Understanding Altruism of Nonprofit Workers: The Roles of Motivation Types

Abstract

This paper studies the impact of motivation types on altruism levels among the nonprofit organization (NPO) workforces in Turkey. To measure altruism, we used a probabilistic dictator game with real stakes. In a sample of 228 NPO workers, 73% opted to donate an average of 50 out of approximately 100 USD instead of retaining the entire 100 USD for themselves in the case they might win. Our results show that the NPO workforce’s altruism levels vary greatly depending on their motivation type. Religiously motivated NPO workers show the highest levels of altruism, whereas career-oriented NPO workers show the lowest levels of altruism. Moreover, paid NPO workers show significantly lower levels of altruism compared to unpaid workers. In addition, motivation types partially explain the differences in altruism between unpaid and paid workers.