Validation of the Revised Volunteer Motivations Scale for International Sporting Events (VMS-ISE) at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to validate the revised Volunteer Motivations Scale for International Sporting Events (VMS-ISE) and to identify subgroup differences in the motives for volunteering using a volunteer sample from the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Two hundred and six volunteers (144 males and 62 females) for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games participated in the study and completed the 29-item scale. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) provided support for the applicability of the volunteers' motivation questionnaire in the context of the Olympic Games, with the addition of the Love of Sport factor. The results of both validity (convergent and discriminant) and reliability (internal consistency) analyses were satisfactory. Results also indicated that gender and marital status had a significant effect on specific motivational dimensions. These findings suggest that the revised VMS-ISE can be a useful tool in measuring volunteer motives in international sporting events, as well as provide a better understanding of subgroup differences on volunteer motivation.