(C) Daily Yonder - Keep it Rural This story was originally published by Daily Yonder - Keep it Rural and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . New Survey Examines Motivations of Volunteers at Rural Festivals [1] ['Kristi Eaton', 'The Daily Yonder'] Date: 2024-01-02 For the past eight decades, Orange City, Iowa, has held an event recognizing and commemorating the community’s Dutch ancestry focused on the tulip. During the multi-day festival dedicated to the flower, the community of fewer than 7,000 people swells to as many as ten times that, said Mike Hofman, executive director of the Orange City Chamber of Commerce. “It is just a huge endeavor to put on each and every year,” Hofman told the Daily Yonder. One way the event is able to go on is through the hard work of volunteers. A new study from Iowa State University looks at the role volunteers play in such rural festivals. The researchers surveyed hundreds of volunteers from 12 festivals — including Orange City’s — across Iowa, Michigan, and Kansas. All of the festivals were based in communities with 1,000 to 35,000 residents and centered on the arts, culture, or film. “Volunteers are essential to the festival’s success,” said SoJung Lee, associate professor in Iowa State University’s Department of Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management and lead author of the study. Lee and other researchers focused on the motivations of volunteers and the role psychological ownership played in their volunteerism. “We found that people are more likely to volunteer and support community development if they have a strong sense of psychological ownership,” she said. The researchers break psychological ownership into four parts: self-efficacy, accountability, belongingness, and self-identity. Self-efficacy relates to an individual’s confidence that they can make a difference. Accountability is the likelihood that someone would speak up if something wasn’t done correctly or if the event or organization was criticized. Belongingness refers to feeling included while self-identity is the idea that someone’s success or identity is connected to the event. (Photo courtesy of Orange City Chamber of Commerce) On-site and online survey results from more than 370 participants indicate people are more likely to volunteer and support community development if they have a strong sense of psychological ownership. “We recommend reaching out to community members before planning a festival or event to gauge interest,” Lee told the Daily Yonder. “As I shared, everyone has different motivations to participate in the festival events. So it is important to first know what and why they volunteer at the festival with simple questions that we use in the study. Based on the findings, then they can better develop the programs and events that lead to their strong sense of ownership.” Lee said it’s important to take care of the volunteers by providing breaks or food and being open to their input and showing appreciation. In addition to analyzing motivations, the researchers looked at demographic data provided by the survey participants and how much they volunteered. The majority were local women residents over the age of 40. More than half were employed. The average household income was $75,000. Hofman said volunteers have the chance to work in a variety of roles best suited to their interests and abilities at Orange City’s Tulip Festival. Additionally, “we encourage people to wear an authentic Dutch costume while they’re out volunteering and doing things,” he added. Related Republish This Story Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. [END] --- [1] Url: https://dailyyonder.com/new-survey-examines-motivations-of-volunteers-at-rural-festivals/2024/01/02/ Published and (C) by Daily Yonder - Keep it Rural Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0 International. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailyyonder/