Free Essay on Employees' Attachment to the Organization

Cradle to Crayons

This paper explores the concepts of emotion and attitude in an organizational set up with a particular reference to Cradles to Crayons. To begin with, an overview of Cradle to Crayons will be provided. Secondly, the impact of attachment and stress reduction on the organization's ability deliver its mandate will be discussed. Moreover, an analysis of the relevant examples from Cradles to Crayons in regards to emotion and attitude. Finally, recommendations on how to enhance employee attachment to Cradles to Crayons as well as ways of managing stress in the organization will be prescribed.

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Cradle to Crayons is a not-for-profit organization whose vision is to provide every child in its area of operation with basic needs which would make them feel safe, warm and valued. Its activities seek to improve the lives of children from low-income and homeless backgrounds by according them basic needs. By so doing, it is expected that they would live a better life in and outside classroom environments. More specifically, the organization collects new and partly-used children goods which are then packaged and distributed to needy children via social services centers. It relies on its employees, volunteers and social services organizations for sorting, packaging, and distribution of the items (Cradle to Crayons, 2017).Like in other organizations, working with Cradle to Crayons involves interactions between various individuals(employees and volunteers) that are responsible for day-to-day activities of the institution. Under such circumstances, both employees and volunteers are likely to encounter work situations which may disrupt their concentration and commitment to Cradle to Crayons' goals and objectives.

The level of attachment to the organization in which one works for has a significant implication on their performance. Attachment is demonstrated in the level of commitment to an organization as well as the extent to which an individual is willing to be identified with that organization (Sahu and Pathardikar, 2014). Commitment can influence workers' feelings and the effectiveness of the organization in so as far as the delivery of its goals and objectives are concerned. This is manifested in attitudes and behavior (Hassan, 2012).In context, Cradles and Crayons recognize the need for employees and volunteers to remain committed to the cause of the organization. Working with different types of people at the grassroots level means that employees and volunteers need to show a high-level of attachment so as manage the dynamics associated with working for organizations whose primary focus is not profits.

Attachment to the organization

Attachment to the organization is essential for employees to derive satisfaction from the daily engagements. Occupational commitment plays a critical role in influencing attachment of employees (Hassan, 2012).Since Cradle to Crayons is a non-profit organization and mainly relies on volunteers, employee attitude towards their work is mostly a function of occupational commitment. In other words, it is the drive to change the lives of disadvantaged children that sustains their attachment to the organization. As such, initiatives that promote cohesiveness among teams and employee commitment to their work have been given top priority. At the same time, the organization recognizes the need for work-related stress to be kept at manageable levels as a way of ensuring that employees and volunteers are not distracted from their daily assignments.

At Cradle to Crayons, employees engage in various activities as a way of fostering teamwork, minimizing stress levels as well as enhancing attachment to their occupation and the organization. For instance, it is the routine of the employees of the organization to participate in curling amongst themselves and also conducting toy car races. This is a significant activity in a sense it helps the various teams (composed of employees and volunteers) to bond with each other. Teams further prepare foods on a weekly basis except for the frequency witnessed in preparing barbecue (Cradle to Crayons, 2017).These activities also act as means of reducing stress among employees and also reduce boredom. As Scudamore (2016) suggests, team building helps to build good relations among groups through mitigation of conflicts as well as improves communication and collaboration among employees. This enhances cohesiveness as employees tend to forge common goals which are crucial for effective team performances.

Despite the effect of physical sporting exercises and food preparation tasks, the overall atmosphere appears to portray a laid-back culture. Things seem to move at a slackened pace which sometimes causes boredom. Even though volunteers and employees exhibit a lot of responsibility to their work, those who like a challenging workplace may find it unfit to work in such culture. In the end, such situation may have an adverse impact on the attachment of employees.

Physical sports activities

Offering challenging engagements can go a long way in addressing the problem of laid-back attitudes at Cradles to Crayons. When workflow within the organization decreases, some employees may be deployed to engage as community organizers as means of giving them more responsibilities that seek to address the fast-moving nature of their work ethic. This action would enhance both occupational and organizational attachment.

Apart from the physical sports activities, it is critical for employees and volunteers to be trained and sensitized on ways of managing stressful situations, especially when handling relationship issues as well as community outreach programs. Sensitization and training provide a mechanism for stressed persons to share out their troubles with other employees and organizational leaders. As such, setting a clear and efficient communication channel is important for information to flow freely among various persons in the organization (Manning & Preston, 2003).

In conclusion, emotion and attitude are essential ingredients for effective teamwork at the Cradle to Crayons. This is evidenced by the emphasis on physical activities so as to improve the performance of teams. The exploration of the concept of attachment reveals that human relationships are important in non-profit making organizations. However, applying the concept is a little bit challenging an environment that is slow-paced.

References

Cradle to Crayons. (2017). About Us|Cradles to Crayons. Retrieved from https://www.cradlestocrayons.org/boston/about-us/

Hassan,T S. (2012). Employee attachment to workplace: A review of organizational and occupational identification and commitment. International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior , 15(3), 383-422.

Manning,T D., & Preston,T A. (2003). Organizational stress: Focusing on ways to minimize distress. CUPA-HR Journal, 54(2).

Sahu,T S., & Pathardikar,T A.T D. (2014). Job Cognition and Justice Influencing Organizational Attachment: An Assessment Through SEM. SAGE Open, 4(1). doi:10.1177/2158244014524210

Scudamore,T B. (2016). Why Team Building Is The Most Important Investment You'll Make. Forbes.