Maslow's Theory Of Volunteering

Volunteering is not an exclusively novel activity throughout the human history. During world war one, just in British there were 90,000 volunteers worked at home and abroad providing vital aid of caring for sick and wounded soldiers as recorded by British Red Cross. During wartime, no matter in which society there were people that spontaneously engaged in helping others in need. Volunteering does not only exist during the time of emergency or crisis, in fact it is always an indispensable resource for providing social service and improving our community.
In the general perspective, volunteering refers to a kind of helping activity that benefit others or the wider community and it has been done by an individual or a group of people who are not

This theory indicates that there are several needs people are struggling to fulfill. These needs are often illustrated as hierarchical levels within a pyramid and the most basic level of needs must be met before the individual start to achieve higher level of needs (Huitt, 2007). From the bottom to the top these five levels of needs are: Physiological Needs (such as food, clothing, shelter), Safety Needs (such as the need to be protected, security and freedom from fear), Love and Belonging Needs (feeling a sense of acceptance, and establishing relationships with others), Esteem Needs (to feel respected, a sense of contribution or value), Self-Actualization Needs (seeking personal growth, the realization of one’s full potential). Spencer (2006) has suggested that volunteers may find their ‘love and belong needs’, ‘esteem needs’ and ‘self-actualization needs’ are likely to be met from volunteering in an organization. Because volunteering provides opportunity for individuals to create bonds with fellow volunteers and organizations, as well as it expands their social networks which leads to more interaction, engagement, and trust with the people that you volunteer with. The social bonds and social network created during volunteering contribute directly to feelings of belonging(Huitt,2007; Erica & Kajsa,2005). However, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs has been criticized by some

There is no doubt that altruistic attitudes play a significant role in motivating people to volunteer, but it is not the only factor that contributes to drive people involve in volunteering. According to functional approach, Clary and his colleagues (1998) have proposed six motivational functions which potentially served by volunteerism, which are Values, Understanding, Social, Career, Protective, and Enhancement. Involving in volunteering work may provide the opportunities for volunteers to express values related to altruistic and humanitarian concerns for others. Understanding function indicates volunteers they could have new learning experiences and the chance to exercise their knowledge and skills. The third function is concerning relationships with others. Volunteering may provide opportunities to individuals to be with one’s friends or to engage in an activity viewed favorably by important others. Career function of volunteering suggests that participate in volunteering work may have some career-related benefits, such as preparing for a new career or developing career-relevant skills. The