Organisation Culture and Volunteers
Level of 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 criticizing volunteers
- Unpleasantness and conflict between general membership
and volunteers
- Loss of volunteers resulting in failure to achieve organisational
goals
Strategies for improving trust
Good positive leadership is a main factor in developing organisation culture. Good leadership will enable:
- 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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