Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The number of college student volunteers has been increasing and they have provided voluntary services in several fields. However, their willingness to continue volunteering remains unsustainable. Thus, this study, integrating the theory of planned behavior and event system theory, constructed a moderated mediating model to test the underlying mechanism of perceived calling on sustained volunteering intention through volunteering norm, and the moderating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic strength. A three-wave field questionnaire was designed and administered to the same 700 college students. The results showed that perceived calling positively predicted volunteering norm; volunteering norm positively influenced sustained volunteering intention. Volunteering norm mediated the link between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic strength moderated the direct relationship between perceived calling and volunteering norm and the indirect effect. When COVID-19 pandemic strength was at its peak, the direct and mediating effects were stronger. These findings suggest that cultivating college student volunteers’ perceived calling and norm are important to improve their sustained volunteering intention.

Plain Language Summary

Calling and sustained intention to volunteer

College students, as an increasingly great force in volunteering, have greatly contributed to addressing the surge in demand for related staff and preventing them from burning out during the pandemic. However, the willingness of their sustained volunteering as a crucial predictor of volunteering behavior has become more noticeable, especially in situations where conflicts arise during volunteering. To examine the underlying mechanism of perceived calling on sustained volunteering intention through volunteering norm, and the moderating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic strength. A three-wave field questionnaire was designed and administered to the same 700 college students. And SPSS 26.0 was used to analysis the results. Perceived calling positively predicted volunteering norm; volunteering norm positively influenced sustained volunteering intention. Volunteering norm mediated the link between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic strength moderated the direct relationship between perceived calling and volunteering norm and the indirect effect. When COVID-19 pandemic strength was at its peak, the direct and mediating effects were stronger. These findings suggest that cultivating college student volunteers’ perceived calling and norm are important to improve their sustained volunteering intention. We hope that future research will explore the factors influencing actual sustained volunteering behavior during other critical events.

Keywords

perceived calling sustained volunteering intention volunteering norm COVID-19 pandemic strength

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread in China and globally since 2020, which has had a significant impact more than ever before. A high infection leads to an increased need for staffs in healthcare, community service, and other related fields. College students are a significant and easily accessible group of volunteers who also make up a substantial part of future civil society (Haski-Leventhal et al., 2018; Kim et al., 2018). The WHO recommends the participation of health students to be involved in handling COVID-19 according to competence. Various countries have also encouraged college students to volunteer, such as China (He et al., 2024), Vietnam (Tran et al., 2021), Saudi Arabia (Qattan et al., 2023), and Britain (Domaradzki & Walkowiak, 2021). College students, as an increasingly great force in volunteering, have greatly contributed to addressing the surge in demand for related staff and preventing them from burning out during the pandemic (Domrardzki, 2022; He et al., 2024; Rasmussen et al., 2020). However, the willingness of their sustained volunteering as a crucial predictor of volunteering behavior has become more noticeable, especially in situations where conflicts arise during volunteering (B. Zhang & Zhu, 2018). Therefore, exploring the motivations and psychological process of sustained volunteering intention is important and urgent (Susanti et al., 2023).

First, previous studies have indicated that socialization, values, altruism, and self-improvement are fundamental motivations for college students volunteering respectively (Beckman et al., 2021; Tiraieyari & Krauss, 2018). However, this study focuses on a core construct—perceived calling—which encompasses socialization, value, self-enhancement, and altruism (Duffy et al., 2018), yet empirical evidence remains inconclusive. Moreover, it is important to consider the effect of perceived calling in various cultures, non-profit organizations such as volunteering (Lysova et al., 2019), as individuals with a strong sense of calling were more likely to translate their social meaning and altruism into social development, such as pandemic prevention and control (Zhou, 2024). Hence, the study aims to explore the influence of perceived calling on sustained volunteering intention of college student volunteers in China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second, according to the theory of planned behavior (TPB), volunteering norm is an important motivator of college students’ sustained volunteering intention (Hu et al., 2023; Hyde & Knowles, 2013). When they develop a specific perception of role norm, and once the it has assimilated into their self-consciousness (Grube & Piliavin, 2000; Zhou et al., 2020), their sustained intentions to volunteer becomes a subconscious decision (Marta et al., 2014). Moreover, when they perceive a calling, it facilitates their initial intention to volunteer. If their first volunteering experience boosts their self-esteem or sense of meaning, it will lead to a stronger intention to continue volunteering (Wilson, 2012; Yang et al., 2021). Thus, to better understand the development process of perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention, this study also aims to investigate the mediating role of volunteering norm.

Third, according to the event system theory (EST) that COVID-19 pandemic as a globally passive and social event have a direct and interactive effect on individuals’ psychological and behavioral responses (Morgeson et al., 2015). This has been widely proven by numerous studies (J. W. Zhang et al., 2023; Zhou, 2024), while how and when the COVID-19 pandemic strength influences the link between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention through volunteering norm has rarely been explored. The pandemic is a major public health emergency with the fastest speed, the widest range, and the most difficult prevention and control since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Numerous college students have changed from bystanders to participants in volunteering to prevent and control the pandemic spread (Zheng, 2020), which has greatly decreased the stress and burnout of medical, police, and community service staff (Li et al., 2023). Therefore, this study also explores how COVID-19 pandemic strength moderates the direct relationship between perceived calling and volunteering norm, as well as the indirect effect of volunteering norm.

Accordingly, based on TPB and EST, the objective of this study is to investigate how perceived calling influences sustained volunteering intention through volunteering norm, with the COVID-19 pandemic strength as a moderating factor in a moderated mediating model. By tackling these issues, this research enhances our understanding of the theoretical link between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention, as well as aids organizations in encouraging volunteers’ sustained intention. The theoretical model is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1.

The theoretical model.

Theory and Hypothesis

Theory of Planned Behavior

According to TPB (Ajzen, 1991), individuals’ behavioral intentions are determined by attitude (i.e., individuals’ evaluations about whether behavior can produce a positive or negative outcome); subjective norms (i.e., individuals’ behavioral intention is affected by individual, group, organizational, and other external factors); and perceived behavioral control (i.e., individuals’ perceptions of their ability to control their behaviors). The TPB has been widely used in the field of volunteering to explain the motivations behind volunteering intentions and behaviors since it was proposed (Marta et al., 2014; Yang et al., 2021). The evaluation of the personal benefits of volunteering behavior before making decisions (Penner, 2004) is what perceived calling represents in this study. Volunteering norm reflects their personal responsibility to volunteer as a college student (Hu et al., 2023; Hyde & Knowles, 2013) in an emergency context. Therefore, we posit that incorporating TPB into the model can help clarify the relationship between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention through volunteering norm in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Event System Theory

The EST, proposed by Morgeson et al. (2015), has been widely used to explain how salient events with time, space, and strength attributes in life and work have an enduring and dynamic impact on individuals’ psychological status, attitudes, and behavioral responses (Chen et al., 2021; McFarland et al., 2020), particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (Y. Y. Liu et al., 2020; Yin & Ni, 2021). The strength includes three attributes: novelty, which considers the extent to which an event differs or varies from current and past behaviors, features, and events, thus making it a new or unexpected phenomenon; criticality, which reflects the degree to which an event is important, essential, or a priority to an entity, and typically prompts more analyses and changes; and disruption, which refers to the degree to which an event occurrence changes and disrupts individuals’ lives and routine coping styles. The COVID-19 pandemic is characterized by its rapid spread, wide range, and difficulty in prevention and control, which align with the novelty, criticality, and disruptive nature of the event strength, respectively (Ahmed & Memish, 2020; D. Liu et al., 2021). Drawing upon EST, overall event attributes are more likely to affect individuals than un-novel, non-disruptive, and uncritical events (Zhou, 2024). Therefore, we theorized that EST can be used to explain the mechanism of perceived calling on sustained volunteering intention among volunteers with the moderating role of the COVID-19 pandemic strength.

Relationship Between Perceived Calling and Volunteering Norm

Perceived calling refers to “a transcendent summons, experienced as originating beyond the self, to approach a particular life role in a manner oriented toward demonstrating or deriving a sense of purpose or meaningfulness and that holds other-oriented values and goals as primary sources of motivation” (Dik & Duffy, 2009, p. 427). According to the definition of a personal norm (Schwartz & Howard, 1981, p. 188), volunteering norm refers to “individuals’ moral obligation to perform or refrain from volunteering.” This reflects individuals’ sense of obligation to participate in volunteering. Calling is considered an important dimension of volunteers’ psychological capital and positively influences volunteering behavior (Hyde & Knowles, 2013; Xu & Han, 2020). Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic is proliferating globally and seriously disrupting people’s work and lives (Domrardzki, 2022; He et al., 2024). Therefore, according to TPB, volunteers who perceive a higher calling in the volunteering domain will perceive a stronger meaning, altruism, and purpose toward fighting the pandemic spread (Aziz et al., 2021; Beckman et al., 2021). Moreover, they will become confident and patriotic, gain spiritual growth, moral education, and civilization improvement, and satisfy their self-esteem and value needs (Xu et al., 2022). These positive experiences can strongly activate their obligation to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, we hypothesize the following:

Hypothesis 1: Perceived calling is positively related to volunteering norm.

Relationship Between Volunteering Norm and Sustained Volunteering Intention

Based on the concept of behavior intention (Ajzen, 1991), sustained volunteering intention is defined as individuals’ willingness to try, and how much effort they are planning to exert, to participate in sustained volunteering. According to TPB, social moral qualities including generosity, obligingness, and kindliness, have an obvious influence on individuals’ attitudes and behaviors (Aquino & Reed, 2002; Reynolds & Ceranic, 2007). Volunteering is a typical moral activity that has social morality as its value orientation. Moreover, it is closely related to individuals’ moral obligations due to its characteristics of commonweal, dedication, and gratuitousness. Previous studies demonstrated that a prevalent reason for students to participate in volunteering was the restriction and influence from social norms, public opinion, and the leading effect of public figures (Hu et al., 2023; Susanti et al., 2023). This urged them to fulfill and realize their social obligation to help others and serve society (Tiraieyari et al., 2019). This was supported by another empirical study among environmental volunteers, in which social norm belief indicated a positive participation intention to volunteer (Garcia-Valinas et al., 2012). That is, when college students perceive a stronger subjective moral norm in volunteering, it can potentially enhance their sustained volunteering intention. Hence, we proposed the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 2: Volunteering norm is positively related to sustained volunteering intention.

Mediating Role of Volunteering Norm

According to TPB, perceived calling can inspire sustained volunteering intention through volunteering norm. Specifically, the sense of community of destiny contributes to volunteers transforming their calling into a strong sense of identity and responsibility and promotes their engagement and self-efficacy in volunteering (Xu et al., 2022). Moreover, volunteering norm can help volunteers deeply understand their cognition of responsibility and obligation, and deepen their moral identity of volunteer service, thus providing strong internal motivation for their sustained volunteering intention (Hu et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2011). Additionally, moral norm can drive volunteers to follow their ethical spirit, regulate, manage their altruistic and pro-social attitudes, and train them to form public service obligations based on moral and ethical norms (Xu et al., 2022). Consequently, they are more likely to increase their willingness to volunteer sustainably, particularly for those who have already had a favorable volunteer experience. Thus, we propose the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 3: Volunteering norm mediates the positive link between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention.

The Role of COVID-19 Pandemic Strength

TPB posits that the formation of volunteering norm and intention is also affected by external situational factors (Shao et al., 2011). Statistics reveal that after the COVID-19 pandemic began, the National Health Service of England (2020) recruited over 750,000 volunteers in 4 days, which was three times the planned number. Hence, the change in the social environment and the occurrence of major events in society directly impact volunteers’ volunteering attitudes and behaviors (Omoto & Snyder, 1995). The COVID-19 pandemic constitutes a global emergency that can activate volunteers’ obligations; moreover, it demands heavy media coverage, thus evoking a sense of shared fate and anxiety (Lancet, 2020). Specifically, based on EST, when volunteers experience a high sense of pandemic strength, they are more likely to perceive the urgency and necessity to fight the pandemic (Zhou et al., 2020). This will motivate their prosocial value and calling (Zhou, 2024), and subsequently improve their moral norm of volunteering. Contrarily, when volunteers experience weak pandemic strength, their sense of shared fate and responsibility are less likely to be activated under the condition of a weak stimulus (Aquino & Reed, 2002). Thus, the relationship between perceived calling and volunteering norm is weaker. Consequently, we proposed the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 4: COVID-19 pandemic strength moderates the positive link between perceived calling and volunteering norm, such that the relationship is stronger at a high level of COVID-19 pandemic strength.

According to EST, there is an interpretative process involving analyzing the meaning and value between event occurrence and individual responses. In this study, the volunteering norm is an important cognitive process that enables volunteers to recognize the unprecedented strength of the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine appropriate actions as young volunteers. That is, a higher level of COVID-19 pandemic strength accelerates volunteers’ perception of a stronger calling, thus activating their volunteering norm. This subsequently improves their sustained volunteering intention. Hence, we put forth the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 5: COVID-19 pandemic strength moderates the mediating effect of volunteering norm, such that the mediating effect is stronger at a higher level of COVID-19 pandemic strength.

Methods

Participants and Procedures

We first contacted students’ headteachers to select students with volunteer experience from three college in western China. With the principals’ approval of college, students were asked whether they had volunteered during the last 12 months with the following options: school, hospital or educational organization, political group or labor union, senior citizen group, or other national or local organizations. Only those with volunteer experience were included in this study. For each survey, we will collaborate with a contact teacher to book a large classroom in the college that can accommodate a minimum of 250 students. Following this, we will convene the participants of the college to carry out the questionnaire after granting their informed consent.

The survey was conducted by an associate professor, a doctoral candidate, and a master candidate all majoring in psychology. Before the survey, the participants were informed that they would remain anonymous, and that data would be collected three times and only be used for scientific research. Participants were then asked to write their student ID number and college names on the cover of their questionnaire to match the data at three time points with a 1-month interval (Podsakoff et al., 2012), each survey lasting approximately 10 min.

At Time 1, the demographic variables, perceived calling, COVID-19 pandemic strength, and collectivism were measured. In total, 767 questionnaires were distributed and received. At Time 2, volunteering norm was measured and 738 questionnaires were received. At Time 3, sustained volunteering intention was measured and 723 questionnaires were received. Finally, 700 questionnaires were obtained, excluding 23 mismatched and incomplete ones. There were 75.6% (529) males, and 24.4% (171) females; 66.1% (463) were junior students, and 33.9% (237) were senior students; the average socioeconomic status were 4.46.

Measures

All the measures were from reliable and valid scales. The English scales were translated into Chinese with a translation and back-translation procedure by two professors majoring in English and two majoring in Psychology.

Perceived Calling

A 12-item perceived calling scale developed by Dobrow and Tosti-Kharas (2011) was used. Responses were rated on a 7-point Likert-scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree). This scale has been widely used in the Chinese context and has shown good reliability and validity (Zhou et al., 2020). In this study, Cronbach’s α was .95.

Sustained Volunteering Intention

It was measured by a three-item scale of behavioral intention (Han, 2015; Han et al., 2010). In this study, all the items were rated at the 5-point Likert-scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Cronbach’s α in this study was .94.

Volunteering Norm

It was assessed using a four-item personal norm scale (Onwezen et al., 2013). In this study, we revised the expressions of “protect environment” to “participate in volunteering” as both of them are typical prosocial behaviors performed by individuals. All items were rated on a 5-point Likert-scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). In this study, Cronbach’s α was .94.

COVID-19 Pandemic Strength

It was measured by the Chinese version of an 11-item event strength scale (Liu & Liu, 2017) developed by Morgeson (2005). This scale includes three facets: criticality (three items), disruption (four items), and novelty (four items). It has been widely used to test COVID-19 pandemic strength (Zhao et al., 2021; Zhou et al., 2020) and has shown good reliability and validity in the Chinese context. In this study, all items were rated on a 7-point Likert-scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree). In this study, Cronbach’s α of the full scale (.91) and all three dimensions (criticality = .86, disruption = .86, novelty = .92) were good.

Control Variables

According to previous studies, individuals from collectivist cultures may emphasize prosocial goals and motivation, such as service to the community or society more broadly (Dik & Duffy, 2009; Duffy et al., 2018), particularly in the China context. Therefore, we controlled for collectivism. The five items with high a factor loading rated on a 5-point Likert-scale was used to measure collectivism (Wagner & Moch, 1986). In this study, Cronbach’s α was .83. Moreover, because demographic variables such as female positively predicted ongoing volunteering (Gallent et al., 2010) as well as poor, middle and upper-class individuals differ in volunteering (Ghose & Kassam, 2014), we controlled for gender (female = 0, male = 1), grade, and socioeconomic status in this study.

Data Analysis

First, all the data measured by scales were calculated to form a construct by averaging the scores of each item with SPSS 25.0. Moreover, SPSS 25.0 was also utilized to analyze the descriptive statistics (means and standardized deviations) and Pearson correlation for all variables. The correlation coefficients results (see Table 1) showed that perceived calling was positively correlated with sustained volunteering intention (r = .35, p < .001), volunteering norm (r = .28, p < .001), and COVID-19 pandemic strength (r = .29, p < .001); sustained volunteering intention was positively correlated with volunteering norm (r = .65, p < .001) and COVID-19 pandemic strength (r = .35, p < .001); volunteering norm was positively correlated with COVID-19 pandemic strength (r = .34, p < .001).

Table 1.

Descriptive Statistics and Correlations Among All the Variables.

Variables	AVE	CR	M	SD	1	2	3
1. Perceived calling	.61	.95	4.95	1.20	—
2. Sustained volunteering intention	.85	.94	4.05	.77	.35***	—
3. Volunteering norm	.79	.94	4.09	.73	.28***	.65***	—
4. COVID-19 pandemic strength	.69	.96	5.93	.74	.29***	.35***	.34***

***

p < .001.

Second, the confirmatory factor analysis for Amos 24.0 was used to test the validity, common method deviation, average variance extracted (AVE), and composite reliability (CR). The results showed that the single-factor model had a poor fit (χ²₍₄₀₅₎ = 9862.783, GFI = .374, TLI = .402, CFI = .443, RMSEA = .183). The research model was a good fit (χ²₍₃₉₀₎ = 839.355, GFI = .924, TLI = .970, CFI = .974, RMSEA = .041) and better than the other alternative models. The AVE (>.5), CR (>.7) values, and the standardized factor loading of each item for all variables was greater than 0.5 and significantly loaded onto their factors respectively. These indices indicated that all the variables had good discriminant validity. Moreover, as this study used a self-report design, we controlled for collectivism (the measured latent method factor) to test for common method deviation (Podsakoff et al., 2012). The common method deviation model also had a good fit (χ²₍₅₁₆₎ = 1112.737, GFI = .914, TLI = .963, CFI = .968, RMSEA = .041); however, it was significantly worse than the research model indices (△χ² = 273.382, △df = 126, p < .05). Therefore, the common method deviation in this study was not significant (Podsakoff et al., 2012).

Third, the multiple logic regression analysis of PROCESS macro for SPSS 25.0 was used to test the research hypotheses (Hayes, 2018). Specifically, Hypotheses 1, 2, and 3 were tested by a mediating model (Model 4), such that the direct relationship between perceived calling, volunteering norm, and sustained volunteering intention, and the indirect effect of volunteering norm between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention. Hypotheses 4 and 5 were tested by a moderated mediating model (Model 7) that the first stage (relationship between perceived calling and volunteering norm) of the mediating effect is moderated by a moderator (COVID-19 pandemic strength). All these effects were tested by the 95% biased-corrected confidence intervals (CI) method, and the number of bootstrapping samples was set to 2,000. Significant effects occur when the 95% CI does not include zero.

Results

Direct Effect Testing

Hypothesis 1 and 2 assumed that perceived calling positively predicts volunteering norm, which in turn positively predicts sustained volunteering intention. Model 1 in Table 2 presented that perceived calling positively and significant influenced volunteering norm (β = .252, p < .001, 95% CI [0.180, 0.341]), supporting Hypothesis 1. Furthermore, Model 4 in Table 2 showed that volunteering norm significantly and positively influenced sustained volunteering intention (β = .615, p < .001, [0.551, 0.666]), supporting Hypothesis 2.

Table 2.

The Multiple Regression Analysis Results.

Variables	Volunteering norm		Sustained volunteering intention
Variables	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3	Model 4	Model 5
Gender	−.110	−.118**	−.178***	−.100**	−.115***
Grade	.024	.016	−.012	−.083**	−.026
Socioeconomic status	.001	−.012	.011	.019	.011
Collectivism	.201***	.147***	.164***	.082**	.048
Perceived calling	.252***	.176***	.327***		.182***
Volunteering norm				.615***	.575***
COVID-19 pandemic strength		.258***
Perceived calling × COVID-19 pandemic strength		.098**
R	.361	.440	.421	.664	.682
R ²	.130	.194	.177	.440	.465
F	20.793***	23.772***	29.942***	109.189***	100.574***

Note. All data in the regression equation were standardized.

p < .01. ***p < .001.

Mediating Effect Testing

Hypothesis 3 assumed that volunteering norm mediated the direct relationship between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention. Model 5 in Table 2 presented the regression coefficients when volunteering norm was added as a mediator. It showed that perceived calling (β = .182, p < .001, 95% CI [.123, .251]) and volunteering norm (β = .575, p < .001, [.511, .627]) still significantly and positively influenced sustained volunteering intention. The bootstrap results revealed that the 95% CI of mediating effect (B = .149, SE = .028, [.097, .203]) excluded zero. It accounted for 44.28% of the mediating effect. These indicated that volunteering norm mediated the direct relationship between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention, supporting Hypothesis 3.

Moderating Effect Testing

Hypothesis 4 and 5 assumed that COVID-19 pandemic strength positively moderated the direct relationship between perceived calling and volunteering norm as well as the mediating effect of volunteering norm, respectively. The results in Model 2 of Table 2 showed that the interactive effect of perceived calling and COVID-19 pandemic strength on volunteering norm was positive and significant (β = .098, p < .01, 95% CI [.035, .195]). Figure 2 depicted that when COVID-19 pandemic strength was high (B = .297, t = 5.014, p < .001, [.192, .401]), the positive relationship between perceived calling and volunteering norm was stronger than when the COVID-19 pandemic strength was low (B = .182, t = 4.070, p < .001, [−.038, .194]), supporting Hypothesis 4.

Figure 2.

The moderating effect of COVID-19 pandemic strength on the relationship between perceived calling and volunteering norm.

Moderated Mediating Effect Testing

The bootstrap analysis results showed that the 95% CI of the moderated mediating effect (B = .066, SE = .023, 95% CI [.021, .108]) exclude zero. Specifically, when the COVID-19 pandemic strength was high, the 95% CI of the indirect effect (B = .168, SE = .033, [.108, .237]) excluded zero, whereas when the COVID-19 pandemic strength was low, the 95% CI of the indirect effect (B = .044, SE = .035, [−.025, .117]) included zero. These indicated that COVID-19 pandemic positively moderated the indirect effect, supporting Hypothesis 5.

Discussion

First, the study revealed a positive correlation between perceived calling and volunteering norm, which subsequently positively influenced sustained volunteering intention in a worldwide emergency context. These findings align with earlier research on the TPB, highlighting the significance of cognition, value, social, and career motivations in developing the sustained volunteering intentions of college student volunteers. For example, Beckman et al. (2021) and Cho et al., (2018) explored the association between value, career, social, purposive motivations on intention to continue volunteering through volunteering attitude. Hu et al. (2023) examined the connection between cognition of volunteer services, subjective norms, and volunteering intentions. Nevertheless, this study specifically examined perceived calling toward volunteering as a unique form of motivation and cognition, and its impact on both volunteering norm and sustained volunteering intention among Chinese college student volunteers, expanding upon prior researches in volunteering field. Specifically, when volunteers perceived a heightened calling to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are more inclined to be internally motivated by moral obligation, meaning, and values as a college student, as well as externally influenced by expectations from others (Duffy et al., 2018; Zhou, 2024). These value and beliefs are directly and positively associated with their sustainable volunteering intention.

Second, the mediating analysis found that volunteering norm played a mediating effect between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention. According to TPB, volunteering is typically a moral activity with unique voluntary, non-profit, and public welfare aspects. Volunteers who perceive a stronger sense of calling are more likely to focus on the public interest. The prosocial values awaken their moral obligation and social responsibility (Zhou, 2024), and this personal norm in turn, strengthen their altruistic intention (Han et al., 2020), such as sustained intention to volunteer (Grube & Piliavin, 2000; Xu et al., 2020). The findings are not only in line with previous studies conducted in China (Hu et al., 2023), Australia (Hyde & Knowles, 2013), and Poland (Bazan et al., 2021) among college students, which highlight the importance of the volunteering norm in translating their volunteering motivations into sustained intentions to volunteer, but also support the conclusion among older volunteers based on TPB (Warburton & Terry, 2000).

Third, the moderating analysis revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic strength positively moderated the direct association between perceived calling and volunteering norm, as well as the indirect effect of volunteering norm. College students, being the primary force of voluntary service, have been extensively studied for their significant contributions in preventing and controlling the spread of the pandemic. For instance, medical student volunteers have totaled approximately 10 million hours in Poland (Bazan et al., 2021), and 75.4% of college nursing students volunteered to provide services in Brunei during the pandemic (Aziz et al., 2021). According to EST, when facing a global health emergency with high strength, college student volunteers are called upon to fulfill their obligations and responsibilities motivated by a sense of social safety, altruism, and other values (Miao et al., 2020; Xu et al., 2022). Consequently, they are willing to engage in disaster management (Aziz et al., 2021).

Theoretical Contributions

First, this study contributes to the literature on both calling and volunteering intention by considering perceived calling as a direct predictor of sustained volunteering intention. This is because there are two gaps in existing research. Specifically, prior research has identified socialization, value, academic, or career enhancement, and altruism as the main motivations for college students to volunteer (Beckman et al., 2021; Dwyer et al., 2013; Tiraieyari & Krauss, 2018). However, these have been shown to represent short-term volunteering and demonstrate a low level of commitment to the event (Haski-Leventhal et al., 2010). Moreover, previous studies have not integrated these motivations into a core variable and investigated their associations. It’s undeniable that examining the effects of perceived calling in non-profit domains is particularly valuable in across various domains, cultures, and societies (Lysova et al., 2019). This study addresses previous research gaps by measuring perceived calling, a concept and its dimensions that precisely reflect the above motivations, and further investigating its impact on sustained volunteering and volunteering norm. The findings also respond to Snyder and Omoto’s (2008) question and enrich predictors of sustained volunteering intention and expand non-work-related outcomes of perceived calling.

Second, the mediating role of volunteering norm highlights the importance of recognizing how perceived calling influences sustained volunteering intention from the perspective of social norms in an emergency context. Despite many studies exploring the relationship between volunteering motivations, norms, and behavioral intentions (Mouloudj & Bouarar, 2023; Wu et al., 2022), there are few that have delved into the psychological mechanisms through which perceived calling impacts college student volunteers’ intentions to continue volunteering via subjective norms. Given that the volunteering norm is a crucial factor in predicting college student volunteers’ sustained volunteering intention (Hu et al., 2023), it is essential to highlight its significance. Therefore, the study drawing on TPB confirmed that volunteering norm acts as a critical mediator, explaining that volunteers who perceive a higher calling tend to have a stronger norm, which, in turn, increases college student volunteers’ sustained volunteering intention. These findings not only enrich and extend the literature on volunteering norm but also underscore the underlying process from perceived calling to sustained volunteering intention.

Third, we deepen our understanding of the effects of perceived calling in a global context by introducing the COVID-19 pandemic strength as a moderator into the model. The COVID-19 pandemic as a public health emergency has significantly disrupted people’s work and lives worldwide. Many student volunteers who perceive a stronger motivation have actively participated in pandemic prevention and control volunteering around the world (Barker et al., 2024; Susanti et al., 2023). However, to our knowledge, the relationship between perceived calling, volunteering norm, and sustained volunteering intention in a global emergency context has not been thoroughly investigated. This study integrates TPB and EST to elucidate how and when COVID-19 pandemic strength influences the direct relationship between perceived calling and volunteering norm as well as the indirect process. In doing so, we expand the scope of perceived calling’s moderating effects and clarify the nuanced associations between perceived calling, volunteering norm, and sustained volunteering intention under a global event. Furthermore, we also expand on the specific application of TPB and EST in other event contexts.

Practical Implications

First, the positive relationship between perceived calling and volunteering norm and sustained volunteering intention suggests that cultivating volunteers’ calling and norm is valuable in improving volunteering sustainability. Given that calling can be taught and trained (Duffy et al., 2018; Zhou et al., 2020), colleges should encourage students to participate in volunteer activities. Moreover, they should organize activities to help students experience the physical and mental benefits of helping others, cultivate their rational and strong need for motivation, urge them to adhere to the calling of self-interest and altruism, and highlight its significance (Ma et al., 2019). This can stimulate their sense of value and meaning in volunteering and improve their social norms and sustained volunteering intention.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented regarding its speed, global impact, and the positive moderating effect of COVID-19 pandemic strength. College and volunteer organizations should pay attention to the crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic and provide necessary protective measures to ensure volunteers’ safety (Menon et al., 2020). Moreover, college and volunteer organizations should provide relevant support to increase volunteers’ positive experiences and satisfaction (Bazan et al., 2021; Cady et al., 2018; Xu et al., 2020). They should also cultivate positive and optimistic psychological expectations and strong psychological resilience (Xu & Han, 2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, a more complete and considerate social support system should be constructed to improve the sustainable development of volunteering intentions and behaviors.

Limitations and Directions for Future Research

First, the three-wave lagged design was cross-sectional, which may limit the causal relationships between variables. Future longitudinal and experimental research designs are encouraged to strengthen causal inferences. Second, although we controlled for collectivism in this study, the generalizability of the findings may be limited because the sample included only college students in China. Sociocultural discrepancies may differ in prosocial service, such that, compared to individualistic volunteers, collectivist volunteers may greatly emphasize serving groups, communities, and society (Duffy et al., 2018). Therefore, further cross-cultural and comparative studies should be conducted. Third, this study only focused on the predictive role of perceived calling on sustained volunteering intention. More antecedents at the micro, medium, and macro-levels should be examined. Moreover, as the partial mediating effect of volunteering norm between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention was revealed, other possible mediators should be further explored. More attention should be paid to how volunteers interact with others and with clients. Finally, this study explored the moderating effect of COVID-19 pandemic strength. However, it did not further examine the effect of different attributes of COVID-19 pandemic strength on the relationship between perceived calling and sustained volunteering intention by volunteering norm. This is a gap that should be addressed in future research.

Conclusion

This study utilized the TPB and EST to examine how perceived calling influences college student volunteers’ sustained intention to volunteer, with volunteering norm playing a mediating role, under the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The results indicated that perceived calling has a positive effect on sustained volunteering intention, with volunteering norm mediating this relationship. Additionally, the strength of the COVID-19 pandemic acts as a boundary condition, enhancing the direct relationship between perceived calling and volunteering norm, as well as the indirect effect. These findings contribute to our understanding of how sustained volunteering intentions are formed and offer practical implications for college and volunteer organizations. We hope that future research will explore the factors influencing actual sustained volunteering behavior during other critical events.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Key Project of Luzhou Social Work and Health Management Research Center of China under Grant [SGJK202002]; the Youth MOE (Ministry of Education, China) Project of Humanities and Social Sciences (22YJC630222); the Key Project of Sichuan Police College Public Security Cultural Center in 2023 under grant (23-02); the Youth Project of Sichuan Philosophy and Social Science Foundation of China in 2023 under grant SCJJ23ND487; and the Project of Sichuan Police College Golden Shield Science and Creative Talent in 2024.

Informed Consent Statement

This study obtained the participants’ informed consent and all participants were informed that they had the right to withdraw from the study at any time.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets generated in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

References

Ahmed

Q. A.

Memish

Z. A.

(2020). The cancellation of mass gatherings (MGs)? Decision making in the time of COVID-19. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 34, 101631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101631

Ajzen

(1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Aquino

Reed

(2002). The self-importance of moral identity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(6), 1423–1440. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.83.6.1423

Aziz

A. A. H. H. A.

Abdul-Mumin

K. H.

Rahman

H. A.

(2021). Willingness of university nursing students to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei Darussalam. Belitung Nursing Journal, 7(4), 285–293. https://doi.org/10.33546/bnj.1518

Barker

M. E.

King

Mitchell

Dawson

Crowfoot

(2024). The effect of hospital volunteering on empathy in nursing and medical students. Collegian, 31(1), 34–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2023.11.001

Bazan

Nowicki

Rzymski

(2021). Medical students as the volunteer workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic: Polish experience. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 55(1), 102–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102109

Beckman

Pan

T. Y.

Kitterlin

Cain

(2021). Identifying motivating factors among college students that influence repeat participation among special event volunteers: The moderating role of class standing. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 12(2), 148–167. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEFM-07-2020-0041

Cady

S. H.

Brodke

Kim

J. H.

Shoup

Z. D.

(2018). Volunteer motivation: A field study examining why some do more, while others do less. Journal of Community Psychology, 46(3), 281–292. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21939

Chen

Liu

Tang

Hogan

T. M.

(2021). Workplace events and employee creativity: A multi-study field investigation. Personnel Psychology, 74(1), 211–236. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12399

10.

Cho

Bonn

M. A.

Han

S. J.

(2018). Generation Z’s sustainable volunteering: Motivations, attitudes and job performance. Sustainability, 10(5), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051400

11.

Dik

B. J.

Duffy

R. D.

(2009). Calling and vocation at work: Definitions and prospects for research and practice. The Counseling Psychologist, 37(3), 424–450. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000008316430

12.

Dobrow

S. R.

Tosti-Kharas

(2011). Calling: The development of a scale measure. Personnel Psychology, 64(4), 1001–1049. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2011.01234.x

13.

Domrardzki

(2022). “Who else if not me”. Medical students’ perception and experience with volunteering during the COVID-19 crisis in Poznan, Poland. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4), 2314. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042314

14.

Domaradzki

Walkowiak

(2021). Medical students’ voluntary service during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 618608. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.618608

15.

Duffy

R. D.

Dik

B. J.

Douglass

R. P.

England

J. W.

Velez

B. L.

(2018). Work as a calling: A theoretical model. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 65(4), 423–439. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000276

16.

Dwyer

P. C.

Bono

J, E.

Snyder

Nov

Berson

(2013). Sources of volunteer motivation: Transformational leadership and personal motives influence volunteer outcomes. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 24(2), 181–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21084

17.

Gallent

Smale

Arai

(2010). Civic engagement through mandatory community service: Implications of serious leisure. Journal of Leisure Research, 42(2), 181–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2010.11950201

18.

Garcia-Valinas

M. A.

Macintyre

Torgler

(2012). Volunteering, pro-environmental attitudes and norms. Journal of Socio-Economics, 41(4), 455–467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2011.07.001

19.

Ghose

Kassam

(2014). Motivations to volunteer among college students in India. Voluntas, 25, 28–45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-012-9327-4

20.

Grube

J. A.

Piliavin

J. A.

(2000). Role identity, organizational experiences, and volunteer performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26(9), 1108–1119. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672002611007

21.

Han

(2015). Travelers’ pro-environmental behavior in a green lodging context: Converging value-belief-norm theory and the theory of planned behavior. Tourism Management, 47, 164–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.09.014

22.

Han

Hsu

L. T.

Sheu

(2010). Application of the theory of planned behavior to green hotel choice: Testing the effect of environmental friendly activities. Tourism Management, 31(3), 325–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.03.013

23.

Han

Lee

Hyun

S. S.

(2020). Tourism and altruistic intention: Volunteer tourism development and self-interested value. Sustainability, 12(5), 2152. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12052152

24.

Haski-Leventhal

Meijs

L. C. P. M.

Hustinx

(2010). The third-party model: Enhancing volunteering through governments, corporations and educational institutes. Journal of Social Policy, 39(1), 139–158. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279409990377

25.

Haski-Leventhal

Meijs

L. C. P. M.

Lockstone-Binney

Holmes

Oppenheimer

(2018). Measuring volunteer ability and the capacity to volunteer among non-volunteers: Implications for social policy. Social Policy & Administration, 52(5), 1139–1167. https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.12342

26.

Hayes

A. F.

(2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (2nd ed.). Guilford Publications.

27.

F. P.

Lin

B. B.

Liu

X. T.

Mei

Y. X.

Wang

W. N.

Zhang

Z. X.

Wang

M. X.

(2024). Subtypes of nursing students’ volunteer motivation in COVID-19: A latent profile analysis. BMC Nursing, 23(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01699-1

28.

J. F.

Zhang

T. T.

Wang

H. S.

Chen

Z. C.

Liu

(2023). Intention patterns predicting college students’ volunteer service participation. Heliyon, 9(11), e21897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21897

29.

Hyde

M. K.

Knowles

S. R.

(2013). What predicts Australian university students’ intentions to volunteer their time for community service? Australian Journal of Psychology, 65, 135–145. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12014

30.

Kim

Fredline

Cuskelly

(2018). Heterogeneity of sport event volunteer motivations: A segmentation approach. Tourism Management, 68, 375–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.04.004

31.

Lancet. (2020). COVID-19: Fighting panic with information. Lancet, 395(10224), 537. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30379-2

32.

X. R.

Song

Y. W.

B. Q.

Chen

Y. T.

Cui

P. Y.

Liang

Y. F.

Yang

G. F.

J. H.

(2023). The effects of COVID-19 event strength on job burnout among primary medical staff. BMC Health Services Research, 23(1), 1212. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-10209-z

33.

Liu

Chen

(2021). Tackling the negative impact of COVID-19 on work engagement and taking charge: A multi-study investigation of frontline health workers. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(2), 185–198. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000866

34.

Liu

(2017). Dissecting event system theory: Tenets and opportunities for research and practice. Quarterly Journal of Management, 2(2), 64–80.

35.

Liu

Y. Y.

Zhang

Z. S.

Zhao

(2020). The influence of the COVID-19 event on deviant workplace behavior taking Tianjin, Beijing and Hebei as an example. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), 59–75. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010059

36.

Lysova

E. I.

Dik

Duffy

R. D.

Khapova

S. N.

Arthur

M. B.

(2019). Calling and careers: New insights and future directions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 114, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2019.03.004

37.

J. F.

Zhou

Chen

Dong

(2019). Does ambidextrous leadership motivate work crafting? International journal of Hospitality Management, 77, 159–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.06.025

38.

Marta

Manzi

Pozzi

Vignoles

V. L.

(2014). Identity and the theory of planned behavior: Predicting maintenance of volunteering after three years. The Journal of Social Psychology, 154(3), 198–207. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2014.881769

39.

McFarland

L. A.

Reeves

Porr

W. B.

Ployhart

R. E.

(2020). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on job search behavior: An event transition perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(11), 1207–1217. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000782

40.

Menon

Klein

E. J.

Kollars

Kleinhenz

A. L. W.

(2020). Medical students are not essential workers: Examining institutional responsibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Academic Medicine, 95(8), 1149–1151. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000003478

41.

Miao

Schwarz

(2020). Responding to COVID-19: Community volunteerism and coproduction in China. World Development, 137, 105128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105128

42.

Morgeson

F. P.

(2005). The external leadership of self-managing teams: Intervening in the context of novel and disruptive events. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(3), 497–508. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.90.3.497

43.

Morgeson

F. P.

Mitchell

T. R.

Liu

(2015). Event system theory: An event-oriented approach to the organizational sciences. Academy of Management Review, 40(4), 515–537. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2012.0099

44.

Mouloudj

Bouarar

A. C.

(2023). Investigating predictors of medical students’ intentions to engagement in volunteering during the health crisis. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 14(3), 205–222. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJEMS-08-2022-0315

45.

National Health Service of England. (2020). NHS volunteer responders: 250,000 target smashed with three quarters of a million committing to volunteer. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/03/250000-nhs-volunteers/

46.

Omoto

A. M.

Snyder

(1995). Sustained helping without obligation: Motivation, longevity of service, and perceived attitude change among AIDS volunteers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68(4), 671–686. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.68.4.671

47.

Onwezen

M. C.

Antonides

Bartels

(2013). The norm activation model: An exploration of the functions of anticipated pride and guilt in pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Economic Psychology, 39, 141–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2013.07.005

48.

Penner

L. A.

(2004). Volunteerism and social problems: Making things better or worse? Journal of Social Issues, 60, 645–666. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-4537.2004.00377.x

49.

Podsakoff

P. M.

MacKenzie

S. B.

Podsakoff

N. P.

(2012). Sources of method bias in social science research and recommendations on how to control it. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 539–569. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452

50.

Qattan

Alwashali

Alshinawi

Sulimani

O. A.

Alluqmani

AlQurashi

Alfahmi

Althubaiti

Aboalshamat

(2023). Perceptions of volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic among medical and dental professionals in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 12(6), 1197–1201. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2422_22

51.

Rasmussen

Sperling

Poulsen

M. S.

Emmersen

Andersen

(2020). Medical students for health-care staff shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet, 395(10234), e79–e80.

52.

Reynolds

S. J.

Ceranic

T. L.

(2007). The effects of moral judgment and moral identity on moral behavior: An empirical examination of the moral individual. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1610–1624. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1610

53.

Schwartz

S. H.

Howard

J. A.

(1981). A normative decision making model of altruism. In Rushton

J. P.

Sorrentino

R. M.

(Eds.), Altruism and helping behavior (pp. 89e211). Lawrence Erlbaum.

54.

Shao

P. T.

Resick

C. J.

Schaubroeck

(2011). Ethical, leadership and motivation: Examining promotion and prevention regulatory foci. Academy of Management Proceedings, 1, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2011.65870358

55.

Snyder

Omoto

A. M.

(2008). Volunteerism: Social issues perspectives and social policy implications. Social Issues and Policy Review, 2(1), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-2409.2008.00009.x

56.

Susanti

R. D.

Yudianto

Mulyana

A. M.

Amalia

(2023). A systematic scoping review of motivations and barriers in COVID-19 volunteering among health students: The potential for future pandemic volunteers. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 16, 1671–1681. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S411896

57.

Tiraieyari

Krauss

S. E.

(2018). Predicting youth participation in urban agriculture in Malaysia: Insights from the theory of planned behavior and the functional approach to volunteer motivation. Agriculture and Human Values, 35, 637–650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-018-9854-8

58.

Tiraieyari

Ricard

R. M.

McLean

G. N.

(2019). Factors influencing volunteering in urban agriculture: Implications for recruiting volunteers. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 45, 126372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126372

59.

Tran

Q. A.

Nguyen

H. T. T.

Bui

T. V.

Tran

N. T.

Nguyen

N. T.

Nguyen

T. T.

Nyugen

H. T.

Nguyen

S. H.

(2021). Factors associated with the intention to participate in coronavirus disease 2019 frontline prevention activities among nursing students in Vietnam: An application of the theory of planned behavior. Frontiers in Public Health, 9(699079), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.699079

60.

Wang

J. W.

Wei

C. N.

Harada

Minamoto

Ueda

Cui

H. W.

Zhang

C. G.

Cui

Z. T.

Ueda

(2011). Applying the social cognitive perspective to volunteer intention in China: The mediating roles of self-efficacy and motivation. Health Promotion International, 26(2), 177–187. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daq056

61.

Wagner

J. A.

Moch

M. K.

(1986). Individualism-collectivism: Concept and measure. Group and Organization Studies, 11(3), 280–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/105960118601100309

62.

Warburton

Terry

D. J.

(2000). Volunteer decision making by older people: A test of a revised theory of planned behaviour. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 22(3), 245–257. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324834BASP2203_11

63.

Wilson

(2012). Volunteerism research: A review essay. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 41(2), 176–212. https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764011434558

64.

W. L.

H. Y.

Zhou

H. X.

(2022). Identifying factors affecting willingness to participate in floating population health volunteer services by Chinese volunteers based on the theory of the planned behavior expansion model. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 953575. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.953575

65.

L. P.

Han

(2020). A grounded theory study on the influences of young volunteers’ psychological capital on volunteering. Contemporary Young Research, 3, 26–32.

66.

L. P.

Y. S.

J. J.

Zhou

(2020) The influence of volunteers’ psychological capital: Mediating role of organizational commitment, and joint moderating effect of role identification and perceived social support. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 673. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00673

67.

L. P.

Zhang

Y. S.

(2022). Research on of the relationship of the structure of volunteer’s psychological capital and demographic variable. China Journal of Health Psychology, 30(2), 172–179. https://doi.org/10.13342/j.cnki.cjhp.2022.02.003

68.

Yang

H. L.

Ding

Z. B.

Xiao

R. F.

(2021). The impact of poverty alleviation volunteers’ motivation on intention to continue: The moderating effect of perception of government support. Forecasting, 40(6), 53–60. https://doi.org/10.11847/fj.40.6.53

69.

Yin

(2021). COVID-19 event strength, psychological safety, and avoidance coping behaviors for employees in the tourism industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, 431–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.04.017

70.

Zhang

Zhu

X. L.

(2018). The influencing factors of college students’ continuous volunteer service behavior. Contemporary Youth Research, 5, 62–68+99.

71.

Zhang

J. W.

Zheng

W. F.

Hua

W. J.

M. M.

(2023). Making sense of the impact of COVID-19 event on college students’ online deviant behavior: Does stress-is-enhancing mindset matter? Current Psychology, 43(14), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05361-y

72.

Zhao

Xiong

Zhang

(2021). Growth mindset and college students’ learning engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic: A serial mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 621094. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.621094

73.

Zheng

J. H.

(2020). “Watch” or “participate”: The mediating effect of the attributes of COVID-19 between spatial distance and social participation. Journal of East China University of Science and Technology (Social Science Edition), 35, 100–112.

74.

Zhou

(2024). How does COVID-19 pandemic strength influence work fatigue? The mediating role of occupational calling. Current Psychology, 43, 8358–8370. https://linkspringer.53yu.com/article/10.1007/s12144-022-02846-0

75.

Zhou

Zhang

J. W.

Xuan

X. Y.

(2020). The curvilinear relationship between career calling and work fatigue: A moderated mediating model. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 583604. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.583604

How Does Perceived Calling Influence Sustained Volunteering Intention? The Role of Volunteering Norm and COVID-19 Pandemic Strength

Abstract

Plain Language Summary

Keywords

Introduction

Theory and Hypothesis

Theory of Planned Behavior

Event System Theory

Relationship Between Perceived Calling and Volunteering Norm

Relationship Between Volunteering Norm and Sustained Volunteering Intention

Mediating Role of Volunteering Norm

The Role of COVID-19 Pandemic Strength

Methods

Participants and Procedures

Measures

Perceived Calling

Sustained Volunteering Intention

Volunteering Norm

COVID-19 Pandemic Strength

Control Variables

Data Analysis

Results

Direct Effect Testing

Mediating Effect Testing

Moderating Effect Testing

Moderated Mediating Effect Testing

Discussion

Theoretical Contributions

Practical Implications

Limitations and Directions for Future Research

Conclusion

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

Funding

Informed Consent Statement

Data Availability Statement

References