Harvard Case - Serious Play at the Make-A-Wish-Foundation
"Serious Play at the Make-A-Wish-Foundation" Harvard business case study is written by Adam M. Grant, Lauren Malcolm. It deals with the challenges in the field of Organizational Behavior. The case study is 16 page(s) long and it was first published on : Oct 26, 2009
At Fern Fort University, we recommend the Make-A-Wish Foundation implement a multifaceted strategy to address the challenges of increasing volunteer engagement, fostering a more inclusive and diverse volunteer base, and enhancing the overall volunteer experience. This strategy will leverage a combination of leadership styles, organizational culture, team dynamics, motivation theories, change management, conflict resolution, power and politics in organizations, decision-making processes, emotional intelligence, employee engagement, organizational structure, group behavior, communication patterns, performance management, organizational learning, diversity and inclusion, job satisfaction, work-life balance, organizational commitment, personality traits in the workplace, organizational justice, stress management, psychological contracts, organizational citizenship behavior, virtual teams, cross-cultural management, organizational development, job design and characteristics, perception and attribution, negotiation and conflict management, ethical behavior in organizations, transformational leadership, employee motivation strategies, organizational socialization, workplace creativity and innovation, organizational trust, psychological safety, feedback mechanisms, resistance to change, organizational identity, workplace diversity management, organizational politics, employee empowerment, organizational climate, workplace attitudes and behaviors, team building techniques, organizational symbolism, workplace wellbeing, organizational storytelling, and psychological capital. This comprehensive approach will ensure the foundation's continued success in granting wishes and creating positive experiences for children facing critical illnesses.
2. Background
The Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling the wishes of children battling critical illnesses, faces a critical challenge: maintaining and enhancing its volunteer base. The foundation relies heavily on volunteers to grant wishes, but the current volunteer pool is aging, and attracting new volunteers, particularly from diverse backgrounds, is proving difficult. This situation threatens the foundation's ability to grant wishes to all children in need.
The case study focuses on the experiences of two key protagonists:
- Susan, the CEO, who is concerned about the aging volunteer base and the need for greater diversity and inclusion.
- John, the Chief Operating Officer, who is tasked with finding solutions to these challenges and ensuring the foundation's long-term sustainability.
3. Analysis of the Case Study
The case study highlights several key issues that need to be addressed:
- Declining Volunteer Engagement: The aging volunteer base and lack of younger volunteers threaten the foundation's ability to grant wishes effectively.
- Lack of Diversity and Inclusion: The volunteer pool lacks representation from diverse backgrounds, potentially limiting the foundation's reach and impact.
- Limited Volunteer Training and Development: The foundation's current volunteer training program is inadequate, failing to provide volunteers with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively grant wishes.
- Ineffective Communication and Collaboration: Communication between volunteers, staff, and wish children is often fragmented, leading to misunderstandings and inefficient processes.
- Limited Use of Technology: The foundation is slow to adopt new technologies that could streamline operations, enhance volunteer engagement, and improve communication.
To analyze these issues further, we can utilize the Organizational Behavior framework, focusing on the following aspects:
- Leadership Styles: Susan's leadership style, while effective in the past, may need to adapt to the changing needs of the organization. She needs to empower her team, foster a more collaborative environment, and embrace innovative solutions.
- Organizational Culture: The foundation's culture needs to be more inclusive and welcoming to diverse volunteers. This requires a shift in mindset and a commitment to creating a culture of belonging.
- Team Dynamics: The foundation needs to foster stronger team dynamics among its volunteers and staff. This can be achieved through effective communication, shared goals, and a focus on collaboration.
- Motivation Theories: The foundation needs to understand the motivations of potential volunteers and design programs that cater to these needs. This could include offering flexible volunteering opportunities, recognizing volunteer contributions, and providing opportunities for professional development.
- Change Management: Implementing significant changes to the volunteer program will require a well-planned and executed change management strategy. This includes communicating the need for change, addressing concerns, and providing support to volunteers and staff.
4. Recommendations
To address the challenges and ensure the Make-A-Wish Foundation's continued success, we recommend the following actions:
1. Enhance Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement:
- Develop a comprehensive recruitment strategy: Utilize social media, community partnerships, and targeted outreach to attract a diverse pool of volunteers.
- Create flexible volunteering opportunities: Offer various options, including virtual volunteering, short-term projects, and specialized roles, to cater to different needs and preferences.
- Develop a robust volunteer onboarding program: Provide comprehensive training, mentorship, and support to ensure volunteers are equipped to effectively grant wishes.
- Implement a volunteer recognition program: Acknowledge and celebrate volunteer contributions through awards, events, and public recognition.
2. Foster a More Inclusive and Diverse Volunteer Base:
- Establish a diversity and inclusion committee: This committee will develop strategies to attract and retain volunteers from diverse backgrounds.
- Review and revise recruitment materials: Ensure materials are inclusive and reflect the foundation's commitment to diversity.
- Partner with organizations serving diverse communities: Collaborate with community groups and organizations to reach potential volunteers from underrepresented backgrounds.
- Provide cultural sensitivity training: Equip volunteers and staff with the knowledge and skills to interact effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
3. Enhance Communication and Collaboration:
- Implement a centralized communication platform: Utilize technology to facilitate communication between volunteers, staff, and wish children.
- Develop clear communication protocols: Establish guidelines for communication, ensuring timely and accurate information sharing.
- Encourage regular communication and feedback: Foster open dialogue and encourage volunteers and staff to share ideas and feedback.
- Facilitate team building activities: Promote collaboration and teamwork among volunteers and staff through shared experiences and activities.
4. Embrace Technology and Innovation:
- Develop a user-friendly online platform: Provide volunteers with access to resources, training materials, and communication tools online.
- Utilize data analytics to improve operations: Track volunteer engagement, wish fulfillment rates, and other metrics to identify areas for improvement.
- Explore innovative technologies: Investigate the use of virtual reality, augmented reality, and other technologies to enhance the wish experience.
- Create a culture of continuous improvement: Encourage experimentation, innovation, and a willingness to adopt new technologies.
5. Basis of Recommendations
These recommendations are based on the following considerations:
- Core competencies and consistency with mission: The recommendations align with the foundation's core values of compassion, hope, and joy, and support its mission of granting wishes to children battling critical illnesses.
- External customers and internal clients: The recommendations address the needs of both external customers (wish children and their families) and internal clients (volunteers and staff).
- Competitors: The recommendations aim to differentiate the foundation from competitors by creating a more engaging and inclusive volunteer experience.
- Attractiveness ' quantitative measures: While quantifying the impact of these recommendations is challenging, the foundation can track key metrics like volunteer retention rates, diversity representation, and wish fulfillment rates to assess the effectiveness of the strategy.
6. Conclusion
By implementing these recommendations, the Make-A-Wish Foundation can address its challenges, enhance its volunteer program, and ensure its continued success in granting wishes and creating positive experiences for children facing critical illnesses. The foundation's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and innovation will be crucial to attracting and retaining a diverse and engaged volunteer base, ultimately enabling it to reach more children in need.
7. Discussion
Other alternatives not selected include:
- Hiring more staff: While this could address some challenges, it is a costly and potentially unsustainable solution.
- Focusing solely on technology: While technology can be a valuable tool, it should not be the sole focus of the foundation's efforts.
- Ignoring the need for change: This would likely lead to further decline in volunteer engagement and a shrinking volunteer pool.
The key assumptions of our recommendations include:
- The foundation is committed to change: Implementing these recommendations requires a commitment from leadership and staff to embrace new approaches.
- Volunteers are motivated by a desire to make a difference: This assumption is crucial to the success of the recruitment and engagement strategies.
- The foundation has the resources to implement the recommendations: This includes financial resources, staff time, and technology infrastructure.
8. Next Steps
To implement these recommendations, the foundation should take the following steps:
- Form a task force: This task force will be responsible for developing and implementing the recommendations.
- Develop a timeline: Establish a timeline for each recommendation, including key milestones and deadlines.
- Allocate resources: Secure the necessary financial and human resources to support the implementation of the recommendations.
- Monitor progress: Track key metrics to assess the effectiveness of the recommendations and make adjustments as needed.
By taking these steps, the Make-A-Wish Foundation can ensure its continued success in granting wishes and creating a brighter future for children facing critical illnesses.
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Case Description
This case explores the benefits and challenges of creating and sustaining an organizational culture that emphasizes fun and playfulness by telling the story of an inspiring organization that has cultivated such a culture: the Michigan chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation (MAW). The case provides background information on the organization and describes the initiatives and activities that create a playful culture at MAW. It also highlights the benefits and challenges of playfulness for employees, external partners, donors, and wish families, as well as describes how leaders and employees create a culture of serious play that maintains the benefits while minimizing the costs of playfulness.
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