Organisation Culture and Trust
Trust is a very important aspect of organisation culture. The level of trust within an organisation has direct consequences on the recruitment and retention of volunteers.
Trust is about believing in the honesty and integrity of others. In an environment where there is trust, people are generally satisfied that volunteers work for the good of the organisation as a whole, rather than serving their own self-interest. In an environment of trust there is more likelihood of that the membership will:
- Appreciate and respect volunteers
- Contribute time, effort, money and ideas to the organisation
- Respect decisions made by volunteers, even if made in error
In contrast, culture of mistrust leads to:
- People not volunteering for fear of being exploited
- People criticising volunteers
- Unpleasantness and conflict between general membership and volunteers
- Loss of volunteers resulting in failure to achieve organisational goals
Strategies for improving trust
Strong positive leadership is a main factor in improving organisational culture.
In addition, trust can be eveloped by:
- Getting people together in planning meetings to work out their shared hopes for the organisation.
- Coaching and mentoring volunteers to work together as a team and to support one another.
- Organising social events for volunteers to develop friendships and bonding.
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