...American Red Cross is one of the oldest and most successful charitable organizations in America today. Since its founding in 1881, the Red Cross has helped millions of people around the globe. Recently, the Red Cross has dedicated some of its vast resources with the guidance of a new CEO refocusing the leadership and mission of this respectable company. This company in recent past was floundering under a leadership and management style that had become bloated and unproductive. The board of directors had swelled to more than 50 members with no clear lines of communication between the board, the CEO, and management. This created a void as directives and tasks became poorly understood and remained unfinished. The goals of the Red Cross have always have been honorable. The attainment of these goals had become unmanageable. There are several leadership styles that would be applicable for an institution of this size and scope. A visionary style is most appropriate when an organization needs a new direction. Using this leadership style will move people toward a new set of shared dreams where the leader will not only articulate where the group needs to go but also how it will get there. The Red Cross desperately needed a new way of doing things. A visionary style works here because it encourages ample communication in both directions. It allows workers and volunteers to be innovative, to experiment with new directions and to take risks. The Red Cross had become...
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...Commitment and Communication Paper: The American Red Cross The American Red Cross The American Red Cross was established in 1881 to be an organization in a humanitarian way to help people with emergency services, disaster relief, and education inside the United States and Internationally. The organization’s mission is to help prevent and relieve suffering for all the people. The organization holds a vision that incorporates compassion, collaboration, creativeness, creditability, and commitment. The organization’s culture is made up of ordinary individuals who have the same desire to accomplish extraordinary things. Through the right channels of communication and deep desire of commitment, The American Red Cross has succeeded for many years to bring hope, relief, and safety to people in need. In order for a company or organization to be successful, it must have a person to lead everyone in the same direction. Leadership is defined as the ability to influence a group toward an achievement of a vision or set of goals. There are many types of leadership styles that a company or organization can select from to help direct the group in the same direction. Depending on which style is chosen, will depict how it affects the group and its communication. One type of style is the Transactional Leadership. This style is more thought of as a management style; however it has its advantages and disadvantages. Transactional Leadership is a controlling and dominating way of leading a...
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...The American national red cross is part of the international federation of red cross and red crescent societies (Jones, 2013). I worked as an intern for six months helping both in the office and in the field. It is a humanitarian organization which volunteers to help during cases of emergency and disasters as well as education services inside the United States of America. For a long period of time, the organization focused on the above mentioned functions, however, there have been developments offering a window where the organization help in community services, communication and support to military members and they families, collection, processing and distribution of blood all over the country especially in medical facilities as well as creation...
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...This article reviews how the red Cross has not been transparent with its dealings and how this has caused a mistrust between the organization and the public. This article applies to how the Red Cross is not providing information to the public and this is causing many problems internally and externally for the organization 2. Red Cross, (2015). Mission, Vision and Value Statement of the Red Cross. Retrieved from www.redcross.org This site explains what the Red Cross is trying to accomplish and how it operates. This site states what the true mission is and what is expected of the members. This site gives an insight into what the Red Cross is doing wrong. 3. Foster, R. (1950). The American Red Cross: A History. NY: Harper and Brothers. This book contains the history of the Red Cross and what the organization was meant to be and it gives a look into where the mission began to fail. 4. Gilbo, P. (1981). The American Red Cross. New York: Harper and Row. This book gives information on the Charter between the US Government and the American red Cross. This information covers the Charter and how FEMA and the Red Cross are suppose to work together in a disaster. 5. Allen, J. (2005). The Scandalous History of the Red Cross. CounterPunch: Petrolia, CA: This article describes the many different problems the Red Cross has faced especially since Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. 6. Braid, H. (2013). The American Red Cross faces Organizational Integrity...
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...American Red Cross has been overwhelmed by rapid turnover of leadership and has struggled to restore a reputation damaged by the downfalls of leadership and harsh criticism of response reactions in recent disaster situations, such as Hurricane Katrina. Prior to the current president and chief executive, Gail McGovern, taking control in April 2008 the organization was led by Mark Everson, who was forced to resign because of an inappropriate relationship with a female subordinate. According to The Washington Post, the board of The Red Cross “concluded that the situation reflected poor judgment on Mr. Everson’s part and diminished his ability to lead the organization in the future” (Rucker, 2007). Everson had only held the position for six months and was the fifth CEO of The Red Cross in six years. Ever since McGovern has taken on leadership responsibilities, she has changed the way the organization operates and communicates. To prevent the organization from continuing on the same path of high turnover McGovern and the other members of the management team need to demonstrate a leadership style that can bring respect back to the organization. Because the organization relies heavily on volunteer time the chapters must rely on the salaried leadership to articulate a vision and communicate how this vision will be achieved. McGovern has taken steps to increase her legitimate power by motivating the organization in the direction of established goals. According to the Red Cross Website...
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...Entrepreneurial Leadership Raven N. Owens Dr. Katrina Anthony BUS 508 October 17, 2011 Introduction: The focus of this paper is to analyze the entrepreneurial approaches of profit oriented businesses and social oriented businesses. This paper will focus on the American Red Cross whose goals are more socially oriented and Amazon.com whose goals are more profit oriented. American Red Cross: Clarissa Harlowe Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881. A true pioneer, Clara risked her life to bring supplies and support to soldiers during the Civil War. Her understanding of the needs of people in distress and the ways that she could provide for them guided her through this journey. The American Red Cross charter states that is a non-profit, charitable, tax exempt organization. It’s seven fundamental principals are: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. The mission is the provide relief to victims of disasters and to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The American Red Cross has responded to thousands of natural disasters. When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, the American Red Cross was one of the organizations that responded quickly with food, water, and clothing for the thousands of people at the Louisiana Superdome. Without these types of organizations to help when disasters happen, the economy would be in serious trouble. The American Red Cross offers aid...
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...organizations selected include the Red Cross, Arizona Child Protective Services, and Native Connections. Each organization will be examined for their organizational structure and whether the organization is governmental, private, for-profit, or nonprofit. The paper will analyze the departments, divisions, or specific areas of program delivery and how the organization builds community. How building community affects the value of the organization will also be discussed. The organizational culture will be examined and why the culture is important to the organization. The Blake and McCanse’s Leadership Grid and Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model will be related to the each organization’s human relations model. A relevant strategic plan or organizational chart for each organization will be examined and a summary will be given of the differences between the national, state, and county or local human service organizations selected. Organizational Structure Organizational structure defines how the organization is arranged and operates (Lewis, Packard, Lewis, 2007). The Red Cross is structured in a combination of centralized and decentralized forms. The Red Cross is a large, international organization with chapters around the world (“American Red Cross,” 2013). Accommodating chapters located in various parts of the world called for a decentralized structure to allow levels of local autonomy. The centralized format of the Red Cross is noted through its corporate...
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...American Red Cross xxxxxxxxxx BCOM/230 xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx The American Red Cross is one of the world well-known humanitarian organizations. I will describe the organization culture, uses of communication, relationship between communication and culture, and the alignment of values. The American Red Cross was created by Clara Barton in 1881. The American Red Cross organizational culture is based on providing assistance around the world to a variety of humanitarian relief causes within the United States. The company thrives through commitment from volunteers. The common factor that volunteers from The Red Cross share is the need to give back to their communities and the world by donating time and effort to others in need. “We depend on the many generous contributions of time, blood, and money from the American public to support our lifesaving services and programs” (The American Red Cross, 2013). This organization dates back to over 130 years but the culture of the organization remains the same. It has broadened its scope since its beginning but the concept remains the same. In the face of constant change The American Red Cross has adapted to the needs of the environment. The American Red Cross has also adapted its communication skills much like other companies in today’s times. The American Red Cross uses social media and Internet website to promote the company and bring in new volunteers, interns, and employees. I checked out the Facebook page for the Red Cross. They...
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...How does building a community affect the value of an organization? Red Cross is a significant and respected role model, which gains more clients and customers each year. Red Cross uses its employees and volunteers to help the public be prepared to respond to disasters and personal emergencies. The Red Cross provides training in lifesaving skills such as CPR and first aid, collects, and distributes half the nation's blood supply, and helps victims of more than 67,000 disasters. The skills the Red Cross uses helps to make learning about the community's needs, which make them more productive. - A general sense of goodwill, friendliness, and positivity is fostered within the community. Red Cross is careful not to anything that will cost the community money or burden it in any other way. They really get to more about the community with the help they provide, which makes working with the community's more understanding. Red Cross bases their community values on their Influencing behavior in the community through these: “The values that the Movement has formally stated to be of importance for promotion are : the protection of life, health and human dignity • respect for the human being • non-discrimination on the basis of nationality, race, gender, religious beliefs, disability, class or political opinions • mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation and lasting peace among people • service by volunteers” Fiedler contingency model proposes more that the group cannot perform...
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...Case Study #1: Can Research Rescue the Red Cross? Business Research & Applications Summary The American Red Cross (Red Cross) had been a reputable non-profit organization and its function is to provide help to victims as well as those involved in rescue and relief efforts. There is a national chapter and there are local independent chapters as well that respond to smaller tragic events that upset people’s lives. The Red Cross operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week; their goal is to be there when crisis strikes. They do not receive financial support from the government; they rely on contributions from U.S. citizens to fund its efforts. For many years, it had a policy of fund raising through advertising during high profile period surrounding a disaster. Its wed-site states “One of the best ways to help disaster victims, people in need where you live, and people around the world right now is through a financial donations”. Donors are asked to contribute to the Disaster Relief Fund, their local Red Cross chapters, or the International Response Fund. The work that they do has prompted millions in donations each year. However, after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attracts, their practices came under fire and scrutiny by the media and their long standing reputation was in jeopardy. When disaster stuck, it was their normal practice to estimate the total monetary goal and advertise and collect donations to reach it. Moreover...
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...Organizational Behavior and Communication Paper Name Here COM/530 Monday, August 27, 2012 Professors Name Here The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization was founded in 1881 by Clara Barton. The focus of the American Red Cross is to help in times of disaster as well as filling the needs of community members through the caring support of volunteers providing their gifts of time and talents to service in the time of need. Their mission statement is "a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its congressional charter and the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies" (Kanter, 1998, p.19). The American Red Cross is an ever changing organization and throughout the years continues to provide relief to disaster victims as well as the nationwide provider of blood and tissue services. Communication within the American Red Cross is essential to developing the ability to respond quickly to situations of emergencies and disaster relief. In times of crisis it is important for the organization to have plans set ready for action and quick decision-making abilities. In an organization, such as the American Red Cross communication is a vital role to the perception of volunteers and the few paid employees have regarding working for the organization. Perception is defined as "a process by which individuals...
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...more than $1 million was distributed in Canada, made up of corporate donations and matching gifts. These dollar amounts were augmented by thousands of hours of employees and advisors’ volunteer activities. Highlights of their contributions can be found on pages 18 and 19. CAnAdIAn rEd CroSS – dISAStEr rELIEF yWCA toronto – WomEn oF dIStInCtIon AWArdS The Canadian Red Cross is renowned and respected as the first-response agency in disaster relief, at home and abroad. Following a disaster, the Red Cross arrives on the scene, often within hours, and works with governments and other humanitarian organizations to provide survivors with the basics of life: food, clothing, shelter, first aid, emotional support and family reunification. Red Cross services are based on the specific need of the moment and the role it is asked to take in the local disaster response plan. Sun Life has been a financial supporter of the Canadian Red Cross since 1927, and has been proud to contribute to the widespread good it brings wherever it steps in to help. In 2005, we established the Sun Life Financial International Response Fund with the Canadian Red Cross, the first-ever such fund – support that enables the Red Cross to react instantly to international disaster relief efforts. In 2009, we committed $100,000 to the fund. Photo: Michael T Photography and Design Front row (L to r): The Hon. Hilary Weston; Beverley Wybrow; Amy Go. Back row (L to r): Jessica Yee; Peggy nash; Angela robertson; ilana...
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...She was nicknamed the angel of the battlefield. She cared for the soldiers in many battles during the civil war, she did this with no regard to the danger it out her in. After the war, Clara visited Europe and worked with the international red cross. She realized that Americans would benefit from this type of organization so she lobbied to get one here in the United States. She founded the American Red cross in 1881 and served as the president for 23 years. Though she was a leader of this organization, she never received any salary (Founder n.d.). In 1904 Clara reigned from the American Red Cross. Despite resigning from this position, she continued to support the organization and gave lectures about the relief works. Clara died on April 12, 1912 (Clara...
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...The American Red Cross (ARC) 1 The American Red Cross (ARC) Charlene Craig Strayer University HRM 522 Dr. Jack Huddleston October 25, 2013 The American Red Cross (ARC) 2 This assignment will cover the ARC and the impact that the events of 9-11 and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had on ARC’s benefits of business ethics; the role that ARC’s stakeholders played in these scenarios; ways in which ARC’s corporate governance failed to provide formalized responsibility to their stakeholders; and steps that ARC could follow to improve their stakeholder perspective. Organizations have a responsibility to behave ethically and meet the economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic duties that stakeholders expect them to. Those responsibilities are included in, and are part of an organization’s commitment to being a corporate citizen. Not only does the organization have to prioritize stakeholders, please and cater to the interest of stakeholders, the corporation must also protect its own reputation, image and branding. Identifying and working through ethical issues that are meaningful to stakeholders should be at the top of an organization's to do list as these issues will impact shareholder value and organizational performance and branding. (Ferrell, 2012),(Ireland, 2011). ARC’s mission is to “provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies” (Ferrell, 2012, p. 327). The ARC was guilty of straying from its vision and mission...
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...For many years, leadership has been acknowledged as a key factor to success and leaders have been relied upon to lead man kind to a brighter future and a better life Northouse, P. G. (2012) . Lately it started to attract people’s attention for it’s critical role in success whether it be in business ,politics or life as a whole . People want to know what made leaders and how to develop the ability to lead ,they want to learn about what it takes to be a leader. Marturano, A., & Gosling, J. (Eds.). (2007). The perception of “Leadership” evolved with man as the years progressed and as the needs , the culture and the social environment changed ,the term was defined differently by many researchers , each conceptualizing...
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