The Impact of the Malaysia ICT Volunteers (MIV) Programme: The Volunteers’ Perspective

Abstract

The Malaysia ICT Volunteers (MIV) is an ICT volunteer programme that aims to empower Malaysians towards becoming digital citizens of the Digital Smart Nation. As its effectiveness in attaining this goal has never been measured using rigorous scientific methods; the present study aimed to fill this gap. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the MIV programme in terms of its impact on the MIV volunteers’ behaviour. This study is guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and a set of questionnaires was developed for the online survey. During the data collection period from August to October 2021, 329 valid cases from the MIV volunteers were gathered. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the date. Statistical results confirmed that Attitude towards MIV and Perceived Behavioural Control exert a significant influence on Intention to Volunteer, which in turn significantly influences the ICT Volunteering Behaviour of MIV volunteers. On the other hand, Subjective Norms do not play a significant role in the participants’ attitudes toward the MIV programme. Another important finding that emerged from this study is that the MIV programme is effective in promoting ICT Volunteering Behaviour by exerting a positive influence on the participants’ willingness and attitude by increasing their confidence in the MIV programme advantages. However, its benefits can be further enhanced by strengthening partnerships with schools, higher education institutions, private/government agencies, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as through more active social media utilisation for the promotion of ICT knowledge sharing and engagement.

Keywords

• MIV volunteers
• community
• ICT
• Theory of Planned Behaviour
• volunteering behaviour
• digital literacy