A Closer Look - the Role of Organizational Culture in the Delivery of Humanitarian Assistance

The international community has seen a dramatic increase in the com­plexity of aid operations, with increasing numbers of donors partici­pating in humanitarian aid endeavors. Therefore, it is essential to determine factors that contribute to successful aid delivery. In an effort to guide more effective and efficient operations, this study investigated organizational culture in three distinct types of HAOs: the U. S. military, the International Federation of the Red Cross, and a sampling of local NGOs in Haiti. This work lends support to the belief that organizational culture impacts the delivery of aid. Findings also yielded support for collaborative efforts, while highlighting gaps between policy and practice and stressing the importance of bridging organizational differences more effectively. Unfortunately, almost ten years after Hurricane Mitch, countless pledges to humanitarianism and the determination of the need for collaboration, results indicate that the international community continues to grapple with these issues.