KELLY Youth Services is a non-profit organization that operates group homes in Ohio. It was founded by a former NFL player, Joe Kelly, a first-round pick for the Cincinnati Bengals. The organization focuses on providing support and empowerment for youths and the community as a whole. The mission of the organization is “to educate, stimulate and motivate youth into becoming self sufficient, responsible and employable citizens in the community†(KELLY Youth Services, 2016). KELLY Youth Services is designed “to assist in the rehabilitation of its residents by providing a structured disciplined environment based upon basic behavioral principals, educational standards, counseling, treatment care and role modeling†with the goal being to “increase each resident’s likelihood of becoming successful independent productive adults†(KELLY Youth Services, 2016).
Organizational Theories
Human Relations Theory and Social Exchange Theory can explain KELLY Youth Services by focusing on the motivation of employees (inspired by a social good, as identified by Human Relations Theory) but also by the negotiation of an exchange so that it is a win-win situation for all parties (as is explained by Social Exchange Theory). KELLY can be understood in the light of these two theories because it offers individuals with a civic mind who want to give back to the community the opportunity to assist youths in need. It also enables workers to benefit from their service by giving them experience, training, and the tools needed to develop their own social work skills.
Human Relations Theory states that attitudes of workers and stakeholders, relationships and style of leadership are all instrumental in how well an organization performs. The key concept of the theory is the aspect of “humanâ€â€”i.e., what aspects of the human are instrumental in making the workplace efficient (O’Connor, 1999). The theory holds that while employees will always be incentivized by financial reward (pay, salary, bonuses, etc.), they are not wholly motivated by this alone. There are, in other words, numerous social factors or variables that also play a part in how hard an employee will work to achieve the organization’s goals. These variables include: 1) having a sense of belonging, 2) taking pride in one’s work, 3) receiving praise and positive feedback, 4) having the ability to enjoy feelings of success. The key concepts of this theory are that individuals should feel like they have a social benefit to their work, one that is both personal and relational. This theory helps an organization to focus on human capital.
Social Exchange Theory states that the key concepts of relationships are self-interest and interdependence. These two variables are what determine how interactions are effected. This theory asserts that social behavior is the result of a give-and-take phenomenon that can be described in terms of a cost-benefit ratio. The theory asserts that rewards and costs are what determine relationship or workplace decisions, and so outcomes may be both social and economic in nature (Lambe, Wittmann, Spekman, 2001).
These two theories apply to KELLY Youth Services’ functions, rules and procedures in terms of how the organization views its role in the community and how workers there respond to the needs of youths in the community. Human Relations Theory explains how KELLY encourages individuals to work for the organization by calling on people who have skills in tutoring and/or various therapy treatments. The theory explains how the organization puts the needs of its clients first and supports workers by providing them with positive feedback for making a difference in young people’s lives, via praise, and via relationships established in the workplace.
Social Exchange Theory explains how KELLY provides benefits to workers for their commitment to the organization and to the community. The functions that KELLY provides to youths requires 24-hour care, and in order to secure workers for 2nd and 3rd shifts, the organization offers benefits to workers that provide them with personal incentives for working these hours. Since the organization is a group home, the organization recognizes that workers want incentives such as health care to work with the youths, and this trade-off is explained by the social exchange theory.
KELLY and the Structure Continuum
The organization is structured to fall on both ends of the continuum by offering both structured continuum and unstructured continuum options. In terms of structured, it is more on the functional end of the continuum than on the project end, which means it is oriented towards providing services that individuals can access rather than tailoring and developing a specific project for a client (Goubko, 2002). KELLY aims to provide individual youths with the right therapy that they need, but this is often delegated to counselors who possess experience in dealing with particular issues. The organization’s standard programs that it offers are maternity-oriented, adult services, transitional living services, and youth mentorship to facilitate life goal development.
In terms of unstructured, the organization’s focus on human individuality and well-being on one end of the continuum is balanced by its focus on objective, efficient completion of tasks on the other end. KELLY wants every client to reach his or her potential and to that end, it focuses on the unique needs and talents of the individual and identifies ways that the client can grow. For this reason, it seeks to promote individual workers who are dedicated to this pursuit. At the same time, it wants to achieve real results with tangible effects, so there is also a focus on measuring outcomes and monitoring development.
Diversity
The two theories used herein both attend to diversity issues well enough: Human Relations Theory identifies that different individual workers and clients from different backgrounds will celebrate meaning in different ways. The organization embraces diversity and seeks to let individuals define their own terms of success within a larger overall accepted framework that is socially approved within the community.
Social Exchange Theory also supports diversity in terms of how it explains this organization. KELLY Youth Services offers workers incentives to be committed to the organization’s aims and practices, and the programs that are offered to the public will not work unless they are assisted by real professionals who are dedicated to the job. The theory recognizes that every individual will differ and come to the workplace with his or her own sensibilities, background, and desires, so the organization approaches each individual with a sense of how this person may be incentivized in order for the relationship to be a win-win for all.
Strengths and Limitations
Human Relations Theory helped me to understand this organization in terms of how it appealed to individuals: it approaches both clients and workers with the same idea and goal in mind—the betterment of the community. It calls on both clients and workers to work together, to interact, and to support one another so as to achieve the goal of a better community. In doing so, the organization believes that people will grow and develop their own lives to be more in line with success. The balance that it strikes in terms of the theory are that it identifies human needs and seeks ways to provide for those needs. In other words, it uses praise to win the hearts and minds of both workers and clients, calling out those who sacrifice their time, make donations, volunteer or work for the organization and dedicate themselves to the organization’s goals. It also gives support to those who want to accept the challenge of turning their lives around and making changes to become more accountable.
The limitations of this theory are that it does not recognize the unsung heroes of the organization, those who work and dedicate themselves without receiving honors or appreciation. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes in just day to day operations; however, the idea of taking pride in one’s work also helps to explain this concept, so in terms of limitations there are few that apply to this theory.
For Social Exchange Theory, its strengths are that it shows how the organization appeals to stakeholders and what it offers in return for commitment from others. Its only weakness is that it views the exchange as one that is focused on developing a win-win for everyone, and in some cases I do not see a win-win situation as always possible. In some cases, an individual will be required to sacrifice more in order to achieve the greater or common good that is the goal of the organization. This might me longer hours, or giving up some habit that the individual has cultivated for a long time in order to meet the goals of a particular program. For this reason, Human Relations Theory works better to explain the organization because it includes taking pride in one’s work, which comes from sacrificing to achieve a good. In this sense, as Kissack and Callahan (2010) show, the organizational culture that is cultivated by the organization is what supports the Human Relations Theory approach to understanding the organization over the Social Exchange Theory. However, both can be helpful in understanding aims of KELLY Youth Services and what the non-profit is about.
Appraisal
I found that using multiple theories to assess the organization was rather helpful. One theory alone is not adequate to always understand everything about an entity. Sometimes having multiple perspectives or frameworks from which to gauge the entity allows one to better see all its characteristics and understand its approaches. In terms of recognizing the role of leadership in KELLY, for instance, Human Relations Theory is helpful because it shows that, just as Schyns and Schilling (2013) do, leadership is essential for producing positive outcomes. At the same time, Social Exchange Theory is helpful for seeing how the organization attracts stakeholders. Stakeholders see that the organization is offering some benefit to them either through employment incentives, social recognition, empowerment, or a change of life assistance offering via a program designed to make lives better. Thus, together these two theories explain a great deal about the organization, and even though one might be relied upon more so than the other to explain certain aspects or dynamics of the organization, each is helpful in the overall picture that develops.
Applying the Saint Leo Core Value of Responsible Stewardship
The Saint Leo core value of responsible stewardship applies to this organization because at its essence, KELLY Youth Services is the embodiment of this value. The organization sees itself as a steward of the community and wants to make a difference. Its founder is one who has benefitted by playing professional football for the community and recognizes the opportunity to give back by assisting those who are less fortunate than him to have the chance to better their lives. The founder represents the Saint Leo core value of responsible stewardship because he has been blessed with an abundance of resources and has fostered a spirit of service to use those resources for community development. The organization thus teaches others to serve as responsible stewards, either in their own lives or in their communities in order to make the world a better place.
Responsible stewardship can best be characterized by the idea of servant leadership, which fits in with the Christian ideals and values associated with this core value and with community values as well. By being there for youths who are in need and offering programs to help them climb out of their troubles and giving them shelter and a place to stay, grow, and develop, the KELLY Youth Services organization works as a responsible steward in the community, taking in those who have problems such as homelessness, psychological issues, drug habits, or poverty and poor education.
Overall the organization is there to make a difference and to effect positive change in the lives of all stakeholders. It helps those who give just as much as it helps those who receive. It puts all stakeholders in a better light because the light is illumined by the grace of service, which is what is at the heart of the Saint Leo core value of responsible stewardship, and which is what is at the heart of Christian values that Saint Leo represents. These same values are represented well by the giving nature of KELLY Youth Services and the goal of its founder, who received much from the community and now wants to give back.
References
Goubko, M. V. (2002). Structure of the optimal organization of a continuum of
executives. Automation and Remote Control, 63(12), 116-130.
KELLY Youth Services. (2016). Welcome to KELLY Youth Services. Retrieved from
http://www.kellyyouthservices.com/index.htm
Kissack, H., Callahan, J. (2010). The reciprocal influence of organizational culture and
training and development programs: Building the case for a culture analysis within program planning. Journal of European Industrial Training, 34(4), 365 – 380.
Lambe, C., Wittmann, C., Spekman, R. (2001). Social exchange theory and research on
business-to-business relational exchange. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 8(3), 1-36.
O’Connor, E. (1999). Minding the workers: The meaning of human ‘and human relations’
in Elton Mayo. Organization, 6(2), 223-246.
Schyns, B., Schilling, J. (2013). How bad are the effects of bad leaders? A meta-
analysis of destructive leadership and its outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 24, 138-158.
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
GET A PERFECT SCORE!!! 
Delivering a high-quality product at a reasonable price is not enough anymore.
That’s why we have developed 5 beneficial guarantees that will make your experience with our service enjoyable, easy, and safe.
You have to be 100% sure of the quality of your product to give a money-back guarantee. This describes us perfectly. Make sure that this guarantee is totally transparent.
Read moreEach paper is composed from scratch, according to your instructions. It is then checked by our plagiarism-detection software. There is no gap where plagiarism could squeeze in.
Read moreThanks to our free revisions, there is no way for you to be unsatisfied. We will work on your paper until you are completely happy with the result.
Read moreYour email is safe, as we store it according to international data protection rules. Your bank details are secure, as we use only reliable payment systems.
Read moreBy sending us your money, you buy the service we provide. Check out our terms and conditions if you prefer business talks to be laid out in official language.
Read more