DISPOSITIONAL AND STRUCTURAL DETERMINANTS OF VOLUNTEERISM

The dispositional and structural correlates of volunteerism were exami ned in a panel study. AIDS service organization volunteers answered qu estions about affect toward the organization, organizational commitmen t, motives for volunteering, and a prosocial personality orientation. These measures were used to predict 4 volunteer-related behaviors. Len gth of service was weakly correlated with the 3 other volunteer behavi ors. Altruistic motives and prosocial personality characteristics pred icted several of the volunteer behaviors. Initial levels of volunteer activity and organizational commitment also predicted final levels of volunteer activity, but these effects were mediated through intermedia te levels of volunteer activities. The findings are discussed within t he context of the volunteer process model and role identity models of volunteerism.