Elsevier BV Acta Medica Okayama 2212-4209 146 2026 From externally initiated participation to autonomous engagement: Motivational transformation in community-based disaster risk reduction 106515 EN Shion Watanabe Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Teruhisa Higuchi Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Seiji Hashimoto Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Sustaining community participation is an important challenge in community-based disaster risk reduction (DRR), particularly in contexts where local actors are increasingly constrained by demographic change. Although community-based initiatives are widely recognized as fundamentally important for DRR, participation is not always driven by individuals�f intrinsic motivation. Participation is often initiated through external factors such as assigned roles within local organizations.<br> This study examines two community organizations engaged in the preservation of historical Sunadome (traditional sand-retaining weirs) in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Those Sunadome serve both disaster mitigation and cultural heritage functions. Using a mixed-methods approach combining questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews, the study analyzes participants�f affiliation motives and the processes through which externally initiated participation evolves over time.<br> The results identify two distinct pathways through which externally initiated participants transition toward more autonomous and sustained engagement: one pathway is mediated by socially oriented extrinsic motivation through interpersonal relationships; the other pathway involves direct internalization through alignment with the perceived purpose and value of the activity. These findings highlight the important roles of organizational structures and leadership practices in facilitating motivational transformation.<br> By elucidating how externally initiated participation can be integrated into sustainable community-based DRR, this study contributes theoretical insights into volunteer motivation and presents practical guidance for the design of resilient community organizations under conditions of demographic decline. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ªŽR‘åŠwŠÂ‹«ŠÇ—�ƒZƒ“ƒ^�[ Acta Medica Okayama 0917-1533 34 2012 •Ò�WŒã‹L 69 69 EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Acta Medica Okayama 2004 ‹ß‘ã“ú–{‚É‚¨‚¯‚éƒRƒ“ƒNƒŠ�[ƒgƒ_ƒ€‹Z�p‚Ì”­“W‰ß’ö‚ÉŠÖ‚·‚錤‹† EN Teruhisa Higuchi No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.