We are not all the same: what motivates individuals to be members of professional associations varies by sector

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Sarah Young University of North Georgia, USA

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David Berlan Florida State University, USA

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Article Category:
Research Article
Copyright:
© Policy Press 2021
Online Publication Date:
05 Mar 2021
Pages:
413–438
Publisher:
Policy Press
Volume/Issue:
Volume 12: Issue 3
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1332/204080521X16125404492343
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Does the sector that an individual works in influence their motivation to participate in voluntary associations? Private and public engagement motivation theories hold that individuals participate in these collective action associations to either benefit themselves or benefit the common good, respectively. While previous research has evaluated motivations to join, the influence of engagement motivation theory by sector has yet to be evaluated. This study uses the 2011 American Society of Association Executives’ (ASAE) ‘Decision to Join II’ study to examine whether an individual’s sector influences their motivation to engage in formal, voluntary collective action networks. We found that non-profit and government sector employees value benefits that impact the public good more than benefits that directly impact themselves. These findings suggest that there may be a difference in the type of benefits that individuals who work in for-profit, non-profit and government sectors value when deciding whether or not to engage in voluntary associations.

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Sarah Young University of North Georgia, USA

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David Berlan Florida State University, USA

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slhinkelyoung@ung.edu
DBerlan@fsu.edu

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