Neoclassic economic theory, rationality and utility maximization seem inconsistent with time contributions to public good without monetary compensation. That justifies the additional effort that economists have been obliged to in order to justify that individuals with monetary and time restrictions donate their services.

Leaded by authors as Andreoni, Menchick & Weisbrod, this effort has brought to light economic models that propose themselves, exactly, to answer the broad question of benevolent behaviour. Underlying the differences between the models we find hypothesis related to the volunteers’ motivations. Traditionally research in this field has been built on the models of public goods, private consume, impure altruism and investment model. More recently alternative explanations appeared.

Critically analysing the literature, we conclude that although there are some important motivations related to volunteering in the findings, like altruism, personnel fulfilment and investment in the labour market, those models almost reduce volunteering to the measure of price effect, usually valued by the wage. This discussion tends to reduce volunteering to a question of choice in the labour market, removing from that discussion many other aspects that are probably closer to the true motivations of volunteer work.

However, some authors have been advancing work proposals intending to overtake these difficulties.

Freeman (1997) defends the existence of explanations of volunteer behaviour that go beyond the demographic, human capital and wage variables. Is there any social factor capable of explaining the reason why some individuals decide to become volunteers and other not? Or are there only not observable reasons like taste?

Schokkaert (2006), also critical about the traditional view, proposes that to improve the knowledge about the motivations of benevolent behaviour, research must join the economic modelling with experimental methods and techniques of data gathering from other social sciences.

This may force us to re-focus Economics research on volunteering motivations, traditionally centred on the discussion between paid and nonpaid labour, altruism and the opportunity to invest in the labour market.

Trying to follow these worries, we decided to introduce and test a quite new motivation in the literature: volunteering as way of intensifying interpersonal relationships.

Besides surveying the existent literature and discussing the theoretical implications of this topic (how Economic Theory can contribute to the knowledge in those fields) we’ll use Portuguese Time Use Survey to empirically test the prevalence of this motivation in the behaviour of Portuguese volunteers.

As so, our research question can be defined as: can we associate Volunteering behaviour to a more intensive level of interpersonal relationships?

Theoretically we intend to analyse some alternative concepts potentially related to the motivation to volunteer. Reeces’ alliance between society members; Sugden’s reciprocity; Freeman’s consciousness good; Stark’s demonstration effect.

Great attention we’ll be devoted to Sen’s commitment, exploring its explanation power of volunteering behaviour. It’s also our intention to use Sen’s “self trilogy”[1] to re-interpret traditional models of volunteering supply and use it to explain how urgent it is to go further. As far as we know these concepts were never analyzed when trying to explain volunteer behaviour.

Empirically, we’ll construct an index of relational intensity based upon informal social relations and co-presence, following time division principles used in TUS research, like those of Dave Ruston’s work on UK TUS. We intend going further than Proteau and Wolff ‘s nutritional sociability, accounting for more categories of sociabilization.

The intensity of relational motivation for volunteering will be measured comparing that index between volunteers and no volunteers.

Preliminary empirical results, obtained from simple statistical procedures, show that volunteers engage more often in activities more intensive in social interaction and establish relationships with others than relatives and neighbours more frequently than no volunteers.

Better knowing about volunteering motivations allows politicians and social economy leaders to re-design policies for volunteering promotion, as advised by the United Nations. Non-profits will be able to manage more efficiently this resource. At the same time, perceiving volunteering as a means of social entrepreneurship increases its importance as a resource in social innovation.

Freeman, Richard B. (1997), “Working for nothing: the supply of volunteer labor”, Journal of Labor Economics, vol. 15, nº1, pt. 2, pp. 140-166.

Prouteau L., Wolff, François-Charles (2004), “Relational Goods and Associational Participation”, Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, vol. 75 n° 3, pp. 431-463.

Ruston, Dave (2003), Volunteers, Helpers and Socialisers: Social capital and time, Office for National Statistics.

Schokkaert, Erik (2006), “The empirical analysis of transfer motives” in S.C. Kolm and J. Mercier-Ytier eds., Handbook on the Economics on Giving, Reciprocity and Altruism (North Holland).

Stark, Oded (1995), Altruism and Beyond: An Economic Analysis of Transfers and Exchanges within Families and Groups. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Sugden, Robert (1984), “Reciprocity: The Supply of Public Goods Through Voluntary Contributions.”, The Economic Journal, vol. 94, pp. 772-787.

[1] (1)‘‘self-centeredwelfare’’;(2)‘‘self-welfare goal’’; and(3)‘‘self-goalchoice.’