Explaining responses to volunteering: An ecological model

The author examined responses to volunteering as expressed in satisfaction with volunteering and burnout. The research sample consisted of 275 volunteers (212 women and 63 men) in various types of social service organizations in Israel. Based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological model, the author examined the contribution of variables from three ecological systems to explaining the outcome variables: (a) the ontogenic system (gender, age, education, and economic situation) and personality characteristics (self-esteem and empowerment), (b) the micro system (family context and volunteer context), and (c) the macro system, including variables reflecting cultural norms, as expressed in ethnic origin. Empowerment, self-esteem, and sociodemographic variables were the main variables related to satisfaction and burnout.