Training and support relationship influences on volunteers’ public advocacy behaviours: Their mediation by psychological empowerment

Abstract

This study examined how psychological empowerment mediation of training and support relationship influences volunteer public advocacy behaviours. Survey participants were 300 volunteers at community health volunteer organisations (CHVOs) in Shanghai, China (female = 36.94%; mean age = 28.89 years, SD = 3.06 years, range = 20–40 years). Structural equation modelling of the data showed that perceived training and supportive relationships directly enhanced volunteer public advocacy behaviours. Volunteers’ psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between training and supportive relationships, further increasing the public advocacy behaviours. The findings suggest supportive training effects on volunteers’ sense of psychological empowerment in public advocacy activities.

Keywords:

• community health organisations
• psychological empowerment
• public advocacy
• volunteers