An Evolving Foundation of Giving: A Story of Institutionalizing Generosity

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An Evolving Foundation of Giving A Story of
Institutionalizing Generosity

• Jane E. Dutton
• Adam M. Grant
• Brent D. Rosso
• University of Michigan

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Goals of the Presentation

• Intrigue you generosity as institutionalized
  practice
• Invite you analysis is fresh and preliminary
• Inspire you new domain of org inquiry that taps
  humane basis of organizing (Germann, 2006)

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Short-term Question and Long-term Quest

• Short-term
• How does an organization institutionalize
  generosity?

• Long-term
• How does a generosity lens enrich how we think
  about organizational behavior ?

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Starting definitions

• Generosity Open-handed, characterized by a noble
  or forbearing spirit, magnanimous, liberal in
  giving (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
• Institutionalization Process by which a set of
  practices and corresponding meanings become
  shared, accepted, and made routine within an
  organization
• Foundation 1) A basis upon which something
  stands or is supported, 2) A designation for an
  5013c not-for-profit entity that raises and
  disburses money

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Game plan

• Situating HF
• Why study the institutionalization of generosity?
• A taste of the findings
• Theoretical implications
• Points of intrigue

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What is the Hope Foundation (HF)?

• Founded in 1996 as 501C non-profit organization
  intended to help Bed Company employees in need
• Bed Company is a global, public retail
  corporation with 1200 stores, employing 32,000
  employees
• Formal mission of HF Strengthen the Bed Co,
  family through programs that support employees
  and their communities
• As of 2006, given 2.2 m to 1800 employees. 56
  of employees give - over 15,000 employees
• Expanding activities provides grants and
  resources, scholarships, bereavement baskets,
  money school
• Financial support matched paycheck deductions
  (fifty cents to the dollar) and fundraising
• Grassroots run for the employees, by the
  employees

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Situating HF in studies of organizational giving
Origins
Beneficiaries
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Why study the institutionalization of generosity?

• Reveals potency of certain organizational
  programs or practices in generating meaning
• Window into the challenges of trying to institute
  the good
• Generosity as base condition for care,
  compassion, hospitality and other humane behaviors

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How we are studying this process?

• 12 interviews with key informants
• 40 store interviews over phone
• (20 managers, 20 store employees in 10 high-
  contributing and 10 low-contributing stores)
• Observations of HF committee meetings
• Will do 3,000 web surveys this summer
• Done as part of teaching undergrad class on
  Organizational Generosity

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Findings thus far

• Giving programs infuse different forms of meaning
  (about fellow employees, organization and self)
• Meaning of a giving program generates feelings
• Programs intended to promote virtuous action
  raise challenges in meaning management

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Meaning made about HF from many angles

• From employees
• From administrators in corporate headquarters
• Formal administrators
• Volunteers
• From customers

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Finding 1 HF fosters different forms of meaning

• Seeing fellow employees differently
• Connection to
• This is really more about us caring about our
  employee base and wanting to help them. And I
  think it--you know, the other piece thats
  important at a subtle--maybe more subtle level,
  is just that community connection of creating a
  means for the entire organization, whether youre
  a part-time, hourly employee or an officer of the
  company, to kind of stay connected to the people
  of the organization more. (AK)
• Admiration for
• And once I got involved with the Foundation and
  started hearing what was going on in their
  personal lives, it just amazed me, the hardships
  for one thing, that they could still come to work
  and do their jobs so well under those conditions.
  And I was so impressed with our employees.
  (k-8,p.4 )

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• Seeing the organization differently
• Caring
• A very important part of the company. Its
  clearly something that distinguishes us as an
  organization. The employees see it as a
  company-sponsored, you know, organization that
  shows the caring of the organization. So its
  very, very important. (DS)
• Mission affirmative
• And I...I feel like the Foundation is
  completely aligned with the mission statement of
  Bed Group and its companies in treating the
  employees with dignity and respect. So I think
  its...its almost like a mirror, you know,
  one...one supports the other, and their mission
  statements are almost parallel. (K8, p,12)
• Making the abstract concrete
• But I think if you're talking to someone about
  Bed Co. and you're trying to put something
  concrete on why is Bed Co,, you know, what makes
  Bed Co. a compassionate company, or a caring
  company, or a--you know, that kind of--the Bed
  Co.. is something concrete that really reflects
  that. (General manager at a store)

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• Seeing self differently
• As a virtuous person
• So it was little things that just really,
  really touched our heart and even in this
  building, the Foundation has helped quite a few
  people in this building, in the corporate office.
  And so it was just...just a very gratifyingI
  felt like Mother Teresa laughter all the time,
  because, you know, and...and just to treat
  people, our employees with dignity and respect,
  you know, that...And not to pass judgment on
  them, like how did they...how did they possibly
  get themselves in this type of situation
  and...And, you know, no one was there to pass
  judgment. (AK)
• As less focused on the bottom line
• All business can make you very focused on
  money, and you get very frantic I think. And
  this kind of releases you from that whole--to
  think about other people, to reach out to others
  in need. (R17-17)

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Finding 2 Meaning infused with feelings

• Vulnerability Connection to mortality
• I think that that...the collective import of
  that to me has been to, ah, you know, just make
  me realize that, you know, all of us to a degree
  are vulnerable to bad things happening to us. I
  mean, I think it has put me in touch more with my
  own, you know, mortality, so to speak. Just
  because bad things happen. (T B, p. 20)
• Empathy
• I think it will always, I mean for the rest of
  my life, I will always be a more compassionate
  person. I always was, but more so now. Definitely
  nonjudgmental. You know like theres that saying
  there but for the grace of God go I, you know,
  because I could be in their shoes tomorrow, and
  it doesnt really matter your education level,
  things happen to people, unexpected things. So
  they may not be prepared for them properly with
  insurance or whatever. (k-8, p. 17)

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Feelings suggest importance of filling the
meaning void in routine work

• There are days when maybe I... I dont like my
  job, or its very stressful... But because of the
  Foundation and what it really says about the
  company, its like...its like the little breath
  of fresh air that I need to go in when I would go
  to that meeting during a particularly stressful
  or difficult time period at work. It was like,
  okay, this is really whats important. Now at the
  end of the day, does anyone care how much it
  costs to send a book from here to there, maybe
  not. But if we help somebody move on in their
  life, then, and put their life back together,
  that to me is why I feel the Foundation is so
  important. (SB)

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Feelings associated with positive meaning can
override/buffer the negative

• For all of those things that we do, there is
  a kind of spirit quality to them, you know. Kind
  of enhances esprit de corps .You know, that
  were consistently associated with good things,
  you know. The company goes through much more rise
  and fall of economics and... business and retail
  is down and the stock is down or the stock is up.
  I mean, I...And I think that although we...like
  what do you think of the foundation, were doing
  something good (TB, 50)

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Finding 3 Dangerous edges Challenges in
managing meaning for a program intended to foster
the good

• Challenge Being and looking like good custodians
• Challenge Spreading the word about HF impact but
  not trying to benefit from peoples suffering
• Challenge Being fair but accommodating peoples
  special circumstances
• Challenge Being professional but also being
  human and grassroots
• Challenge Looking like Bed Co. but separate from
  Bed Co.

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Theoretical Implications

• Institutionalized programs as important sources
  of work meaning for multiple audiences
• Meaning of program derived from how programs
  existence and use shapes peoples interpretations
  of employees, of the organization and of self

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Theoretical implications (continued)

• Positive feelings associated with a programs
  meaning may indicate effective filling of a
  meaning void and buffer impact of negative org
  conditions
• Management of programs for their meaning can be
  delicate because of dangerous edges

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Take-aways

• Giving programs infuse different forms of meaning
• Bring about challenges in managing meaning in
  process of institutionalizing generosity