Engagement : What makes people become engaged in a student organization?

This is a study about engagements and motivation. Its purpose is, by looking at other motivational theories than Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, to find out why certain people choose to become engaged as student representatives. The question this study is working from is: why do certain people choose to engage themselves as student representatives? This study has a qualitative approach, which means that a number of interviews have been done and subsequently profoundly analyzed. The underlying factors that play a part in the student representatives’ engagements have been sought out in this data material. This study is built on seven interviews which have been analysed with an inductive thematic analysis. The result of the study is presented in five themes: motivation, social heritage, proof of engagement, result of engagement and opposition with engagement. Much of what explains why someone becomes engaged as a student representative lies largely in what motivates you. Much of it can also be traced back to the socialisation process that we go through when we are young, and which returns every time we come across a new situation. If you have seen a parent, or such, take on a non-profit engagement, this will leave its mark on you and the way that you subsequently will act. Not only socialisation and different motivational factors influence enough to make you engage yourselves in non-profit organisations in the manor a student representative does. It also requires that they should get something out of the sacrifice they make. It isn’t about money as much as it is about self fulfilment and personal developments. To feel good about oneself because of the effort you provide, and the knowledge you can get which might help you in the future, are all reasons to become engaged as a student representative