Go with the flow? How volunteers respond to NPO commercialization

While non-profit organizations commonly accept commercial sponsorship, there is little research examining the implications of such sponsorship on volunteer service outcomes. This study employs Role Theory and Social Capital Theory to investigate this topic by conducting a scenario-based experiment with a substantial sample of 1,568 volunteers. The findings indicate that the commercial sponsorship induces role conflict among volunteers, which subsequently detrimentally affects their service outcomes, as evidenced by diminished volunteering engagement and their increased turnover intent. A moderated mediation model was formulated, which offers significant insights for organizations’ strategic decisions regarding the commercialization and the enhancement of volunteers’ engagement.