Investigating the Impact of Religion and Culture on Altruistic Time-Giving to Charitable Organisations in Kuwait

Alansari, Teebah M.E.E.H.E. (2025) Investigating the Impact of Religion and Culture on Altruistic Time-Giving to Charitable Organisations in Kuwait. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

The charitable sector faces a significant challenge in recruiting and retaining volunteers. It is well known that the charitable sector is growing; however, the number of volunteers is not increasing at an equivalent rate. The aim of this study is to develop a culturally informed understanding of how gift-giving theory, which is rooted in Islamic charitable giving, influences the motivations for volunteering to Kuwaiti charitable organisations, and to explore the barriers that hinder individuals’ engagement in volunteerism within this context. Understanding this will enhance charitable organisations’ abilities to encourage volunteering through promoting altruism. The study attempts to develop a culturally informed knowledge base of altruistic behaviours in Islamic countries. More specifically, the objectives are, first, to understand more fundamentally how gift-giving theory, which is rooted in Islamic ideas about giving, influences the motivations for time-giving among Muslims in Kuwait. Second, to investigate the motivations and barriers to volunteerism in charitable organisations in Kuwait, with particular attention paid to the role of religion, culture and other drivers. This research integrates the religious and cultural motivations, barriers, facilitators, rewards, and challenges and explores the gift-giving theory to broaden the understanding of Kuwaiti time-giving behaviour. While limited research has addressed the altruistic time-giving behaviour, this study fills the gap in the literature by understanding Muslim time-giving behaviour in Kuwait. In Kuwait, religion and culture are intertwined, influencing various aspects of giving behaviour. This intertwining makes it more challenging for charitable organisations to understand the motivations and barriers that influence individuals’ tendencies to give their time in Kuwait. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology, enabling an in-depth understanding of the changes attributed to altruistic behaviour in Kuwait. This research uses semi-structured interviews to produce a narrative and expert description of the phenomena. The findings suggest various motivations and barriers that influence participant intentions to volunteer in the Kuwaiti charitable sector, including religious and cultural motivations, facilitators and rewards, which consequently have a noteworthy influence on volunteers' behaviour in Kuwait. The findings show that there are religious and cultural barriers, and challenges that deter individuals from volunteering in the charitable sector. The findings further imply the participants’ attitude towards the charitable sector in Kuwait and offer suggestions for charitable organisations, governments, and educators. This thesis implies that individuals in Kuwait are a valuable target market for charitable organisations due to the people's willingness to donate their time altruistically. The findings enhance the ability of charitable organisations to develop interventions that would foster the recruitment and retention process of volunteers.