مطالعات مدیریت کسب و کار هوشمند (May 2024)
A model for online donation intention for crowdfunding of charities in Iran
Abstract
Crowdfunding is an effective way to achieve the non-profit goals of the charities which can be expanded using information and communication technology. In this regard, this study was conducted with the aim of providing an online donation intention model for collective financing of charitable institutions in Iran. The current research is an applied-developmental research in terms of its purpose, and it is considered a cross-sectional survey research from the data collection point of view. The statistical population in the qualitative section includes managers of charity institutions and university professors. Sampling was done using a purposeful method and theoretical saturation with 10 interviews. In the quantitative section, the views of 357 benefactors were used. The data collection tool is a semi-structured interview and a researcher-made questionnaire. To analyze the collected data, qualitative thematic analysis and partial least squares were used. The research findings showed that the technical infrastructure facilitating conditions, the quality and transparency of the website information, the security of the site and the application, and the preservation of privacy affect the perceived risk. Perceived risk affects the expectation of effort and the pleasure of helping others and leads to the expectation of performance and social influence. Finally, online donation intention is strengthened through trust.IntroductionToday, charity institutions in the country can expose to the various needs of the needy to the public using crowdfunding platforms, so that with the participation of people the necessary financial resources are provided and the problems of the needy and the deprived are solved. In this field, practical and scientific activities have also been carried out however one of the most important issues neglected from the researchers’ view point and activists in this field is the discussion of the desire or intention of online donation among benefactors. The best online donation platforms and the use of the latest technologies are not enough to attract public participation, and it is not easy to encourage and motivate people to donate online. This issue itself can be discussed from various aspects. On the one hand, the basic element of this method of financing is the maximum participation of people, and on the other hand, members of the society have little knowledge about the issue and do not have much desire to attend such calls.Therefore, in general, it can be said that the intention to donate online is a fundamental factor in the success of the efforts of the country's charities for crowdfunding. The basic question of this research is that: what is the online donation intention model for collective financing of charities in Iran?Literature ReviewCrowdfunding is an alternative way to finance a project with specific goals at a specific time through an online platform. The phenomenon of crowdfunding is emerging in the field of financing resources, goods and services in the modern digital field (Jiao and Yue, 2021). The current study focuses on the crowdfunding approach based on donations in Iranian charities. This method is mostly used in non-profit and philanthropic projects, and the participants do not expect any financial support, and are mostly used to finance charities, religious places, and civil institutions (Salido et al., 2021). In the crowdfunding method based on donation, the participants do not have any expectations for the provided financial support. The donor believes wholeheartedly in the correctness of his act and considers it to be socially beneficial. This model is usually used in financing civil institutions and charities (Van Thienbroek et al., 2023).MethodologyThis is an applied-developmental research. The population of participants in the qualitative section includes theoretical experts and experimental. Sampling was done with a purposeful method and theoretical saturation was achieved with 10 interviews. The sample size was estimated to be 357 people using Cochran's formula.The main tool for collecting research data is a semi-structured interview and a researcher-made questionnaire. And then, using ISM, the relationships between the main factors affecting the intention to donate online were determined by experts. The interview included 6 basic questions and was conducted in a semi-structured way. The research questionnaire includes 10 main constructs and 51 items with a five-point Likert scale. Thematic analysis was used to identify the categories of online donation intention for crowdfunding of charities in Iran. Data analysis was done in qualitative phase with MAXQDA software and in quantitative phase with Smart PLS software.ResultsThe results of the interviews were analyzed by the qualitative method of thematic analysis based on the six-step method of Etrid-Straling (2001). 830 open codes were identified in the first stage. After analysis and review, we reached 5 overarching themes, 10 organizing themes and 51 basic themes as below:Overarching themes: Social factors- Technical factors-Individual factors- Security factors- Consequence factors.Organizer themes: Performance expectation- Endeavour expectation- Social influence- Quality and transparency of website information- Technical infrastructure facilitating conditions- Trust- The joy of helping others- Perceived risk- Site and application security and privacy- Intention to donate online.DiscussionThe present study was conducted with the aim of presenting the online donation intention model for the collective financing of charitable organizations in Iran. Based on the results, it was determined that the facilitating conditions of the technical infrastructure, the quality and transparency of the website information, the security of the site and the application, and the protection of privacy affect the perceived risk. In the results of Zhang et al.'s (2023) and Shahidi and Kivani's (1401) studies, the technical infrastructure and website information components are also mentioned as important elements in the intention to donate online, and from this point of view, it is consistent with the results of the present study. It was also shown that the perceived risk affects the expectation of effort and the pleasure of helping others and leads to the expectation of performance and social influence. In the results of the studies of Hassanzadeh Sarostani et al. (2017) and Bass and Rushdi (2023), the importance of paying attention to the perceived risk is also mentioned, and from this point of view, it is consistent with the results of the present study. Finally, the results of the research showed that online donation intention is strengthened through trust. This importance has been confirmed in the results of Shahabi-Shojaei et al.'s study (1401).ConclusionThe present study was conducted with the aim of presenting the online donation intention model for the collective financing of charitable institutions in Iran. Based on the results, it was determined that the facilitating conditions of the technical infrastructure, the quality and transparency of the website information, the security of the site and the application, and the protection of privacy affect the perceived risk. It was also shown that the perceived risk affects the expectation of effort and the pleasure of helping others and leads to the expectation of performance and social influence. Finally, the results of the research showed that online donation intention is strengthened through trust.
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