Vilja till samarbete och inre motivation: en studie av organisatoriskt engagemang hos ideellt aktiva

Sammanfattning: The aim of the present study was first to examine whether personality variables, which in previous research have been found to predict behaviour in social dilemmas, also were related to Organizational commintment. Second, the study aimed to explore what lies behind a willingness to volunteer in a non-profit organization in terms of motivation and personality. The sample in the study consisted of 203 volunteers active within twelve student organizations. The data was collected through a web-based questionnaire. The results showed only a weak relationship between the investigated personality variables and Organizational commitment. However, an interesting, although also weak, negative correlation was demonstrated between Modesty and Normative commitment; which could possibly be explained by a person’s perception of themselves as being indispensable to the organization. Distinctive personality traits for the sample were: high Honesty-Humilty, high Extraversion, low Emotionality and high Performance-based self-esteem. Whether these features are encouraged in the form of socialization and expressed goals within the organizations was discussed. The sample’s Organizational commitment was also, to a lesser degree than expected, affected by the surrounding context, which was discussed in relation to Intrinsic motivation. Keywords: Organizational commitment, cooperation, Social value orientation, Honesty-Humility, Intrinsic motivation, volunteering