1. “Study on Public’s Reception and Perception of Volunteer Services”
香港大學 民意研究計劃
The University of Hong Kong
Public Opinion Programme
“Study on Public’s Reception and Perception of Volunteer Services”
Dr Robert CHUNG Ting-yiu
9 November 2002

2. Outline of Presentation
Overview
Participation: Actual and intended
Social influence
Barriers and expectations
Evaluation of provider agencies and the local culture
Other topics
Conclusion

3. Overview

4. Stage One: Quantitative telephone survey of the general public
Stage Two: Quantitative telephone survey of the service recipients
Stage Three: Qualitative focus group studies

5. Contact Information of Telephone Surveys
Stage One
Stage Two
Date of fieldwork
28/9 – 5/10/2001
24/10 – 5/11/2001
Sample size
1, 555 successful cases
204 successful cases
Response rate
64.2%
97.6%
Standard error
< 1.3%
< 3.5%
Target population
Cantonese-speakers aged 15 or above
Organization representatives
Research method
Random telephone survey with interviewers
Telephone survey with interviewers
Weighting method
Adjusted according to age-sex distribution reported in 2001 Census
Not applied

6. Information of Focus Group Studies
Volunteers
Service Recipients
Date of fieldwork
21/12/2001
31/01/2002
Sample size 32 8
Target population
Organization representatives
Research method
Focus group discussions with
experienced moderators

7. Participation: Actual
and Intended

8. Experience of Participating in Volunteering (Base=1,555)
Experience in Organized Volunteering only
Experience in Mutual Aid only
Experience in EITHER Organized Volunteering or Mutual Aid
Yes
22%
55%
62% No
78%
44%
38% Q1

9. Last Participation in Volunteering
Organized
Volunteering
(Base = 348)
Mutual Aid
(Base = 859) Q2

10. No. of times Participated in Volunteering
[Excluding those who are certain that they have not participated in volunteering over the past 12 months ]
Organized Volunteering
(Base = 256)
Mutual Aid
(Base = 829)
1 time
13% 6%
2 times
28%
16%
3 times
11%
18%
4 times 7%
10%
5 times
6 times 4% 3%
7 times 2% 1%
8 times
9 times 0%
10 times
11 times or above
22%
25%
Mean
11.9
18.5
Standard Error
2.41
3.44 Q3

11. No. of hours Participated in Volunteering*
Organized Volunteering
(Base = 256)
Mutual Aid
(Base = 829)
Mean
34.8
21.9
Standard Error
6.42
6.61
Organized Volunteering
Mutual Aid Q4
*Excluding those who are certain that they have not participated in volunteering over the past 12 months

12. Perceived Hourly Rate of Volunteer Work
[Excluding those who are certain that they have not participated in volunteering over the past 12 months ]
Perceived Hourly Rate of Volunteer Work
Organized Volunteering
(Base = 256)
Mutual Aid
(Base = 829)
$0 - $9 6%
13%
$10 -$19
11%
$20 -$29
30%
24%
$30 -$39
15%
21%
$40 -$49 9%
$50 -$59
$60 or above
17% 8%
Mean
$76.3
$32.4
Standard error
$30.04
$1.83 Q5

13. No. of Volunteers Deployed*
(Base = 202)
Mean
237.3
Standard Error
40.36
No. of Service Hours Contributed by
Each Volunteer* (Base = 202)
Mean
25.0
Standard Error
5.67
*Excluding those who are certain that they have not received any volunteering service over the past 12 months

14. Intention of Involvement
Volunteering*
(Base = 968)
Deployment of Volunteers
(Base = 204)
Yes
83%
98% No 8% 1%
Don’t know / hard to say 9%
Q16
*Only ask those who have participated in any form of volunteer work before

15. Intention for Future Volunteering* (Base = 587)
Reasons for not Volunteering*
(Base = 587)
Intention for Future Volunteering* (Base = 587)
Q17
*Only ask those who have never participated in volunteer work

16. Social Influence

17. Experience of Encouragement (Base = 1,555)
Experience of encouraging others
Experience of being encouraged
Yes
41%
32% No
59%
68%
Q24

18. Main Source of Encouragement [Only ask those who have been encouraged to participate in volunteering] (Base = 502)
Q25
*Opinion from focus groups:
Schools, business corporations, the elderly and new immigrant centers:
good entry points for promoting volunteerism
Schools as superlative bases for promoting volunteerism

19. Barriers and Expectations

20. Barriers to the Development of Volunteering
General Public
(Base = 1,555)
Service Recipients
(Base = 204)
Lack of time of HK people
22%
17%
Poor economic conditions
14%
13%
Lack of resources
10%
25%
Lack of atmosphere for volunteering 6%
Lack of care for others of HK people 2%
Insufficient assistance from the government 3%
Insufficient promotion 5%
Influence of the mass media 1%
Others
Don’t know / hard to say
30% 2 1 2 3 3 1

21. Ways to Promote Volunteering
General Public
(Base = 1,555)
Service Recipients
(Base = 204)
To improve the economic conditions
12% 7%
To inject more resources 8%
20%
To cultivate the atmosphere for volunteering
More promotion 6% 4%
More governmental assistance
17%
To cultivate the care for others among HK people 3%
To improve the conduct of the mass media 1%
More civic education 2%
More compliments to the volunteers 5%
Others (please specify)
10%
Don't know / hard to say
43%
23% 1 2 1 3 3 2

22. The Most Preferred Supporting Body
General Public
(Base = 1,555)
Service Recipients
(Base = 204)
The government
38%
32%
People in Hong Kong
26%
11%
Non-government organizations
21%
28%
All of the above 2%
25%
Others
Don't know / hard to say
12% 3% 1 1 2 3 2 3
*Opinion from focus groups:
Genuine support from government is indispensable (volunteers)
More civic education needed (volunteers)
Additional resources from government and all walks of life urged (service recipients)
Q28

23. Perceived Social Status of Volunteers
General Public
(Base = 1,555)
Service Recipients
(Base = 204)
Respectable
56%
72%
Non-essential
17%
16%
Not respected 2%
Don't know / hard to say
25%
10%
Q29

24. Nature of Volunteering Service
Service Received
(Base = 204)
*Service Needed
(Base = 201)
Recreational activities
18%
Visiting
15%
12%
Clerical work 9%
Promotion and community-education 6% 4%
Escorting service 5% 3%
Homework tutoring
Counseling
Skill coaching
Labour work
Others
33%
36%
Don't know / hard to say 0% 1 2 3
* Excluding those who are certain that they would not deploy volunteers again

25. Evaluation of Provider Agencies and the Local Culture

26. Evaluation of Services
(Base = 204)

27. Satisfaction with Various Aspects of
Provider Agencies
(Base = 150)

28. Evaluation of the Influence of Government Policies and Local Culture
(Base = 204)

29. Other Topics

30. General Motivations for Volunteering
(Base = 1,555)
General Hindrances for Volunteering
(Base = 1,555)

31. Channels for Learning about Ways to Volunteer
[Only ask those who have participated in organized volunteering before ]
(Base = 348)

32. Need for Training before Volunteering
[Only ask those who have participated in organized volunteering before]
(Base = 348)
*Opinion from focus groups:
Success of volunteer services greatly enhanced by adequate training
Regular training programs for potential and existing volunteers urged

33. Conclusion

34. Survey of General Public
Over 60% of HK people had ever participated in any form of volunteer work
Two-fifth of respondents volunteered over the past 12 months
The majority of those who had volunteered would continue to volunteer
Half of those who had never volunteered would consider volunteering
Most people positively assessed volunteers and thought that volunteers were being respected
Helping others and serving the community were perceived as the motivations for volunteering, while a waste of time as the major hindrance

35. Survey of Service Recipients
Four-fifths of organization representatives had ever received volunteering service within one month ago
Service recipients deployed 237 volunteers on average in the past year, each volunteer provided an average of 25 service hours
Volunteer services received and needed in future were mainly recreational activities and visiting
Arrangement of volunteering service provided by volunteer provider agencies and the performance of volunteers positively evaluated

36. Focus Group Discussions
Communications and mutual understand between volunteers
and organizations considered important
Post-service follow-ups and training needed for volunteers
Development of systematic database of volunteers called for
Schools as superlative bases for promoting volunteerism
Support from government (more resources) urged
More research on volunteerism to be initiated

37. Thank you!