Meaning of work and person-work fit as predictors of work engagement in students volunteering

Motivation to work is often analyzed in terms of internal and external factors. Among the latter, salary and employee benefits are emphasized. The other group of motivational factors are intrinsic rewards, such as interests, values or respect shown to the person. The latter mechanisms can be observed in the work of volunteers. This form of employment minimizes the influence of external motivators. In the presented research we define work in terms of the Occupational Orientation Styles (Kasprzak, 2012) and focus on the match between work and the path of career development (Sutherland and Canwell, 2007). A group of more than 600 volunteers from organizations of various types was examined. The results of regression equation disconfirmed the expected positive relationship between the approach to work as service and the intensity of volunteers engagement. Conceiving of the work as a source of income or opportunity to achieve social status had more influence on the work motivation in volunteering. peerReviewed publishedVersion