WHO GIVES AND WHY? UNDERSTANDING CHARITABLE GIVING AMONG SINGAPOREAN UNDERGRADUATE

Abstract

Youths in Singapore have been identified as the most active givers. In particular, some undergraduates continue giving even after the completion of mandatory Community Involvement Programme. Drawing on Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Charng, Piliavin, and Callero's (1988) volunteer role-identity (RI) model, this thesis aims to understand this group of undergraduates through Grant A Wish – a giving project in the National University of Singapore. To investigate what characteristics these donors possess and what drives them to continue giving, field observations of the event, and 33 in-depth semi-structured interviews with the donors and organizing committee of Grant A Wish were conducted. Donors interviewed were also invited to complete a TPB-RI questionnaire. This study found that Singaporean undergraduates who are females, those who are religious, and those who have associations – especially those of a helping nature, are more likely to give. This is because they are exposed to more prosocial descriptive and injunctive norms, and hold more positive prosocial attitudes and moral norms. Two main causal mechanisms were found to encourage charitable giving behaviour – internally-motivated ethical reasons, and externally-motivated influences from agents of socialization. Both factors mutually reinforce one to give when a giving opportunity arises. In general, this study found that RI mediates attitudes, subjective norms, and past behaviour to determine charitable giving intentions. However, one’s perceived behavioural control moderates these intentions and actual behaviour. Ultimately, by examining who gives and why, this thesis aims to contribute to existing literature by providing a qualitative study on Singaporean undergraduates.