Introduction
Any business that wants to succeed must first have a solid organizational framework. An organizational structure based on teams is one option; teams in this setup communicate with one another and collaborate to achieve a common objective. It is adaptable and may help the organization become more decisive, resourceful, and collaborative.
One of a team’s primary functions is to coordinate the efforts of its members so that the organization’s goals can be realized (Abubakar et al., 2019). An efficient team works under the premise that its members’ combined efforts will yield better results than those working alone. Teams are essential in business and other institutions because they help keep the motivation alive and resources in order. Teams are specialized groups of workers who perform tasks crucial to organizational success.
Summary
The American Red Cross is one example of an organization that operates with a team-oriented hierarchy. The volunteers who make up this humanitarian group are inspired by the Red Crescent Movement, the International Red Cross’s Fundamental Principles, and the United States Constitution. Helping people respond to, prepare for, and avoid calamities is what it does best. The American Red Cross provides aid in four main areas (Drago, 2020).
It assists those affected by natural disasters, facilitates communication between service members and their families, educates the public on saving lives, and collects, tests, and distributes blood to hospitals nationwide. More than 200 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies are its partners in providing aid to the world’s poor and marginalized. It is not for profit, but its staff works around the clock to meet urgent requirements as they arise. About 70,000 emergencies a year require rapid attention from the organization. The list of disasters is long and includes artificial and natural catastrophes such as house fires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, dangerous substance spills, transportation-related incidents, and cyclones.
As part of its mission to educate the public, the organization creates and disseminates various educational resources. Video, electronic capabilities, printed posters, community presentations, and Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are tools used to raise awareness of disasters and teach people how to secure their homes and themselves (Drago, 2020). Since natural disasters can devastate a community’s economy and social fabric, preparation for such events is emphasized. As a result, people should prepare for disasters by reading.
Problems and Symptoms
Due to the enormous number of people it assists, the American Red Cross is considering forming teams to respond to service requests from those in need speedily. The Disaster Action Team (DAT) is one of the groups that lend a hand to the organization. This group of volunteers is on call around the clock to respond quickly to emergencies (Thompson, 2019). When a disaster happens, the team is the Red Cross’s initial point of contact. DAT members may not be the official ‘first responders,’ but they are the ones who arrive at the scene of a tragedy first and begin coordinating aid and consoling victims.
The tragedy action team dispatches four to five personnel, or more if necessary, to the scene of the tragedy. Having at least one seasoned DTA member with other assistants who can still proceed with their training is vital. The crew inspects the damage and decides whether it is habitable (Schmutz et al., 2019). The system then initiates a mass care function, which includes assistance with nourishment and refuge for large-scale disasters, after ensuring victims have clothing, shelter, and food according to the needs of the present catastrophe.
Fires in the home, for example, can happen at any time and in any location. The disaster response team members receive specialized training to provide victims emotional and monetary support and other necessary resources to rebuild their lives (Appelbaum, 2020). Wrapping a homeless person in a blanket may be an elating gesture. The DAT should be a part of the victim’s initial step toward recovery when feelings of hopelessness, insecurity, and discomfort return. When a family loses their home, the hardship of a DAT member getting up early or canceling other arrangements to help them disappears almost instantly.
The American Red Cross service has many issues, even with the help of groups. There appears to be a gap in the field of leadership development. The American Red Cross’ failure has been blamed because of internal issues. The teams often take too long to get to the scene of the catastrophe, even though they may be dispatched immediately (Thompson, 2019).
For instance, the American Red Cross received backlash for handling the September 11 assaults on the World Trade Center in New York City. The teams took hours to respond to the attacks, but the Pentagon had called the American Red Cross in time to get assistance. From that day on, complaints surfaced that questioned the organization’s practices. The organization’s leadership has been scrutinized since there appears to be an issue with the team’s responsiveness.
OB Themes
Failures in direction setting, competency, behavior development, communication and response, and blending different personalities into a coherent whole undermine the American Red Cross’ efficiency. When assembling a team for a specific assignment, management should consider various skills and experiences (Schmutz et al., 2019). For example, internal competition is a concern for the DAT.
Members of the DAT are assigned catastrophes at random, with consideration given to how close they live to the location. Having members compete with one another to provide the best possible service is suitable for organizational success, but it can hurt teamwork. Members’ opportunities to communicate and aid one another decrease when they are overly competitive, which can lead to increased conflict.
The catastrophe response team deals with the difficulty of working with people of different personalities. Individuals with relevant experience are dispatched to the catastrophe scene, while other members are trainees. Personality differences among trainees can complicate efforts to foster the harmonious teamwork necessary to deliver the expected unified services in the field (Thompson, 2019). When choosing individuals for a team, it is essential to consider their sociability and ability to form bonds.
Resources
The American Red Cross requests financial help from voluntary public contributions and through cost-recovery charges for some of their services to actualize the themes better and address the organizational problem. Services offered include health and safety education programs and the distribution of blood and its components (Appelbaum, 2020).
If one wants to help others in need after a natural disaster, one should consider making a financial contribution to the Red Cross. After September 11, the American Red Cross received immense monetary donations. Donations intended for the victims of disasters have been placed in a free and distinct fund. Over $540 million had been contributed by November, but only about a third went into relief efforts. The American Red Cross later indicated that the remaining monies would be utilized to train responders for future catastrophes.
Conclusion
Organizations like the American Red Cross must be structured around teams to succeed. Working as a team boosts productivity by allowing workers to pool their resources and raise the rate at which they complete tasks. The many obstacles these groups must overcome cause a wide range of symptoms. Therefore, instead of merely managing the symptoms, the organization should investigate and eliminate the underlying cause of the problem.
Annotated Bibliography
Abubakar, A. M., Elrehail, H., Alatailat, M. A., & Elçi, A. (2019). Knowledge management, decision-making style and organizational performance. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 4(2), 104-114. Web.
This study provides substantial insights into the requisite abilities for effective organizational management to enhance performance and accomplish objectives. The identification of deficiencies in the supervisory and executive teams of the American Red Cross holds significant importance.
Appelbaum, S. H. (2020). Organizational diagnosis and organizational development model: Integration of psychoanalytic determinants. Universal Journal of Management, 8(4), 181-194. Web.
This article provides a comprehensive analysis of historical and contemporary research examining the shortcomings and deficiencies inherent in leadership and organization-building endeavors. It explores consultants’ crucial role in identifying and assessing dysfunctional aspects inside organizations. The initial step in the change initiative involves the creation of an analytical framework designed to explore the system’s individual and collective components.
Drago, F. (2020). 2019 American Heart Association and American Red Cross presyncope update. The Journal of Pediatrics, 220, 264-267. Web.
This article briefly overviews the American Red Cross, the organization under exploration. It elucidates the operational endeavors of the company and how they are disseminated to the clientele. Additionally, the document explains the organization’s funding sources and how it allocates and utilizes financial resources.
Schmutz, J. B., Meier, L. L., & Manser, T. (2019). How effective is teamwork really? The relationship between teamwork and performance in healthcare teams: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 9(9). Web.
The significance of teamwork inside an organization is not limited to healthcare settings but extends to coordinating activities within the American Red Cross. It is necessary to establish a cohesive team that can effectively utilize its collective capabilities to ensure the provision of services aligns with client expectations during their initial contact.
Thompson, A. (2019). Volunteers: The core of the American Red Cross response, preparedness. Delaware Journal of Public Health, 5(4), 18-19. Web.
The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and alleviating suffering caused by emergency circumstances. It aims to motivate individuals both within the United States and beyond to engage in philanthropic endeavors actively. The Disaster Action Teams consist of dedicated volunteers who promptly respond to emergency calls. Certain volunteers possess specialized training and qualifications as mental health experts and counselors. This enables them to utilize their professional licenses and knowledge in addressing the immediate psychological repercussions of traumatic incidents such as house fires or mass shootings.