VOLUNTEERING IN ROMANIA: A CASE STUDY THAT CAN INFORM GLOBAL VOLUNTEERISM

There are many theories that explain why humans display prosocial behaviors towards their fellows. Such prosocial behaviors manifest differently with respect to the culture where they occur. Over time, some prosocial behaviors have been formalized into volunteer work, which often happens in an association or a non-profit organization. In this qualitative research, we seek to grasp volunteering in its developmental phase, and present how volunteers, volunteers coordinators, and human resources experts conceptualize volunteering. We used a semi-structured interview guide to question 15 volunteers, 10 volunteers’ coordinators, and 10 human resources experts. Findings indicate that volunteering is a learning opportunity, where people can develop their skills while helping others.