The Organizational Commitment and Volunteerism of the Volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross Manila Chapter and the UP Manila - Philippine General Hospital (UPM-PGH) Ugnayan ng Pahinungod

Abstract

The focus of the study was to determine the level of volunteerism of service- oriented volunteer organizations Philippine Red Cross Manila Chapter and UPM- PGPI Ugnayan ng Pahinungod in correlation with the volunteers’ level of organizational commitment. The design for this study necessitated to describe the volunteers’ nature of service, to determine their views towards volunteering, and to evaluate their commitment to their organizations. The study sought to answer the problem, “What is the difference between the spirit of volunteerism of service-oriented volunteer organizations the Philippine Red Cross Manila Chapter and the UPM-PGPI Ugnayan ng Pahinungod in correlation with the volunteers’ level of organizational commitment?” The objectives of the study were to determine whether organizational commitment plays a role in the level of volunteerism of volunteers and to measure the levels of organizational commitment and volunteerism of the volunteers in both organizations. Specific objectives include to describe and measure the spirit of volunteerism of the volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross Manila Chapter and the UPM-PGH Ugnayan ng Pahinungod, to measure and illustrate the level of overall organizational commitment of the two organizations, to measure and illustrate the levels of affective, continuance, and normative commitments of the volunteers of the two organizations, and lastly, to identify the relationship of overall organizational commitment, affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment with volunteerism. The instrument to determine the level of organizational commitment was adapted from Meyer and Alien’s (1997) Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, and the three components of commitment namely affective, continuance and normative from the instrument developed by Mowday, Porter, and Steers (1979). The variable of volunteerism was measured through a set of statements to which the respondents answered the degree of their agreement or disagreement with the statement. These statements were adapted from the Volunteer Satisfaction Survey (n.d.) of the American Red Cross. Thirty-seven participants from Red Cross and 29 participants from Pahinungod were the respondents for this study. The process of getting the mean and the frequency were used to determine the level of volunteerism and level of organizational commitment. Correlation of the two variables was done through Spearman’s rho. Results showed that the means of the level of overall commitment of both organizations fall under the range of moderate agreement. Affective commitment of the volunteers of Red Cross falls under the range of strong agreement while Pahinungod’s fall under moderate agreement. Both organizations’ scores for Continuance commitment fall under Undecided. Normative commitment of both organizations fall in the range of moderate agreement. Both Red Cross and Pahinungod volunteers scored high in Affective and Normative commitments and a fair score in Continuance commitment. These volunteers have a strong involvement and attachment in their respective organizations. They also feel a pressure to stay in the organization. However, they do not strongly feel the need for them to stay in the organization because of the benefits and advantages volunteering in the organization brings them. Correlation of volunteerism and commitment was done using the mean of the answers in the volunteerism part of the survey that were grouped into categories that fall under one of the three components of commitment. Fewer significant results were found when the organizations are taken separately; therefore, the data from the combined number of respondents was used in the analysis. Results showed that volunteerism is moderately correlated with affective commitment having 3 out of 3 items yield significant results, and continuance commitment with 2 out of 3 items that showed significant outcome, but none out of the three items produced significance in normative commitment. This study showed that affective and continuance types of commitment (attachment and benefits, respectively) affect volunteerism.