Aim
The aim of the study was to gather information concerning work factors that are experienced and evaluated as being difficult and in which way these factors, to varying degrees cause dissatisfaction amongst shelter employees.
What do changes in organizational structure have on the shelters’ work environment?
Results
The survey has shown that both management and employees at crisis shelters have and have worked under challenging conditions and that these conditions have contributed to frustrations and discontent that in some cases have developed into work conflicts.
There are especially two factors that are experienced as being difficult for employees. The centers organizational structure (a flat-organizational structure) and the processes associated with the organizational changes.
The first factor is associated with how the center is organized. Several participants have problems with or have had problems with a flat organizational structure. Day management and staff have felt that the structure has contributed to tasks and responsibilities being administered in an unclear manner, and this has therefore been a motivating factor to change their organization’s structure. Another important factor motivating reorganization include; unpredictability and lack of management taking leadership and responsibility for their staff.
The second factor is associated with the actual process of change. The individual center’s characteristics indicates how the center will probably change and develop and will predict how internal “negotiations” will take place and how change will take place. The study shows that many work conflicts at the centers revolve around disagreements associated to the acceptability of reorganizing, which again reflects staffs ideology. Ideological disagreements can intensify if the changing process starts without first achieving a common acceptance of this change amongst employees.
Recommendations
The survey shows that work environment at crisis shelters can be improved by focusing more on the following areas:
- role expectations
- ideological foundations
- management’s capability and competency and the centers Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)
- processes involving change
- increasing work-hours for part-time workers (ibid. increasing workforce)
These are factors that are intricately weaved together and it is contrived to separate them.
Method
The study is based on interviews with 17 participants that were primarily associated with four crisis shelters they included; present or previous daily management, day employees, employee representatives on the board, head of the board and Health and Safety representatives. Two of the centers had experienced for many years stable management while the other two experienced a high turnover in management staff.