Rotterdam school of Management, Erasmus University compact logo

Article: Monday, 12 September 2016

Corporate volunteering programmes can attract people that otherwise would not have been active in regular community volunteering. That is the conclusion of a case study by PhD researcher Lonneke Roza of Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). Corporate volunteering programmes also attract younger people and those with a higher education, when compared to the regular community volunteering opportunities, Roza found.

Lonneke Roza says that, contrary to popular belief, volunteer participation rates have been stable in many countries. What has changed is how people volunteer, including new forms such as corporate volunteering, volunteering facilitated or organised by the person’s employer.

In an organisational culture where volunteering, community involvement or helping others is considered normal, people are more inclined to act according to these organisational norms, Roza explains this.

Corporate social responsibility

This type of volunteering is often an important part of companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme and enables people to donate their time or expertise to volunteering projects, ranging from short bursts to longer term projects. Knowing that this type of volunteering is on the rise, Roza was interested to find out if people who engage in corporate volunteering are different from those engaged in private community volunteering options.


Corporate volunteering

To find out, Roza studied the volunteering and demographic characteristics of 776 employees of a large service company. She divided the group into corporate volunteers, people who engage in community volunteering, people who do both, and people who do not volunteer at all. Of the research group, 88 people responded that corporate volunteering was the only type of volunteering they participated in. Although the study was limited to one company, Roza says it’s telling that 11 per cent of the study’s respondents apparently needed the trigger of a corporate programme to start with volunteer work. This means that companies are able to stimulate people to start volunteering.

The demographic comparison revealed that corporate volunteers also have a different profile than the typical community volunteer. They are generally younger and more often have a higher education than those in community volunteering. Corporate volunteers are also married more often and are less likely to have children. This seems to indicate that corporate volunteer programmes activate a different group of citizens than traditional volunteering initiatives, Roza says.


Supportive employer

Interestingly, the researcher found no demographic differences between those in corporate volunteering programmes and those who do not volunteer at all. This means there must be other reasons for these people to become active as a volunteer. Roza says there are several explanations for this.

First of all, corporate volunteers reported that they felt more supported by their organisation in their volunteering than those in regular community volunteering. This indicates that the perception that the employer is supportive could also play an important role in encouraging employees to start volunteering. In an organisational culture where volunteering, community involvement or helping others is considered normal, people are more inclined to act according to these organisational norms, Roza explains this.  

Finally, it also becomes harder to decline to help out at a charitable organisation when your entire department signs up, or if you are being asked directly by your manager. A little social pressure from colleagues or managers might help the participation rate.

Attitude changes

Companies should realise that their support for corporate volunteering programmes really helps to create more volunteers, Roza says, and that they are effective way to increase engagement in civil society. To enlist more people in these initiatives, companies could allow people to volunteer during work hours or let employees schedule their own work more flexibly around the volunteering. Corporate volunteering may superficially look like a social activity, but actually has the potential to change attitudes towards volunteering at large, she concludes.

Dr. Lonneke Roza

Head of Community Investment

NN Group

Profile picture of Dr. Lonneke Roza
Pile of books with vibrant bookmarks protruding from various pages, symbolizing in-depth research.

Related articles

RSM Discovery

Want to elevate your business to the next level using the latest research? RSM Discovery is your online research platform. Read the latest insights from the best researchers in the field of business. You can also subscribe to the newsletter to receive a bimonthly highlight with the most popular articles.

Do you want to learn more about this subject?

Check out these RSM education programmes

Crisis Communication
Crisis Communication
  • 18 Nov 2025
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Corporate Responsibility
Corporate Responsibility
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Digital Communication
Digital Communication
  • 9 Dec 2024
  • 3 days
  • 3,400
Finance for Communication Professionals
Finance for Communication Professionals
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Strategic Communication
Strategic Communication
  • 29 Sept 2025
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Employee Communication
Employee Communication
  • 14 May 2025
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Reputation Management
Reputation Management
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Conscientious Organisations
Conscientious Organisations
  • 10 Mar 2025
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Organisational Change
Organisational Change
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Leadership and Communication
Leadership and Communication
  • 7 Apr 2025
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Corporate Branding
Corporate Branding
  • 3 Nov 2025
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Summer Foundation Course in Corporate Communication
Summer Foundation Course in Corporate Communication
  • 16 Jun 2025
  • 4 days
  • 5,550
Corporate Purpose, Leadership and Communication
Corporate Purpose, Leadership and Communication
  • 8 Dec 2025
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Issues Management & Public Affairs
Issues Management & Public Affairs
  • 3 Jun 2025
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Co-creation & Stakeholder Engagement
Co-creation & Stakeholder Engagement
  • 3 days
  • 3,600
Your contact for more information:
Danielle Baan

Science Communication and Media Officer

Portrait of Erika Harriford-McLaren
Erika Harriford-McLaren

Corporate Communications & PR Manager

Erasmus University campus in autumn, showcasing its iconic red trees, viewed from across the campus pool.