‘Demanding, yet invigorating’: Exploring job demands and resources of volunteering jobs in humanitarian and spiritual Indian NGOs

Every job or organization may have specific job demands and resources leading to (dis)engagement depending on the specific job characteristics that prevail in that job. Drawing from JD-R theory, we attempt to study the specific demands and resources pertaining to volunteering in humanitarian and spiritual non-government organizations (NGOs) in India. Thematic analysis of nineteen semi-structured interviews with full-time volunteers serving in such NGOs revealed unique job demands and resources. While three job demands included challenge of adaption, challenge of persuasion, and challenge of social derision, four job resources included opportunity to serve, opportunity to meditate, opportunity to travel, and community connect. Findings suggest that volunteers find job resources to be more in number and with stronger impact that helps them buffer the negative effects of job demands on engagement and facilitate them in achieving their work goals while enhancing their self-worth and overall development.