CALL FOR HELP
“An Analysis of a Social Service Agency”
Aishia T. Jones
Sociology 433
Dr.Finkelstein
Summer 99
Organizations can be understood
by applying an analysis through observations, applying workplace concepts
to observations and providing evidence that illustrate workplace characteristics.
The ability to read and understand organizational life is essential for
providing strategies for action and workplace change. To effectively read
and understand organizations is to interpret them through key workplace
characteristics such as job satisfaction, collective power, occupational
groups, labor/management relations, and workplace attitudes. Another way
to understand an organizational structure is through theoretical images
and metaphors. Gareth Morgan, author of Images of Organizations, bases
his theories of organization on a simple premise: “All theories of organization
and management are based on implicit images or metaphors that lead us to
see, understand, and manage organizations in distinctive yet partial ways”
(Morgan 4). An organization can be interpreted through different assumptions
and organizing principles. Through multiple interpretations, different
ideologies of an organization workplace structure are generated. As a student,
I was required to do an internship within an organization where I could
learn and evaluate key workplace characteristics. I was able to evaluate
the social service agency, Call For Help. The social service agency Call
For Help Inc. is an organization that can be critically examined through
various images and organizational principles. By using various images and
organizational principles, I will be able to critically examine this workplace,
therefore analyzing its characteristics for organizational change.
Call For Help Inc. (CFH)
is a local social service agency that began providing 24- hour suicide
crisis intervention and emergency mental health services in May of 1970
under the name Call For Help Suicide Crisis Intervention Services. The
agency was under the umbrella of several other agencies until January 20,
1977 when it became incorporated as a non-for-profit social service agency.
After other programs and services were added, the name was changed to Call
For Help Inc. As the Long Range Plan was developed in 1997, the following
vision statement was written: “ The vision of Call For Help Inc. is to
aspire to be known through out St. Clair County for its multiple 24 hour
crisis intervention and support services and for the quality, efficiency
and professional manner in which the services are provided”. The mission
statement and purpose of Call For Help is to “provide 24 hour crisis intervention
and support services to assist people in our community in strengthening
their coping skills, thereby improving their state of emotional well being
and quality of life.” CFH has three major program categories under which
a variety of services are provided. They have telephone service for suicide
and crisis intervention, information and referral, and crisis counseling.
Through counseling they have a sexual assault victims care unit. They also
have residential services for youth and adults (appendix A).
As an intern for CFH, I
worked in the Transitional Living Center (TLC). This is CFH newest residential
program. The overall purpose of the Transitional Living Program is to provide
shelter and supportive services to homeless females between the ages of
16 to 21 years of age. These young women all need housing along with supervision
and guidance in their daily living. Many of these young women are wanting
to be on their own, have family conflicts, have come from abusive homes,
are locked out, abandoned, or runaways and find themselves homeless. Some
of them have moved from place to place trying to make it on their own and
were not successful. Some of them have been involved in substance abuse
and even some criminal activity and find themselves without any financial
means to support themselves. They seek survival, companionship, and love.
They sometimes find themselves in abusive relationships but feel they do
not have any other options because they have no means to support themselves.
This population is not prepared
for the responsibilities of adulthood, do not have jobs or job skills and
frequently have not completed high school. They need the additional supportive
services, such as supervision, daily living skills, and encouragement to
obtain the GED and the job training offered in a Transitional Housing setting
before they are ready to live independently on their own.
The eligibility requirements are:
*Homeless
*Female
*Ages 16-21
*Parental consent is needed if the youth is a minor and not emancipated
*Full Scale I.Q. greater than 84
*A willingness to abide by the TLC residential program
Once settled into
the program, an action plan is developed with the resident’s input. An
action plan is a goal-oriented plan, which is determined by the needs of
the individual. The educational/vocational specialist will assist each
resident with acquiring all educational and vocational needs. Each individual
must acquire a job within 30 days of entering the program and if they have
not completed a high school education, they have a choice to either attend
high school or complete the GED and must begin school within the same time
frame. The characteristics of the Transitional Living Center program are
key to evaluating its success and the changes that can be made to make
the program more successful. This is the program within CFH that I will
be critically evaluating to examine its organizational characteristics
(appendix A).
Four characteristics of
a workplace organization help to analyze its structure. Organizational
sociologists argue that the most important variations in organizational
structure include standardization, autonomy, centralization, and role specialization.
Standardization measures how routine job tasks are. Measuring standardization
is determined by procedures following specific rules as opposed to being
developed on an occasional basis. Another characteristic is autonomy. Autonomy
is the degree of independence one has to make decisions. It is the measure
of how much a worker controls his or her work and work relations. “Autonomy
implies self direction and improvisation” (Hodson 187). Centralization
is a characteristic that enumerates the level of hierarchy in an organization.
Centralization of decision making is determined by “key decisions made
by one or few persons at the top of an organization or dispersed throughout
the organization.” How specific a person’s knowledge is about the job determines
the degree of one’s role specialization. “Roles in the organization are
defined in terms of a narrow range of activities as opposed to a broad
agenda of responsibilities." These four characteristics overlap providing
an in depth description of employees skill and knowledge within the organizational
structure ( Hodson 185).
Within the TLC program,
employees practice a medium amount of standardization. Although employees
have a routine set of job tasks to follow, workplace tasks often change
on a daily basis. For instance, residential assistants have a daily routine
to follow. When their shift starts, they are responsible for taking a count
for residents who are signed in or out, check to make sure assigned chores
have been performed, log daily interactions with every residential client,
and lead daily group house meetings (appendix B). However, there are times
when residential assistants perform different job tasks such as, shopping
for food or household items and taking residents to group outings such
as, the movies. Assistants also transport residents to job interviews,
medical clinics, job locations and many other places that are necessary
for residents to go. Often, the residential assistant will assist the educational/vocational
specialist with life training skill workshops. These tasks are not a routine
part of daily job tasks. The program manager of the TLC program also performs
job tasks that are not routine. As a manager, the routine job tasks are
to meet with potential residential clients, attend program managers meetings,
hiring employees within the program and oversee the basic day to day operations.
However, the program manager also performs sporadic job tasks such as individual
and group counseling, coordinating residential house meetings and shopping
for residential necessities. The educational/vocational program specialist
is also a position with a medium amount of standardization. The educational/vocational
specialist has a routine job task of meeting with residential clients to
help them find resources for employment and education. Job tasks that are
performed on a sporadic basis are managing when the program manager is
not available, shopping for residential necessities, and transporting residents
to various locations. The reason for the medium amount of standardized
job tasks for employees is because their job duties overlap due to lack
of staff within the TLC program. Lack of financial resources is the reason
for the program being short of staff. As a result, job tasks are overlapped
and not performed routinely. This level of standardization is a direct
relation to how skillful and knowledgeable employees are with their job
positions.
A low level of role specialization
is what keeps employees within the TLC program knowledgeable about each
job position. Due to the overlapping of job tasks, each employee does not
follow a specific job role. On Fridays, the program manager leaves at 11:30am.
The only other employee there at that time is the educational/vocational
specialist. The specialist then assumes the role of manager of the program.
In the evenings and weekends residential assistants assume the role of
manager of the program. Not only does the residential assistant have to
perform their job roles, but they also take on the responsibility of supervising
the program also. Within the TLC program, no job role is specific. Everyone
has knowledge and acquires skill of each job position. Although these employees
overlap with job roles and tasks, there is a medium to high level of centralization
that is apart of the overall organizational structure.
The Transitional Living
Center program is not an independent program. I t falls under an umbrella
of programs within Call For Help Inc. As a result, the centralization of
the program falls under a medium to high level within the hierarchy scale.
The hierarchy scale is as follows: The first level is the board of directors,
which are volunteer members that meet monthly. There is a minimum of 15
members. The next level is the executive director. The executive director
meets with board members on a monthly basis. The program director is the
next level of the hierarchy scale. Within the TLC program the hierarchy
continues to follow as the program manager being the next level and the
lower level consists of the educational/vocational specialist and residential
assistants (appendix C). This hierarchy scale can lead to confusion and
unstability at times. For instance, the program manager told a residential
client that she could take a weekend outing for her birthday. Just after
this was discussed between the resident and the program manager, the program
manager left for vacation. When the resident reminded the educational/vocational
specialist, who was supervisor at the time, she told the resident she could
not go out for her weekend outing. This is an example of how a hierarchy
scale and overlap of job roles can lead to miscommunication. Although this
hierarchy structure is meant to follow a degree of “chain of command”,
employees have the freedom to make independent decisions within the workplace.
Autonomy is an important
issue within the TLC program. Autonomy is not only a focus with the staff
but also with the residential clients. Among staff, independent decision
making is encouraged. Due to lack of staff, employees are often in situations
where independent decision making is a must. Residential assistants are
the only employees within the TLC program after 5:00pm on weekdays and
all day weekends. Residential assistants have the right to make independent
decisions when it concerns the residential clients. If a residential client
breaks a house rule, assistants can decide to what extreme the consequences
should be. Another example is the autonomy the program manager has. As
an overseer for the program, the program manager has the autonomy to establish
necessary rules for staff as well as clients. She is also able to organize
daily operations to her discretion. As an intern, I was asked to type up
a memo to residential clients about newly established house rules. The
program manager did not have to follow a “chain of command”. She was able
to independently establish these rules and enforce them. TLC staff has
a great amount of established autonomy. However, residential clients are
limited to independent decision making.
Overall, residential clients possess a low amount of autonomy. The
TLC program establishes a goal of “independent living”. In order for residential
clients to establish a certain level of independent living, certain rules
and regulations are enforced. When a resident signs a contract to abide
by house rules, the following regulations are to be followed:
1. The first week clients are on level 1A. Clients
can not have visitors or go out for outings excluding work and school.
2. For two weeks to a month, clients are on level
1B. A client is able to have visitors and can have 2 four-hour outings
within a week’s time.
3. One month to 3 months is level 2. Residents can
come and go as they please and they can stay out two weekends a month.
4. After 90 days, residents are on level 3. Residents
can stay out when they want with the approval of staff.
Of course there are exceptions
to these rules. If a client disobeys a house rule, their independence status
can be lowered to a lower level for a certain amount of time. Residential
clients seem to feel dissatisfied with these rules. Their freedom to make
independent decisions is limited by these institutional rules and how they
respond to them. A sense of self seems to be lacking within the clients
because many of them feel that every aspect of their life is being controlled.
I had a brief interview with the manager of this program. I asked her if
she felt this institution contradicted its goals of establishing a sense
of independent living with residential clients? This is how she responded,
”When these girls enter our program, they lack structure. In our program,
we require some sense of structure so that the residents will be successful
at independent living. Often because they lack structure, the residents
rebel against our rules. This limits their independence tremendously. Their
behavior determines their independence. If we gave them sudden independence,
they would not have a structural environment to learn from.” This lack
of autonomy is not only rule based. Residential clients are not allowed
to have drugs (prescription or over the counter) or outside food in their
rooms. Clients also have to show staff proof of income by presenting pay
check stubs. Based on individual pay, residents are required to pay a certain
percentage of rent and deposit a certain percentage of their earnings into
a savings account. There was a recent incident where a residential client
was an upset because a staff member opened her social security check without
her knowledge. This limited amount of autonomy and institutional control
is meant to provide structure for independent living within the client’s
lives. This limitation of autonomy often leaves residents feeling dissatisfied
with the program.
Job satisfaction is
determined by a sense of self-direction. “Job satisfaction is a summary
evaluation that people make of their work.” People’s levels of job
satisfaction are the result of their job tasks, organizational characteristics,
and individual values (Hodson 94). TLC staff often feels dissatisfied within
the workplace because of lack of staff. The program manager confided in
me about her dissatisfaction within the workplace. Lack of staff is the
source of her dissatisfaction. The program manager feels that she often
does work tasks outside her job description and she spends more time “doing”
instead of “managing”. If more time would be spent managing, the residential
treatment program would be a lot more successful. She admits that she does
not have time to spend with clients as is necessary. The clients need special
attention and most of the time this attention is lacking. The program manager
also explained that if she could spend more time managing, she could train
staff on how to handle certain situations that may arise, how to enforce
rules properly and effectively, and how to coordinate a house meeting effectively.
“I have all this to offer and not enough time to do it” is what the program
manager explains. This sense of non-accomplishment leads her to feeling
dissatisfied with the effectiveness of the program.
Despite numerous complaints,
overall, residents seem to feel satisfied with the TLC program. When conducting
an informal interview, clients had an overall satisfaction with connection
to resources, sense of concern from staff members, and their overall treatment
program for independent living. Their dissatisfaction seemed to rest with
issues such as more autonomy, quality of food, need for cable television,
and more privacy. Organizational procedures and policies do not only determine
organization satisfaction, but it is also determined through the images
one has of an organization.
Organizational metaphors,
such as the machine model, are a way to analyze characteristics within
a workplace. The machine image metaphor is defined as an organization that
is designed and operated as if it were a machine. Mechanistic organizations
are highly structured bureaucracies. Mechanistic organizations base their
operations on machine like characteristics. These organizations perform
in a routine, efficient, constant and predictable manner. Gareth Morgan
explains the comparison of the mechanistic organizations to the designing
of a machine, “When an engineer designs a machine the task is to define
a network of interdependent parts arranged in a specific sequence and anchored
by precisely defined points of resistance or rigidity. The classical theorists
were attempting to achieve a similar design in their approach to organization.
We see this in the way the organization is conceived as a network of parts”
(Morgan 18). CFH is an organizational structure that is a prime example
of a mechanistic image.
Within CFH, the TLC
program is expected to operate in a mechanistic manner. When the funding
for the program was being proposed, CFH bided against other organizations
for funding. As a result, they bided for a financial budget that was under
the conditions that the program would actually need to function efficiently
and effectively with a limited number of staff. With the limited amount
of staff, workers are expected to perform numerous work tasks with the
best performance possible. Just as a machine is able to perform a numerous
amount of tasks within one function, employees are expected to be able
to do the same. This is the leading cause of the dissatisfaction staff
and residential clients feel within the workplace. Another characteristic
of the machine model is the structure of the hierarchy scale. A hierarchy
scale is designed to follow a “chain of command”. This structure leads
to inconsistency and miscommunication among staff. Job tasks and roles
are overlapped and lines of authority are often crossed thus leading to
confusion. Institutional control is another factor within the mechanistic
model. This program is designed to instill a sense of success at independent
living. Yet, rules are being added and changed everyday. Some rules are
enforced while others are not. Residents have to have for permission and
account for every move that they make. This seems to be a contradiction
of organizational goals. These mechanistic characteristics have advantages
and disadvantages within the organization.
The machine image
metaphor has advantages within an organization. The mechanic approach is
effective when it exemplifies precision with in the workplace. At CFH,
employees are expected to perform numerous job tasks at their best performance.
If employees are capable of performing and being effective within their
job description and also able to be effective with overlapping job tasks,
the program will be capable of running in an efficient and productive manner.
Some of the disadvantages
to the mechanistic approach with the workplace are that it can result in
mindless and unquestioning bureaucracy. With the TLC program, a good example
of this would be the overlapping of responsibilities among the different
levels of staff positions. There is a constant question among residential
clients of who is in charge of different aspects within the program. This
leads to miscommunication between and among residential clients and staff.
When the program manager says one thing and the educational/vocational
specialist says another, for instance when the residential client wanted
to take a weekend outing, lines of communication were crossed. These aspects
of a mechanistic and bureaucratic organization are a direct relation to
why some theorist wanted to see organizations move from bureaucratic to
organic organizations.
Organic organizations
are described as organizations that are able to “adapt” to specific environment
conditions. Morgan used bureaucratic organizations as an example. He states,
“ We find that bureaucratic organizations tend to work most effectively
in environments that are stable or protected in some way and that very
different species are found in more competitive and turbulent regions,
such as the environment of high tech firms in aerospace and microelectronics
industries” (Morgan 33). In other words, different organizations are able
to survive and be successful in different. The contingency theory provides
a good explanation of organizations as organisms. This theory states that
“organizations are open systems that need careful management to fulfill
and balance interval needs and to adapt to environmental circumstances.
There is no one best way of organizing. Management must be primarily concerned
with achieving successful productivity. Different approaches to management
may be necessary to perform different tasks within the organization, and
different organizations are needed in different types of environments”
(Morgan 34-44). Through the human relation’s approach, the organism metaphor
looks at organizations as having a sense of solidarity. Solidarity means
to have employees feel a sense of belonging within the organization and
a sense of integration when working together. The metaphor also tries
to understand individuals and individual needs. Adhocracy is also a component
of the metaphor. Adhocracy means to have more autonomy and participation
for employees. CFH can also be viewed as an organic organization in its
approach to labor/management relations and the residential community it
serves.
In relation to the organic
approach, CFH has realized some of the needs of its employees in a bureaucratic
organization. In reference to the human relation’s approach, for employees
to hold a sense of belonging and unity within the organization, CFH will
begin to let program managers attend monthly staff meetings among the board
of directors, executive director, and program director. Before, the monthly
meetings consisted of the board of directors, executive and program director,
and a representative for all programs. CFH realized that it needed a more
effective means of communication. By changing the monthly meetings by having
each program manager attend to share information about their program, the
board of directors will have a more personal relationship and connection
with the managers of these programs. This organizational change is also
a way to make employees a part of an oriented team. Another way the organic
approach fulfills a sense of solidarity is among residential clients A
few weeks ago; the program manager began a system for residential suggestions
and complaints. Everyday during a house meeting, residents can write down
a suggestion or complaint on a form and return it to a resident assistant,
In turn, the residential assistant gives the form to the program manager.
The program manager then takes into account what changes can be made. This
supervisor style allows not only the residential clients but also staff
as well to feel a sense of unity and belonging by knowing the program manager
is attempting to take into account their feelings. Concern for residential
clients was also a factor within the survey I helped develop with the program
manager. Handing a residential client a survey that asks questions of personal
opinions and interest reassures them that someone cares about their thoughts
and feelings.
Also through the organic
approach, CFH was able to structure and focus its organization by adapting
to a changing environment. In reference to the contingency theory, CFH
was able to establish a vision by providing crisis intervention and support
services for the St. Clair County. This environmental change is symbolized
through the name of the organization. By changing the name from Call For
Help Suicide Crisis Intervention Services to Call For Help Inc., this indicates
that their support services not only includes intervention, but support
and counseling services also. St. Clair County was lacking a support service
that was strictly for assisting, supporting, and counseling people and
their families within the community. As a positive family unit becomes
harder to maintain, there is a need for the services CFH provides. The
organic approach is able to strengthen an organizational structure. However,
it also has limitations.
Some strengths of the organic approach are its emphasis on having a
successful relationship between the organization and its environment. TLC
recognizes that in order for residential clients to feel solidarity and
satisfaction, they must share a genuine concern for their wants and needs.
This is accomplished through the complaint/suggestion forms, surveys, and
residential group outings such as a night at the movies. Another advantage
is the enhancement of labor/management relationships. By providing more
direct interaction for program managers to executive directors, program
directors, and the board of directors, employees are able to communicate
their concerns and suggest the implementation of organizational changes.
Another strength is an organization’s ability to adapt to a changing environment
and having the flexibility to continue to change.
The disadvantage of
the organic metaphor in relation to the human relation’s approach is the
“mask” it portrays. These organizational rules and changes are excellent
for residential clients and staff to feel a sense of solidarity. However,
these approaches do not necessarily give residential clients and employees
more control or participation in decision making. The approach is to make
residential clients and employees feel a more sense of solidarity in hope
of higher productivity. Another disadvantage to the organic approach is
its assumption of functional unity. Residential assistants assume they
are unified with management because of the overlap of job responsibilities
and the concern with their thoughts and opinions. This unity is an assumption.
Employees and employers are not really unified because employees do not
have direct participation in decision making. This can result in management
needing to take the time and make organizational changes to improve the
workplace.
The major changes
I would make to improve CFH organization is by making it more of a participating
organization. In a participating organizational structure, productivity
is enhanced, by tapping into employee knowledge, providing more flexibility,
and increasing competition for funding. A participating organization also
enhances management and labor relations and increases shared decision-making.
On e way to increase participation through the organic approach is to provide
scheduled weekly meetings between residential clients, resident assistants,
educational/vocational specialist and the program manager. Communication
can increase by talking about concerns or suggestions. Consistency concerning
decision-making is also more stabilized. These meetings should be taken
seriously with the goals of improving the TLC program.
Having organizational
picnics, lunches, or dinners can also increase participation. This is another
organic approach. All employers, employees, and residential clients from
all programs can get together to interact about ideas and concerns. This
can be an annual meeting or even every six months. Through this interaction
and communication, the organizational goals will be more easily met because
everyone will have a chance to participate in what changes should be or
should not be implemented in the programs. Residential clients will be
more successful thus increasing funding for the program.
With increase funding
to improve this organization, I would definitely hire more staff members.
By having more staff members, a more unified structure will be established
concerning employee responsibilities. The program manager of the TLC program
informed me that they were now in the process of biding for more money
towards the program. With the extra money, a unit coordinator, case manager,
and part time receptionist will be hired. This will be a great load of
responsibility that will be more effectively divided. Each staff member
will be able to perform job tasks more effectively.
Autonomy is also an
issue I would change within the TLC program. Residential clients have a
limited amount of autonomy. If independent choices and responsibilities
cannot be increased, how will clients ever learn how to live successfully
and independently? Residential clients should have more responsibilities
over their finance, what they eat, and where they go.
A participating organization
can benefit employers, employees, and residential clients. From an employers
perspective, employees and clients are happier, more knowledgeable, feel
more apart of the program and management has less stress, less residential
client turnover rate, and employees feel more connected to the organization.
From an employee’s perspective, workers feel more satisfied, have more
self-actualization, decreases alienation, feel more humane on the job,
a sense of connection and employees will have more knowledge of company.
The residential clients will have more independence, therefore, feeling
more humane, they will be more willing to stay within the program to succeed,
and they will have more participation in the rules and regulations that
are designed for them. These organizational characteristics allow
organizations to be seen, analyzed, and understood in various ways. In
order to change an organization, a diagnostic reading of the organization
must be analyzed and understood.