The intensity of internet use by volunteers: empirical results for the internet portal of the German Football Association

Abstract

Research question: What are the socio-economic factors that explain the intensity with which volunteers use the internet platform of the German Football Association (DFBnet)? Is the internet a substitute or complement for traditional volunteer work? Research methods: A survey among volunteers was conducted by means of an online questionnaire. Estimation of an ordered probit model helped to trace out the socio-economic determinants of the intensity of usage of DFBnet. Estimation of multivariate linear regression models helped to trace out the correlation between the intensity of internet usage and the time spent on volunteer work. Results and findings: Male volunteers used DFBnet more often than female volunteers. Elder volunteers tended to use DFBnet more often than younger volunteers. The time spent on volunteer work correlates positively with the intensity of using DFBnet. This correlation continues to hold when the potential influence of other control variables is taken into account. Implications: The results are useful for sports associations and sports clubs to develop internet-based tools that help to structure the communication with their volunteers. The results inform about which groups of volunteer workers use internet-based tools, to what extent they use them, and what connection exists between internet use and the length of time spent on volunteer work.