• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.75-79
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• 2009

The purposes of this study were to find out the factors affecting the continuous participation of volunteer activities for disaster relief and to provide implications for the efficient management of sustainable disaster relief volunteer activities. In order to achieve these purposes, we investigated how much individual characteristics, the volunteer attitude and motivation, and institutional characteristics, respectively, affect the duration of disaster relief volunteer activities. The research was carried out targeting 261 disaster relief volunteer workers, aged over 20, who affiliated to various volunteer centers. Data were collected by survey methodology from May 7th to May 27th, 2008. A frequency analysis and a multiple regression were utilized for analyzing data. The results of this study were as follows: the continuity of volunteer activities of the subjects are likely to be high when they are older, have a job, are highly motivated, are assigned properly to the placement and task. Based on the results of this study, some practical implications were suggested. First, since placement and task assignment managed by volunteer organizations are very important for the continuity of volunteer activities, those organizations should have developed diverse volunteer activity programs considering volunteers' characteristics and interest. Second, the managers of those organizations need to sufficiently consider the characteristics of volunteers such as age and job when dispatching volunteers in disaster areas. The managers should help their volunteers to immerse in their volunteer work. Finally, it is necessary to induce social concern and support in disaster relief volunteer activities in order to make volunteers especially with jobs be constantly active in disaster relief activities.