Search results

Increasingly, post credit crunch, organisations are seeking to develop new ways of attracting, recruiting and retaining staff in the UK high street for less or even no financial reward. The aim of this paper is to investigate volunteerism and volunteer management, based on an exploratory case study of two British Red Cross (BRC) shops. It also aims to examine the reasons why people volunteer and why they keep doing so in the context of BRC, as a charitable organisation.

An exploratory case was used to gain an insight into how BRC recruit and retain volunteer staff. This was achieved by interviewing volunteers and the shop management personnel. An overview of BRC structures, strategic direction and views on volunteerism is also developed as part of the case study.

Exploratory findings from the research show that people decide to volunteer mainly for a variety of reasons such as social interaction, to carry out work that is valued in the local community and for self‐satisfaction. Volunteer satisfaction is derived from helping BRC to help others and also being part of The Red Cross. Volunteer retention is attributed to a proactive management style in terms of creating a favourable work environment. The shop manager's leadership skills are crucial in establishing a friendly and positive attitude towards volunteers. In addition, youth volunteers are attracted in order to gain work experience and learn new skills.

The study is exploratory, based on preliminary interview findings from 17 informants in two BRC shops. However, the insight gained helps in understanding the reasons why volunteerism is successful within the BRC.

The paper can help policy makers reflect and decide on useful tactics and strategy for developing and improving volunteer management within the retail sector.

There is a paucity of literature in relation to retailing and volunteerism and this study contributes to the literature by identifying reasons why this charity has been so successful in attracting and retaining volunteers.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the career shocks of Red Cross (RC) of Serbia staff and volunteers providing aid during the 2016 migrants’ influx. Specifically, the authors explore what the volatile environment in which RC staff and volunteers work can teach us about career shocks, and what makes a career shock for people whose everyday work entails stressful events.

This study examined a number of anecdotes that reflect the career shock construct to a greater or lesser extent. These anecdotes were developed by RC staff and volunteers as part of a communications training storytelling exercise.

The authors analyzed these events from the perspective of recent developments in career shocks research and examined whether the anecdotes contained elements that would enable us to differentiate between career shocks and stressors. Those anecdotes found to be the most prototypical of career shocks, as opposed to stressors, were found to instigate in-depth reflection about the career, were identity related, and had a tangible career impact. Shocking events in the eyes of RC people entailed work demands that go beyond expectations, excessive media scrutiny, and conflicting values. The authors discuss how organizational values, fostering person–organization fit, providing organizational and collegial support, and deploying “weathered” staff, could comprise the “vaccine” that makes the organization immune to career shocks.

By taking a data before theory approach to the study of career shocks, this paper provides a novel perspective on the lived experiences of RC people, and how such experiences may be classified into career shocks or stressors.

After eight years of reforms, the French Red Cross (FRC) changed status from humanitarian association to nonprofit organization (NPO). This in-depth study of the organization’s recent past (2005-2013) aims to highlight several identity threats linked to the ongoing process of organizational rationalization and managerialization. The main contribution of this paper is based on the responses provided by this NPO to deal with it.

This communication has been produced as part of a three-year research contract (2010-2013) for the FRC. A total of 39 semi-structured interviews conducted between February and June 2013, participatory observation and documentary study. Of the 39 interviews, 29 were usable, and these were analyzed using ALCESTE software. This software enabled the authors to quantify and extract the strongest signifying structures.

The “Red Cross” meta-identity has so far enabled FRC to change its identity, not without difficulty, but without major organizational crises. In this case, the results confirm the Ravasi at Schultz model (2006) by underlining the difficulty to create a “giving sense process.” At managerial level, the choice of “self-regulated” professionalization seems to have made the most impact in changing the members’ identity understanding. In response to the threat of the fragmentation of social links, the implementation of an important internal communication policy around the idea of a “community of actors” has not had the expected results.

This study is based on a unique case with unusual dimensions (18,025 employees and 56,136 volunteers).

The example of the FRC is indicative of what happens in the nonprofit sector. The answers provided by this extraordinary association may inspire other organizations facing an identity crisis.

This paper reveals two major contributions. First, it validates the appropriateness of the Ravasi and Schultz model (2006) for the study of identity change in social enterprises. Second, it assists managers through its analysis of the appropriateness of procedures and tools used to support identity change. From an international perspective, this paper also contributes by describing the evolution of NPOs in the French context.

Violence and abuse often occur within the immediate family. However, violence against older women in families is still a taboo topic and professionals who work in community health and social services are often the only persons who have access to the target group. The purpose of this article is to describe research results and a training course developed within two linked European projects.

Both projects were divided into a research and a practical phase. In the first project, data were gathered via a literature review and interviews with health and social services staff. Additionally, a short survey of health and social services organisations, about what provisions they had for dealing with abuse against older women within families, was conducted. In Breaking the Taboo Two, research on existing training material for health care staff concerning violence against older women within families was carried out. Analysis of this material formed the basis for designing a two‐day training workshop for staff members in nine modules on aspects like defining and recognizing violence as well as intervention, cooperating with other organisations and caring for oneself.

A total of 14 trial workshops were carried out in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Portugal and Slovenia in September and October 2011. The target groups ranged from nurses, home helps, care assistants and social workers to Red Cross volunteers from visiting services and crisis intervention. It was established that the topic is very relevant to the participants' work; however, it became clear that this is a very sensitive topic and participants need time to be able to talk openly about such sensitive issues. It also became clear that offering such workshops is an important pillar in developing service providers' policies and procedures concerning violence against older women and can contribute well to networking in this field.

No specific training courses on violence against older women for staff of health and social services could be found until now. This article highlights two projects that deal with raising awareness and training in this field. It also includes findings from a number of European countries that participated in the projects and combines findings gained from research and practical experience.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of two organisations working in evacuation centres which overcame challenges to develop a constructive relationship, resulting in improved outcomes for disaster-affected people. A wide range of services for disaster-affected communities are provided as part of emergency sheltering. Collaboration between agencies providing services is essential, but sometimes challenging.

A wide range of services for disaster-affected communities are provided as part of emergency sheltering. Collaboration between agencies providing services is essential, but sometimes challenging. The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of two organisations working in evacuation centres which overcame challenges to develop a constructive relationship, resulting in improved outcomes for disaster-affected people.

The Preferred Sheltering Practices provides an ongoing anchor for Australian Red Cross and Environmental Health Australia (EHA) (Queensland) Inc.’s relationship and has led to other tangible benefits such as involvement in each other’s events and trainings. The relationship has become embedded in each organisation’s day-to-day business ensuring the relationship’s sustainability beyond individual staff movements.

This case study provides an example of how collaboration can be achieved between two organisations with seemingly different mandates to improve the response for disaster-affected communities.

The Red Cross has been actively serving humanity since the 1860s through its various programs, both in the United States and throughout the world. The International Red Cross has chapters worldwide that operate under the provisions of neutrality originally established by the Geneva Treaty of 1864. Its charge, and that of the American Red Cross, is to furnish volunteer aid to the sick and wounded of armies during times of war and to serve as a channel of communication between civilians and military personnel in times of both war and peace. Another charge is to bring relief to those suffering as a result of natural disasters such as floods, fires, and earthquakes.

The chapter contributes to the theoretical understanding of how corporate governance affects organizational processes and outcomes in not-for-profit organizations. The contribution claims that cooperation is not only a good proposition held by the variety of actors relevant to corporate governance of non-for-profit organizations, but it also determines the wealth maximization of organization's stakeholders. Theoretical results, according to the common agency framework, are driven by the case study of the largest humanitarian organization’ corporate governance: the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The purpose of this paper is to advance knowledge about organization‐public relationships by establishing a theoretical category for understanding them and by contributing to a foundation of knowledge in that category. Relationship stresses are presented as the factors that constrain organization‐public relationships. This study identifies stresses on the relationship between a grassroots advocacy organization and its former members, as well as stresses between the organization and members who have decreased their participation in it.

In‐person interviews were conducted with 24 people, phone interviews were conducted with 44 people, and e‐mail interviews were conducted with 13 people. Interviewees included staff members, former volunteers, and volunteers who had decreased their participation in the organization.

Several relationship stresses were identified: the silver curtain, the emotion tax, relationship speeding, invisible isms, weak leadership, disagreement with decisions, the revolving door, overworking volunteers, underworking volunteers, age, and health.

This study contributes a new category for relationship management scholarship, which can be productive for theory building. It also illuminates Dozier and Lauzen's questioning about the unique conditions of social movement organizations.

Established cultivation strategies can actually aggravate publics when a relationship has significantly deteriorated and the root problem is not addressed.

Recognizing problems in the relationship between an advocacy organization and members results in a deep understanding of a unique context for public relations practice. In addition, this study illuminates a context for cultivation strategies by codifying a foundation of relationship stresses. Identifying stresses to relationships can help scholars and practitioners ascertain problems and treat those problems at the root level.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the extent to which new forms of capital are noticed by different members of nonprofit organizations (directors, employees, and volunteers) and valued as a factor of organizational capacity.

Using survey research methodology, the authors studied a nonprofit institution – a delegation of the Portuguese Red Cross located in Fafe, a city in northern Portugal, by giving a questionnaire to all its members.

The respondents revealed that the existence of other forms of capital (in addition to financial capital) is recognized and valued and that human capital as a whole is particularly relevant to the fulfillment of the Fafe Delegation of Portuguese Red Cross’ mission.

This is the first study on the perceptions of human capital, social capital and financial capital in a Portuguese nonprofit organization.

The case study takes students through basic principles and applications of entrepreneurship theory as demonstrated by the story of Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS). The case further demonstrates the significance of communicating a rallying vision in a change management situation. The case further allows the students to evaluate the concept and implication of entrepreneurial leadership thereby enhancing creativity and innovativeness in a firm.

An area that has had little interaction in the study of entrepreneurship is within the development and humanitarian agencies. This is a case study on Entrepreneurial Habits in the KRCS. The leadership of KRCS combined different entrepreneurial actions that were able to deliver commercial goals in a not-for-profit organization. The final overarching consideration was the sustainability of the changes implemented over a period of time.

Graduate level.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.