
communication between the voluntary organization and volunteers was found to
reduce their social distance and thereby improve volunteering commitment. The
improvement was even more notable if the party initiating communication was the
voluntary organization. Two other practical means of lessening social distance
were for volunteers to learn more about other volunteers, and for information to
be dispersed throughout the organization more rapidly. Additionally, this study
shows a reversed “U-shaped” relationship between network flow and volunteering
commitment.
Volunteering Social distance Network flow Natural field experiment Other-regarding behaviors
Primary Language | English |
---|---|
Other ID | JA97DP68TB |
Journal Section | Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | June 1, 2012 |
Published in Issue | Year 2012 Volume: 4 Issue: 1 |