Introduction
As the Internal Consultant of the American Red Cross, I am writing to inform the Chief Operating Officer of the organization of the findings and research-based recommendations on the organization’s culture, climate, and ethics. My role as an Internal Consultant for the company has been characterized by researching key aspects of the organization, offering advisory services and recommendations, and driving organizational change. Therefore, I urge the COO and the responsible leaders to take keen note of the recommendations for the benefit and development of the organization.
Culture
The organizational culture defines various sets of the company’s values, attitudes, and beliefs and their influence on employee behavior, satisfaction, and the overall working environment. Organizational culture is set by leaders and illustrates how the audience it serves perceives the organization’s services. The definition of organizational culture applies to the American Red Cross because it influences the employees’ effectiveness in executing their duties and serving the nation as desired by both leaders and the nation. The definition also serves as a firm reminder to align with the organization’s values, including compassion, commitment, credibility, collaboration, and creativity, to enhance its ability to fulfill its mission (American National Red Cross, 2024). I would describe the organization’s culture as one that has built a culture of belonging and embraced a commitment to care for thousands of Americans by helping to prevent and elevate their suffering. The organizational culture proves to be on the right track but only requires a bit of reconstruction to be implemented based on the duties and responsibilities served by the organization. The organization has been recorded to have a slow response to some disasters due to a lack of enough resources, such as blood, which has impeded the effectiveness of its purpose, hence suggesting the need for cultural adjustments (American National Red Cross, 2024b). The organization must strengthen its value of collaboration and implement the value of collaboration and adaptability to enhance efficiency, hence offering timely responses during emergencies. Collaboration can be enhanced by implementing clear and consistent communication channels to explore new blood collection techniques and optimize storage and distribution. Adaptability can also be embraced through a decentralized decision-making process by having local teams who make decisions based on real-time assessment for timely reaction towards emergencies.
Climate
Organizational climate refers to the perceptions and moods held by the employees regarding various aspects of the work environment. The organization’s climate focuses on the immediate perception held by employees based on the experience of working environment aspects such as leadership style, workload, organizational policies, and communication patterns. American Red Cross has offered a fair, transparent, and positive working environment that has attracted over 275,000 volunteers in various departments performing various roles. Over 90% of the humanitarian work at the organization is carried out by volunteers, which shows the extent to which people enjoy working for the organization (American National Red Cross, 2024c). The perception of the motivation and reward system offered by the organization has received mixed reactions, as some appreciate it to be fair and equitable, while others have complained that their benefits are lower than those of most organizations of the same rank as the American Red Cross. The measures adversely affect employees’ motivation and satisfaction, for they may feel undervalued, creating a negative work environment. The decreased motivation may cause higher turnover rates and increased absenteeism, impacting operations’ effectiveness (Budnick et al., 2020). The American Red Cross offers climate surveys, especially to the volunteers, and the main concern is service quality issues; hence, a better strategy to help the organization better its work environment and accommodate various employees’ and volunteers’ needs (American National Red Cross. (2024d).
Ethics
The ethics and conduct performance of the organization have traditionally been demanded and received highly by the support of volunteers and employees as they offer services. I would state that the practices employed by the American Red Cross are fair, for they cater to various work dynamics. Some actions the code of business ethics prohibits employees from taking include conflict of interest, retaliation, personal use, and improper influence. The organization has provided clear ethical guidelines by providing employees and volunteers with ethical rules and policies that must be followed during operation within the organization’s duties (American National Red Cross, 2024e). The rule outlines how to use the organizations’ resources, comply with the laws, align with environmental concerns, and maintain neutrality, which I believe are essential factors to consider. The success of implementing the ethics and conducts can be attributed to the training offered by the organization to employees and volunteers. The American Red Cross has established a quality assurance unit that reviews various processes within the organization to determine whether the facility meets the desired regulatory and compliance standards. The leadership within the organization plays a major role in shaping ethical decision-making by demonstrating integrity and upholding the organization’s values. Moreover, there are no records where the leaders of the organizations have asked employees to engage in activities that they cannot do, hence providing an environment where employees feel empowered to raise concerns and adhere to ethical needs. The ethics concerns within the organization have also lacked scandals that require interventions.
Conclusion
Therefore, I would encourage the Chief Operating Officer of the American Red Cross to consider implementing the research-based recommendation that I have suggested based on my findings. Moreover, if you need additional information or clarifications, I am more than willing to provide the required support. Feel free to reach me.
Reference
American National Red Cross. (2024a). Culture & Values. http://mummycarebabysitters.com/culture.html
American National Red Cross. (2024b) Red Cross Responds as Dangerous Cold Covers U.S.; Issues Call for Blood Donors. https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2024/red-cross-helping-after-powerful-storm-keeping-eyes-on-new-weather-threat.html
American National Red Cross. (2024c). Fall into Service ─ Become a Red Cross Volunteer. https://www.redcross.org/local/florida/south-florida/about-us/news-and-events/news/fall-into-service–become-a-red-cross-volunteer.html
American National Red Cross. (2024d). Fall into Service ─ Volunteer. https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/atg/Chapters/Division_3_-_Media/Volunteer_Survey.pdf
American National Red Cross. (2024e). AMERICAN RED CROSS CODE OF BUSINESS ETHICS AND CONDUCT. https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/enterprise-assets/pdfs/m35440072_Code_of_Business_Ethics_and_Conduct.pdf
Budnick, C. J., Rogers, A. P., & Barber, L. K. (2020). The fear of missing out at work: Examining costs and benefits to employee health and motivation. Computers in Human Behavior, 104, 106161.
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