The Organizational Context in Maxim Fire and Rescue Services - Case Study Example

 Maxim Fire and Rescue Services Introduction: Maxim Fire and Rescue Services is based in Nairobi in Kenya and is involved in the business of responding to fire emergency calls. The Fire and Rescue services first originated in Dar es Salaam in the year 2000 with four ex-Surrey Fire and Rescue Mercedes pumps, but the department has grown to also extend its fire fighting services to Nairobi (www. Knightsupport.com). The company also provides associated services such as vehicle extraction and confined space rescue services. This Report outlines the organizational issues associated with the Company and its personnel. Organizational context: In Nairobi, due to poor quality of construction materials, there is a greater likelihood of fire. In a report that was prepared on disaster management in Nairobi, it was pointed out in the context of a recent fire that had taken place at the Mayor’s parlor that the equipment was grossly inadequate and the fire hydrants had no water (www.fig,net). Arson is also common in Nairobi with an increasingly violent population of unemployed youth (Lacey, 2001). The political environment in Nairobi is characterized by opposition parties with the local government failing to cope with the growth in the city as a result contributing to general chaos and corruption.(www.unu.edu). In specific reference to fire fighters, organizational factors contributing to stress are linked to their job demands and may include factors such as work load, stressful events, time pressure and a physically demanding working environment (Dewe,1989). From an occupational perspective, those working in stressful situations such as firefighters, are categorized as “first responders” and they constitute an occupation-at-risk group. (Ussery and Waters, 2006). Individuals within fire fighting organizations: In the case of fire fighting organizations in Nairobi, one of the significant issues to be addressed is operational inefficiencies. These are caused by poor leadership among the management of the organization and the lack of strong and clearly defined policies. Skinner’s operant conditioning theory would be relevant in this context, because the existing bureaucratic set-ups lead to corruption and inefficiencies which the employees become conditioned into and thus, the pattern perpetuates. In his study, Dewe (1989) highlights stress which is almost always present in firefighters and identifies potential sources of stress, i.e, the demands of the workplace that contribute to stress. Dewe (1989) has also pointed out that traditional work-specific measures may have different structures for different occupational groupings, since the stressors may be different and may generate differing levels and types of stress. In the case of Nairobi, stress could be caused due to the uncertainties existing in a bureaucratic, corruption ridden environment. Therefore, it is necessary to go beyond the stress itself and discuss it in terms of its intensity, frequency and meaning. One of the findings that Dewe(1989) arrived at was that stress should be viewed as relational in nature and he found that stressful organizational practices tended to remain unchallenged because there was a tendency to deflect responsibility away from the organization. Strategies identified by the participants to cope with work related stress also included changing, augmenting or enhancing their coping resources and responses.(Dewe 1989). One of the stress causing factors that Ussery and Waters (2006) have identified in their study is the lack of emotional outlet for those high risk occupations that may be categorized as first responders, which would also include fire fighters. These individuals witness death, disfiguring of victims, injuries, wounds and pain on a daily basis but are forced by professional constraints to remain stoic and ever ready to face danger. Firefighters do not know what to expect when they rush into a burning building; the September 11th tragedy killed 400 firefighters (Ussery and Waters, 2006). Organizational inefficiencies in assignment of workloads may produce shift rotations without breaks, which produces emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (Shirley 2006). The study conducted by Shirley (2006) has also found that stress victims appeared to be unaware of the effects of stress or proactive stress management strategies. Firefighters may be similarly lacking in awareness of coping skills that could help them deal with job related stress. This finding corroborates Dewe’s study that suggested the need for augmentation and modification of coping skills, which may need to be taught to persons in high stress occupations. A lack of social support appears to be a causal factor in burnout and the lack of support from supervisors and co-workers has been identified as contributing to additional stress among those in high pressure occupations such as fire fighting. (Halsebelen, 2006). These results also substantiate the findings of Dewe(1989) that stressful organizational practices may need to be identified and addressed in order to successfully help employees cope with stress. This may include a revamping of organizational practice or the hiring of more personnel to reduce individual workloads, instead of attributing stress related burnout to purely individual limitations and ignoring stress generating organizational practices, which is very much the case in Nairobi. Ussery and Waters(2006) have also examined a stress intervention program that is specifically targeted towards first responders such as firefighters. Hotlines have been established where such first responders can call when they are feeling stressed out and speak to a brother or sister officer. Ussery and Waters(2006) have explained that this helps to address the initial resistance that is experienced by these first defenders in speaking about their problems. However, when they are able to speak with a fellow officer who has been through the same situations and therefore is able to understand the nature of their problems, it is an enormous relief to them and helps in an alleviation of stress. Therefore, establishing hotlines where fire fighters can speak to ex-fire fighters for instance would provide them with a vent for their stressful feelings and emotions. In Nairobi, working in an unregulated atmosphere rife with corruption and uncertainty, with arson and violence playing a role in fire outbreaks, fire fighters may often find themselves in a situation where they are unable to adequately express themselves; thereby they may suffer from symptoms of stress and anxiety, which in extreme cases could cause burnout. In a study that specifically examined burnout in fire fighters, Halbesleban et al (2006) have discussed collaborative action research as a method that may be efficacious in the reduction of burnout. Collaborative action research is a method whereby each participant participates actively in the research process, with each person contributing his or her unique perspective. Halbesleben et al (2006) demonstrate the efficacy of the collaborative action research approach in the context of the U.S. federal fire department and they have highlighted the potential benefits of this approach, which is a more holistic one that can be tailored to meet the needs of each individual organization. This approach may also serve to address the need identified by Dewe (1989) among participants in his study to communicate about the intensity and frequency of work stressors. When the environmental factors are included in the assessment of stress generating factors leading to burnout, and employee input is accepted, then the organizational set up can be improved in order to reflect lower levels of stress for employees and provide them the social support network that is required to avoid burnout and cope with work related stress. Bakker et al (2006) have suggested that certain individual personality traits may make an individual more resistant to burnout and therefore more suitable for work in high risk, high stress positions. For example, in their study, they identified the traits of high extraversion and low neuroticism as being well suited to volunteer positions in the human services area. They have also pointed that intensive, well structured training programs that help individuals in high stress positions to learn coping skills are effective in reducing burnout, because it helps them to control their negative reactions to work related stressful situations. This may be helpful in framing stress management programs for firefighters as well, since the selection procedures for fire fighters can be refined and improved such that only individuals who possess certain qualities such as low neuroticism and a greater level of emotional hardiness may be hired into these positions. If such individuals are also equipped with an adequate amount of training that equips them with effective coping skills in a high pressure environment, they may be better able to cope with the stressors they encounter during the course of carrying out their duties. Conclusions: On the basis of the above, it may be noted that human factors play a very important role in the organizational context of fire fighting. The kind of personality an individual has and the kind of communication skills he or she has is also significant in the context of organizational operations. In Nairobi, the external factors such as the political environment, the corruption and violence that is rife in the city may all contribute towards increasing the incidence of arson. Due to such inefficiencies, disorder and chaos in the atmosphere, there could be unexpected outbursts of fire caused by factors such as a lack of water in the fire hydrants, which is inexcusable because it is sheer lack of maintenance. The disorder in the external atmosphere may produce a corresponding disorder in the internal organizational environment, resulting in bureaucratic inefficiencies and a lack of effective leadership. Stress in firefighters may however be most of the issues that would be on the top of the agenda in terms of improving operational efficiency at Maxim Fire and Rescue Services. As detailed earlier, collaborative action research can be used to ensure that tactics to tackle stress are tailored to meet the needs of individual organizations. Hiring larger numbers of personnel, distributing workloads and allocating shifts more evenly may also be helpful to ensure that firefighters are able to function more effectively. It may also be noted that hiring the right kind of people would be vital to ensure that they function efficiently, because it’s only those with a strong temperament and ability to deal with the stressors of fire fighting who would be suitable for hire. The importance of effective leadership cannot be stressed enough. In the context of a fire services organization, while brave people need to be hired, they must also be effectively motivated and encouraged if they are to perform well. It might be helpful to provide workers with incentives and bonuses for exemplary acts, or to periodically provide fire fighters with rewards, both financial and otherwise. For instance, a mention in the local newspapers or a citation pinned up on the organizational notice-board in a location where everyone can see it would also contribute towards providing the employee with a sense of self worth and satisfaction at a job well done and provide an incentive to function better. It must also be concluded that little can be done to address the external political and environmental factors that may play a role in organizational uncertainty. Within an organization however, introducing clear cut policies and enforcing standards requiring workers to adhere to certain rules and regulations could be helpful in addressing the problems and issues that have been addressed earlier in this report. References: * Bakker, Arnold B, Van Der Zee, Karen I, Lewig, Kerry A and Dollard, Maureen F, 2006. “The relationship between the Big Five personality factors and Burnout: A study among volunteer counselors.” The Journal of Social Psychology, 146(1): 31-51 * Burke, R.J. and Mikkelsen, A, 2006. “Burnout among Norwegian police officers: Potential antecedents and consequences.” International Journal of Stress Management, 13(1): 64-86. * Dewa, Carolyn S, Lin, Elizabeth, Kooehoorn, Mieke and Goldner, Elliot, 2007. “Association of chronic work stress, psychiatric disorders and chronic physical conditions with Disability among workers.” Psychiatric Services, 58(5): 652 * Dewe, P, 1989. “Developing stress management programs: What can we learn from recent research?” Occupational Health and Safety, 5(6) : 493-500 * Halbesleben, Jonathon R. B., Osburn, Holly K, Mumford, Michael D, 2006. “Action Research as a Burnout Intervention: Reducing Burnout in the Federal Fire Service.” Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 42(2): 244-26 * Halbesleben, J.R.B., 2006. “Sources of Social Support and Burnout: A meta analytic test of the conservation of resources model.” Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(5): 1134-1145 * Lacey, Marc, 2001. “U.N. study says Nairobi is inundated with crime”, The New York Times, November 29, 2001; Retrieved April 20 2010 from: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/29/world/un-study-says-nairobi-is-inundated-with- crime.html * Obudho, R.A. No date. “Nairobi: national capital and regional hub”, Retrieved April 20, 2010 from: http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu26ue/uu26ue0o.htm * “Risk and Disaster management – a case study of Nairobi Kenya”, Retrieved April 20, 2010 from: https://www.fig.net/pub/jakarta/papers/ts_16/ts_16_4_nabutola.pdf * Shirley, Maria R, 2006. “Stress and Coping in Nurse Managers: Two decades of research.” Nursing Economics, 24(4): 193-202 * “The Fire Department”, Retrieved April 20, 2010 from: http://www.knightsupport.com/full-list-of-our-services/the-fire-department.html * Ussery, William J and Waters, Judith A, 2006. “COP-2-COP Hotlines: Programs to address the needs of First responders and their Families.” Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 6:66-78 Read More