The Application of Cognitive and Personality Theories For NPOs
The term not-for-profit organization (NPOs) is an umbrella term which implies that all organizations whose main organizational objectives are not to be profitable. NPOs main organizational objectives will thus be that to improve the general welfare of mankind. The bulk of NPOs are that of charities and counseling organizations.
The two essential components that will enable the NPO to achieve their objectives will be the organizational culture and volunteers. For instance, the organizational culture of a sales-oriented company such as real estate will be that of a competitive and achievement-oriented culture. This is necessary because there is stiff competition and that the volunteers have to be able to meet quotas and deadlines in order to excel and achieve the organizational objective. Thus for a NPO, the organizational culture has to be a supportive and nurturing one.
The second important component is volunteers. The organizational culture is the indirect component that orientates the organization to its objective. The real estate organization’s culture is that of a competitive one, thus the culture instills values such as pragmatism and realism into the volunteers. For a sale transaction to be successful, the employee will need to be realistic with the prospect’s budget and time. Through such values, the employee will then be able to persuade the prospect and secure a deal which orientates the organization to its objective. Thus the volunteers are the direct component that orientates the organization to its objective. Similarly, the NPOs’ volunteers will need to have the required skills and be willing to be immersed into a supportive and nurturing culture, so that they can complete their tasks.
Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development on NPOs
In the context of NPOs, the understanding of Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development will help NPOs to determine whether its volunteers’ adaptability in a social work environment in several specific aspects. The volunteer may have the basic prerequisites such as having a passion for volunteerism and a caring heart. However he is very capable of managing the accounts but he does not like it and he prefers to do front-line work such as nursing, which he is not good at. So using Piaget’s theory will determine that his adaptability in accounting is high but his adaptability in nursing is low in terms of performance. Thus, it is logical to transfer him to accounting so long he is still committed to volunteering and not work away due to being upset with the transfer.
For NPOs that deal with childcare and child education, Piaget’s theory is even more relevant. The caretaker can be sure of how to handle the child at the different ages. For example handling a child at 2-7 years old probably means that the child has a high tendency to throw tantrums and act in a very unruly manner since cognitively; the child has yet to develop a sense concrete logic and has ego-centrism. Thus, the caretaker must be prepared to be tolerant and be willing to explain to the child but not get personal with the child’s tendency to be unruly.
Carl Rogers’ Theory on Person Centered Therapy on NPOs
As NPOs, such as, counseling and social care deals mainly with people who may be emotionally vulnerable, it is important that values such as patience and genuineness are instilled into the volunteers. Since the patients are emotionally vulnerable, the volunteers need to be able to communicate to the patients that they genuinely care and are willing to help them.
In NPOs such as charities, an organizational culture that has strong influences of Person Centred Therapy (PCT) helps to promote transparency and accountability. It is vital that charities are transparent so that the public has faith in the charity’s management and usage of funds, so that the needy will benefit and the public will continue to donate. A strong influence of PCT into the culture means that the volunteers will be able to understand that the donors are what the NPOs are about. Misappropriating the funds will kill off donors’ faith and trust. A greater sense of responsibility will be achieved as the volunteers truly empathized with the fundamentals of the charity’s paradigm, which is to improve a certain form of human welfare. When most of the volunteers are imbued with such a value system, there will be a prevalent supporting and nurturing culture conducive for reaching the objectives of the NPO.
Conclusion
Most personality theories are useful to NPOs in indirect manners as they focus on the intangibles. They are best suited for understanding the volunteers’ motivations as well as creating a good supportive and nurturing organizational culture that is conducive for achieving the NPOs organizational objectives.
Most cognitive theories are useful to NPOs in a more direct manner as they focus on the person’s capacity to utilize his ability as well as understanding specifics. They are best suited for understanding the different volunteers’ abilities as well as certain aspects that may require a more systematic and logic way to understand. For example, a child’s personality tends to be unruly, but at which point of time there is a greater tendency to be more unruly? Cognitive theories perhaps will be able to further pin-point the exact spots that need to be examine in greater detail which personality theories can only offer a broader and wider perspective.
Therefore, both personality and cognitive theories have to be used in-tandem to achieve the optimum usefulness that is relevant in achieving the NPO’s organizational objectives.
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Dias Lu is an entrepreneur who specialises in self-empowerment, wealth mastery, and entrepreneurial leadership. Currently he is running his internet marketing business and doing part-time experiential coaching.
To continue to benefit from his shared experience, visit his blog at http://www.diaslu.com
While not actively pursuing his dreams, he will be practicing his martial arts, reading and writing articles. He believes that everyone has a right to their dreams and that perseverance and helping one another will achieve exactly those dreams.
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