VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT IN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: WHAT MAKES VOLUNTEERS REMAIN WITHIN ORGANIZATIONS AND FEEL HAPPY?

This study was conducted in order to determine whether commitment to\r\norganizations and work engagement are distinguishable constructs among\r\nvolunteers from 18 nonprofit organizations. The strategy used addresses\r\ntheir distinctiveness, demonstrating that they relate differently to outcomes\r\nof interest. It is expected that organizational commitment will predict\r\nintention to remain and work engagement will predict psychological\r\nwell-being. Results indicate that the pattern of relationships is clearly\r\ndifferent: the relationship between engagement and intention to remain is\r\nentirely mediated by commitment, and the relationship between commitment\r\nand psychological well-being is fully mediated by engagement. Regression\r\nanalyses confirm that commitment, and not engagement, predicts intention\r\nto remain, and that engagement, and not commitment, predicts\r\npsychological well-being in the sample of 232 active volunteers. These\r\nresults are useful to differentiate between both concepts, and to develop\r\nspecific nonprofit organization management strategies.