A study commissioned by Kaufland Romania, conducted between April-May 2024, in partnership with experts from the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work of the University of Bucharest, facilitated by UniBuc Consult – Training and Consultancy Service and the research company iSense Solutions on Romanians’ attitudes towards volunteering, shows that only 5% of Romanians are constantly and actively involved in volunteering, although 92% of them consider volunteering a positive practice, regardless of whether they have worked as volunteers or not.
According to the results of the research, one of the largest in recent years initiated by the private sector, the main reasons why Romanians volunteer are purely emotional, but in an unorganized setting.
Nearly half (43%) of Romanians have not yet participated in volunteering in a formal and organized setting, and emotion remains the main motivating factor for those who volunteer. Associating volunteering with positive labels such as kindness (90%), responsibility (86%) or civic involvement (82%) meets very high levels of agreement,” the survey shows.
The results also reveal that the majority of respondents associate volunteering with positive aspects and cite a wide variety of reasons why they choose to spend their time volunteering.
More than half of the respondents do not volunteer because they lack time or other obligations (55%), do not want to (52%) or because the state and other institutions should solve society’s problems (51%).
Based on these data, Kaufland Romania, recognized for its responsible business model and community involvement, is launching a complex communication campaign to promote the role of volunteering in the development of a society and to increase the level of involvement of people across the country.
The aim of the campaign and the results of the study confirm that there is a great potential to increase the possibilities for civic involvement at an individual level, in everyday activities. Therefore, communication and awareness raising actions are needed to reach a culture of volunteering in Romania, beyond the emotional perception.
As regards the institutionalized framework for volunteering, two thirds (64%) of the respondents do not know that there is a law on volunteering, and a similar number (74%) expressed the wish to have a well-defined legislative framework for volunteering. This indicates the need for a maturing of the concept, a transition from “good deeds” and civic sense to an organized activity, carried out according to legitimate rules and in line with strategic objectives that respond to the current needs of society.
“I believe in the power of volunteering to transform a society. That together we are capable of great things, once we understand that you are truly fulfilled when you know you are leaving behind – a place, a person – better than you found them. This is the third year that I am dedicating to social causes a number of hours equal to my fulfilled age – that’s 48 hours, by the end of 2024. And at Kaufland, every coworker gets two extra days off for volunteering activities of their own choosing. I’m proud to see them eager to help. And I am confident that through this campaign, more and more of us will help make Romania what we want it to be “, said Marco Hal, CEO Kaufland Romania and Republic of Moldova.
In terms of sources of information on volunteering opportunities and mobilization for such causes, social networks (32%) and friends/acquaintances (24%) are the main ones. Moreover, the most credible sources for organizing volunteering are for Romanians citizen groups (29%), churches (27%), NGOs (25%).
“The fact that the first place is occupied by groups of citizens, without any institutional/formal support, shows a picture of civic involvement not so much as a result of a culture of volunteering, but rather of a culture of doing good, built on spontaneity, causes that impress and not on long-term projects, institutional support and trust in institutions”, the research results indicate.
“Volunteering, originating in military structures and later adopted by various social environments, has become a fundamental pillar in supporting social or environmental causes in society. Numerous studies show a positive correlation between involvement in volunteering and a longer and happier life for volunteers. In fact, happy, socially well-off people are those who are most involved in volunteering and thus contribute to the well-being of the community. So volunteering not only improves the lives of those it helps, it also gives volunteers a deep sense of satisfaction and a higher quality of life. “said Prof. Marian Preda, Rector of the University of Bucharest.
The level of volunteering also increases with the level of education.
Benchmarking in the sample showed that volunteering is more prevalent among people in urban areas, with higher age, income and education levels. However, positive attitudes towards volunteering are widespread across all socio-demographic groups.
Survey data were collected between April 29 and May 14, 2024. The sample volume was 1005 people and is representative of the non-institutionalized population of Romania aged 18 years and over.
About Kaufland Romania
Kaufland is one of the largest retail companies in Europe, with over 1,540 stores in 8 countries, more than 155,000 employees and a network that has now reached 179 stores in Romania. Environmental and social responsibility is an essential aspect of Kaufland’s corporate policy. The company’s credo is the idea that the world can be a better place through everyone’s involvement, which is why in 2018, Kaufland developed the “Involvement makes a difference” platform, under the umbrella of which all social responsibility actions are communicated. The majority of the company’s CSR projects are carried out in partnership with regional or national non-governmental associations and aim to implement complex social programs that address large groups of beneficiaries. For more details visit www.kaufland.ro.
Kaufland is hiring people with disabilities nationwide. Those interested can apply online at careers.kaufland.ro – where the list of vacancies is available, by e-mail at cariere@kaufland.ro or by phone on 021.9132.
For more information, please contact: presa@kaufland.ro
About UniBuc Consult – Training and Consultancy Service
UniBuc Consult, the Training and Consultancy Service of the University of Bucharest, brings together the areas of high expertise of academic and research staff, with the aim of capitalizing on them in projects with practical impact or at the public policy level. UniBuc Consult develops the internal infrastructure and practices related to the transfer of knowledge and innovation to public and/or private partners, through projects and consultancy activities in different fields of activity. Thus, the University of Bucharest creates an even stronger connection between the academic environment and the national and international socio-economic environment, solving concrete challenges of contemporary society, contributing to the development of the quality of life in various communities by substantiating strategic interventions and development initiatives.
For its external partners, public and private, UniBuc Consult’s role is to understand their needs and to identify experts within the University of Bucharest teams who can develop and implement tailored solutions, facilitating their access to cutting-edge research, to help them keep abreast of new developments and trends in their field and to improve their products and/or services.
The experts involved in the consultancy activities belong to various faculties and departments of the University of Bucharest and have solid expertise in their fields of specialization, and their approach to the development and implementation of tailored solutions is based on scientific evidence and evidence-based.
About iSense Solutions
iSense Solutions – The Modern Consumer Company – uses the most innovative methods to explore and analyze the modern consumer. Founded in 2014, the company offers comprehensive market research services and brings a mix of innovation and efficiency to clients.
More information can be found at www.isensesolutions.ro, www.researchromania.ro, www.sensepanels.com and www.sensecommunities.com.
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