From Surge to Sustained Commitment: Role/Responsibility Internalization in Postdisaster Digital Volunteer Collaboration

This study examines the structural conditions under which postdisaster digital volunteer collaboration is associated with continuance commitment beyond surge‐like mobilization. Using a cross‐sectional online survey in a semi‐closed volunteer coordination community, the study estimates a PLS‐SEM model examining the structural associations among prosocial/value‐oriented motivation, role/responsibility internalization, trust, and continuance commitment. Results indicate significant direct associations of prosocial/value‐oriented motivation and internalization with continuance commitment, along with a significant specific indirect association from motivation via internalization (partial mediation). Trust shows no significant direct association in the structural model, suggesting it may function more as a proximal condition for entering coordination than as an anchor of continuance commitment. Overall, the findings highlight role/responsibility internalization as a role‐based identification and responsible self‐positioning construct associated with stronger continuance commitment in informal, high‐uncertainty postdisaster digital collaboration, offering a more differentiated account of commitment formation beyond initial mobilization surges.