World vision australia PDF

Running Head: WORLD VISION AUSTRALIA 1
STUDENT DETAILS
ACAP Student ID: 245226
Name: GBENGA BALOGUN
Course: MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK (QUALIFYING)
ASSESSMENT DETAILS
Unit/Module: SWSP6093 LEADERSHIP FOR THE PROFESSION
Educator: VESNA SUCUR-JANKETOVIC
Assessment Name: ASSESSMENT 2 (INTERVIEW)
Assessment Number: 2
Term & Year: T3/2018

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DECLARATION
I declare that this assessment is my own work, based on my own personal research/study. I also
declare that this assessment, nor parts of it, has not been previously submitted for any other
unit/module or course, and that I have not copied in part or whole or otherwise plagiarized the
work of another student and/or persons. I have read the ACAP Student Plagiarism and
Academic Misconduct Policy and understand its implications. I also declare, if this is a practical
skills assessment, that a Client/Interviewee Consent Form has been read and signed by both
parties, and where applicable parental consent has been obtained.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report covers an interview with human services employee at World Vision Australia. The
interview aimed to address issues such as: the organizational culture, mission and vision, aims
and objectives, leadership structure and various challenges leaders face together solutions for the
challenges in the organization. The report also seeks to outline the strategy for World Vision
Australia to enhance its success.

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Table of Contents
DECLARATION.......................................................................................................................................2
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................5
Organizational background......................................................................................................................6
The development of leadership in World Vision Australia....................................................................7
The culture and values of the organization..............................................................................................8
The organizational strategic goals and objectives...................................................................................9
The objectives of World Vision Australia..............................................................................................10
The influence the leadership practice of the interviewee......................................................................11
Experience in leadership.........................................................................................................................12
Effective management of the team members.........................................................................................13
Appropriate Leadership in social work.................................................................................................14
Interviewees’ interaction with the stake holders...................................................................................15
The inteviewees’ interaction with the organizational structure and values........................................16
Macro environmental factors influencing the operations of World Vision Australia........................17
The micro environmental factors influencing the operations of World Vision Australia..................19
Conclusion................................................................................................................................................20
References................................................................................................................................................21
APPENDIX..............................................................................................................................................23
Questionnaire.......................................................................................................................................23

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Introduction
World Vision Australia is one of the organizations that participates in social work activities
being an organization that gives back to the society through charity. The organization operates
within Australia and offers help to most of the needy children within the country. The
organization is built on the foundation of fairness, integrity, honesty and ethics which are the key
values for the success of any organization. World Vision Australia has an efficient culture of
leadership that promotes the growth of the leadership skills of the employees across all the
organizational levels. In relation to the interview with one of the employees from the human
services department, the organization has really shaped the lives of many children in Australia
through various programs such as sponsorship programme for education and helping the orphans
in the society. The report is going to outline the findings from the interview and is going to
highlight some of the challenges in leadership in World Vision Australia together with the
structure of leadership in the organization.
Organizational background

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World vision Australia is dated back in 1966. It was meant to help the less fortunate in the
society especially the orphans. It has established various children homes across Australia and
receives donations from the government agencies from various nations to facilitate the program.
In the year 1947 DR Robert Pierce visited various countries such as Korea and China where he
met several individuals who had various needs. This sparked the idea for helping such people
and after he went back to the United States, he initiated fundraising initiatives to support such
people. He named his initiative as World vision which he said that he purposed to ensure all the
less fortunate people in various nations were catered for hence this led to the birth of the World
vision in September 1950 Pierce being the C.E.O. World Vision spread to various countries till
it reached Australia in August 1966. It played a very crucial role in supporting the refugees from
Indochina and the people who were affected by war in Bangladesh(Cosgrove & Rijsberman,
2014).
The Australians supported the project with various donations and by 1970, the World vision had
really grown and it dominated the whole nation through distribution of food and other basic
needs to the less fortunate in the society. World Vision played a crucial role during the Vietnam
War by hosting over 3000 refugees in 1976 which made it famous throughout the world. By the
year 1990 the international reach had really grown where it had a team that responded to various
emergency issues to various parts of the world. Currently, World Vision Australia is the largest
non-governmental organization in Australia and its working hard to eliminate poverty and its
causes in the society for a better tomorrow.
The development of leadership in World Vision Australia
World Vision Australia has enhanced the culture of open communication among its employees
and leaders from the top to the bottom level of management(Cameron & Rössler, 2016). The

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preferred leadership approach is participatory where all the individuals are involved in the
decision making process across all the levels in the organization. This is efficient because it
enhances the commitment of all the employees in the organization towards the vision and
mission. The organization has adequate opportunities for nurturing leaders through career
development programs for its employees, the organization has training and development
initiatives for the employees which also enhances their leadership skills. World Vision Australia
provides development opportunity for both the employees and several volunteers who later
become more efficient for the achievement of organizational objectives. Most of the volunteers
assume the roles for various employees in the organization and in the process acquire necessary
leadership skills and obtain a better understanding of the organizational culture which increases
their efficiency
The culture and values of the organization.
The culture of the organization refers to the way various aspects of the organization are dealt
with. This range from the recruitment process, the leadership style used in the organization and
many other aspects. Organizational values refer to the set of beliefs that regulate how individuals

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behave within the organization. The values such as honesty, integrity, respect and loyalty
determine how individuals shall be operating within the organization as they strive to achieve the
set goals and objectives within the organization. World Vision Australia is built on the belief of
integrity and honesty as it receives donations from various stakeholders who are committed
towards charity. The management of World Vision Australia ensures that all the donations are
used appropriately to ensure the achievement of speculated goals and objectives. The
organizational behavior is built on the foundation of integrity where the management do not use
the donations for their own self interests. The belief that those who help the needy are blessed
drives the organization towards helping most of the needy children in the society.
The organizational strategic goals and objectives.
According to Grant, Butler& Murray (2014)world Vision Australia’s main strategy is to ensure
better life for the less fortunate in the society. It has the following strategic goals for the
achievement of the speculated mission and vision:
Competent Management

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Through its competent management, World Vision Australia is in a good position to achieve its
objectives effectively. This is because a competent management can initiate effective decision
making processes to ensure the formulation of winning strategies within the organization
Forming partnerships
World vision Australia has purposed to collaborate with various Non-governmental
organizations to ensure that they cover a wide area in offering help to the needy in the society.
Through formation of partnerships, the organization shall be in a good position to access a wide
source of funds from various sponsors for their programs in the society hence increasing the
efficiency.
Ensure implementation of various policies.
World Vision Australia management ensure the implementation of various formulated policies
which is usually difficult for many organizations due to partial implementation of their
formulated policies.
Engaging and partnering with the stake holders
The success of World Vision Australia relies heavily on the support of the key stake holders who
need to be fully engaged in various activities of the organization in order to enhance a sense of
belonging among them.
The objectives of World Vision Australia
World vision Australia has the following objectives:
To help those who have various needs in the society within and outside Australia
To be an organization of integrity in the provision of its services
To promote equality among all the members of the society

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To create a bright future for the refugees
To contribute to the sustained well-being of over 20 million children by 2021.
To reach out and actively involve more than a million supporters by 2021 to actively connect
with children and community in need.
To increase the income base of the organization to $1 billion by 2021 in order to achieve a long
term stability of income to enhance the well being of the needy children through: revitalizing the
sponsorship of the children, growing the organization’s income from major donors and
enterprises, growing the organization’s income from grants and goods in kind.
To transform the lives of children through: the process of delivering and supporting high impact
development, relief and advocacy programs that positively impact the well-being of children, the
process of delivering and supporting high impact programs that shall benefit the children under
their care.
To collaborate with the Australians to steer the agenda for helping children from less fortunate
families through: initiating the growth of an active citizen supporter baze, initiating the growth
of the value generated from various church partnerships in the country, enhancing good
relationship with different partners in the country, influencing the policy and attitudinal change
of the Australians towards the less fortunate in the society.
To build a sustainable organization through engaging and motivating employees to enhance high
performance and developing new models of operation to bring communities and supporters
close.
The influence the leadership practice of the interviewee.
The World Vision Australia’s culture has a major impact on John’s leadership practice. Being a
health practitioner as a lab technician in the past he had minimal experience in career in social
work which he had much desire to serve humanity especially those who are in need in the
society. The values of World Vision Australia has really shaped his skills as a leader. Values

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such as integrity and honesty has really enhanced his leadership position since he is usually
responsible for the reception of donations on behalf of the organization and records everything
which without a value such as honesty and individuals can embezzle the organizational funds
received from the well-wishers. John uses participatory approach in leadership which enhances
employee’s participation within the organization. His philosophy of leadership is aligned to the
mission and vision of the organization which is the most important aspect for any leader. John
has been influenced by the strategic objective of the organization in a significant manner. It has
enabled him to incorporate his individual reflection into leadership which is the most important
aspect for any leader as it enables him to know the new ideas that can be incorporated into the
corporate organizational culture to increase the efficiency of the organization in relation to the
achievement of the organizational vision and mission.
Experience in leadership
The style of leadership used by a leader is usually central to the success or failure of the
organization. This is because it determines the degree of employee satisfaction within the
organization. The leadership style such as autocratic hinders employees from making decisions

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in the organization hence the turnover rate increases in the organization. Participatory leadership
enhances the involvement of the employees in the organizational activities hence enhances job
satisfaction among the employees in the organization. World Vision Australia has a large number
of employees who need to be involved in various decisions in relation to various organizational
aspects hence John has to apply participatory style of leadership for efficiency. This has
enhanced employee retention in the organization because of been involved in the decision
making process in meetings and conferences where they make suggestions which are later
implemented within the organization(Chambers, et al, 2018).
World Vision Australia embraces the idea of sharing knowledge, tasks and delegation of various
responsibilities among the members which enhances unity in the organization. John as a leader
always delegate duties to various employees and expose them to various leadership roles which
is usually very crucial in the development of their future roles in leadership. This has always
enhanced the promotion of the employees to higher positions of leadership in the organization on
the basis of their integrity, performance and degree of leadership ability.
Effective leadership practices in the organization has enhanced the reduction of complaints
among the employees enhancing the achievement of various objectives and goals set within the
organization.
Effective management of the team members
John outlines that he is usually very interested to work with a committed team of volunteers and
employees within the organization. This is because this type of people are usually committed in
their service to the organization whether they are paid or not where they sacrifice their resources
for the success of the organization. Most of the employees in World Vision Australia started as
volunteers but later secured a permanent employment in the organization. John outlines that the

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collaborative nature of the team gives him an easy time in the accomplishment of various tasks in
the organization which enhances the attainment of the performance objectives set within a
specific period of time in the organization. The core values in the organization such as hard work
and commitment enhance the employees’ team work and collaboration in the organization.
Through justice equality is achieved in the entire organization which facilitates the
organizational growth and development. Through respect, diversity has been embraced in the
organization and all the employees usually appreciate the efforts of each other.
Appropriate Leadership in social work
Successful leadership in any organizational setting requires the commitment of all the individuals
in the organization. A successful leader in social work should portray humility, honesty,
integrity, commitment and extravertism to enhance the coordination of all the employees in the
organization towards the vision and mission of the organization. The leader should develop good
conflict resolution skills to ensure organizational harmony which ensures minimum wastage of
time to in solving conflicts hence enhancing the effectiveness of activities within the
organization(Elliott, et al ,2014). World Vision Australia receives financial donations from

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various stakeholders which implies that an effective leader in such an organizational setting
should be transparent in all the transactions so as to gain confidence from the stake holders on
the financial accountability. Appropriate financial budget is usually efficient for appropriate
usage of funds in the organization. The budget ensures that the received funds are apportioned
well for various projects which enhances the overall achievement of the objectives in the
organization. World Vision Australia should prioritize its needs to enhance the satisfaction of
the most basic needs with the donated funds.
The employees should be remunerated appropriately which enhances their job satisfaction
which in turn leads to total commitment in the provision of their services in the organization. The
employees should be appreciated for their good work in various ways such as promotions,
various benefits such as house allowance etc. This reduces the turn over rate of the employees in
the organization.
Interviewees’ interaction with the stake holders
John is one of the key members of World Vision Australia’s management team. He is usually
involved in the crucial decisions regarding the organizational operations. He is usually involved
in the formulation of various policies which are usually essential for the effective operation of
the organization(World Health Organization, 2015).In the process of policy formulation and
decision making in World Vision Australia, John interacts with several stakeholders. The
stakeholders he cooperates with in policy formulation and decision making include the
volunteers, other employees in the organization, the sponsors and the senior management team.

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The inteviewees’ interaction with the organizational structure and values
World Vision Australia is headed by the Chief Executive officer. The management team
comprises of the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Corporate Affairs, Chief Financial Officer,
Chief Marketing And Product Officer, Chief People And Culture, Chief Strategy, Innovation
And Digital,Chief Retail And Supporter Experience and Chief Technology Officer. The
interviewee is among the senior members of the executive team. The key values that enhance the
leadership of the executive team are: honesty, integrity, respect among others(Rose, et al,

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2017).John being one of the leaders from the top management teams leads by example by
practicing the organizational key values in all his organizational undertakings. John respects all
the employees in World Vision Australia from the top to the bottom level of the organization
inspite of his position in the organization.
Macro environmental factors influencing the operations of World Vision Australia.
Some of the macro-environmental factors identified by the management of the organization after
a thorough macro-environmental analysis are:
Threat of new Entrants
Australia has over a hundred international aid-based institutions and foundations despite the
indulgent humanitarian laws that usually regulate the operations and registration of philanthropic
based institutions within a given region to prevent unhealthy competition that may arise in the
provision of services and enjoying maximum benefits from donations from various agencies.

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Such institutions include the Caritas international, Canadian-Aid, US-Aid, UK-Aid among
others. The enrollment of more non-governmental organizations results to competition for
available donations and competition for project allocation among the organizations
intensifies(Khairallah, et al, 2015). The government should set appropriate policies and
restrictions for entry for new organizations so as to minimize the threat posed to World Vison
Australia.
The inherent industrial Rivalry
This is a common practice for most of the humanitarian organizations due to the nature of the
services they offer. World Vision Australia and US-Aid perceives each other as rivals due to
competition that exists between them to catch the attention of the donors (Whitewood, Black&
Hopkins, 2017).This has enabled the organization to increase its source of funding apart from
the donations received. The most recent research has indicated that over 78% of the World
Vision Australia funds has been generated internally with only 14.8% being received from
donations.
Threat of substitute services
There has been an increased propensity in specialization among the existing firms to provision of
unique services specific under human aid due to increased number of humanitarian firms. Most
of the non-profit making firms have been registered to provide humanitarian aids such as
provision of relief facilities during various natural calamities such earth quakes, hunger, floods
etc. Such firms are facing stiff competition from well-established foundations that are usually
formed with an aim of giving back to the community through corporate and individual social
responsibility and do not provide their services only during calamities but often helps the
society(Dawson, et al ,2015).World Vision Australia has faced stiff competition following the

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2008 child sponsorship controversies as people prefer for scholarships that are perceived to have
a direct benefit as opposed to World Vision Community based approach.
The micro environmental factors influencing the operations of World Vision Australia
According Hunt (2018)some of the internal factors influencing the operations the organization
are:
Effective Leadership
The leaders in the organization are very efficient in ensuring the implementstion of strategies
which enhances the success of the organization.
Availability of finance

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The organization receives financial support from various well wishers which enhances its
operations.
Committed work force
The employees are very committed towards the achievement of the organizational goals and
objectives.
Conclusion
Effectiveness in leadership is the most important aspect for the success of any organization. The
core values and organizational culture should be adhered to for effectiveness. Participatory
leadership should be applied in the organization because it enhances the jobsatisfaction among
the employees in the organization.

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References
Cameron, C., & Rössler, M. (2016). Many voices, one vision: The early years of the World
Heritage Convention. Routledge.
Cosgrove, W. J., & Rijsberman, F. R. (2014). World water vision: making water everybody's
business. Routledge.
Chambers, I., Russell‐Smith, J., Costanzo, R., Cribb, J., Kerens, S., George, M., & Ansell, J.
(2018). Australia's north, Australia's future: A vision and strategies for sustainable
economic, ecological and social prosperity in northern Australia. Asia & the Pacific
Policy Studies, 5(3), 615-640.

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Dawson, K. S., Bryant, R. A., Harper, M., Kuowei Tay, A., Rahman, A., Schafer, A., & van
Ommeren, M. (2015). Problem Management Plus (PM+): a WHO transdiagnostic
psychological intervention for common mental health problems. World Psychiatry, 14(3),
354-357.
Elliott, J. H., Turner, T., Clavisi, O., Thomas, J., Higgins, J. P., Mavergames, C., & Gruen, R. L.
(2014). Living systematic reviews: an emerging opportunity to narrow the evidence-
practice gap. PLoS medicine, 11(2), e1001603.
Grant, R., Butler, B., Orr, S., & Murray, P. A. (2014). Contemporary strategic management: An
Australasian perspective. John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
Hunt, J. (2018). Community development for sustainable early childhood care and development
programs: A World Vision Australia and Central Land Council partnership. The
Australian National University.
Khairallah, M., Kahloun, R., Bourne, R., Limburg, H., Flaxman, S. R., Jonas, J. B., & Price, H.
(2015). Number of people blind or visually impaired by cataract worldwide and in world
regions, 1990 to 2010. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 56(11), 6762-6769.
Rose, N., Hearn, S. A. H., Bucello, P., Council, C. S., Klein, S., Council, H. S., & Tran, C.
(2017). Food Systems and the Role of Local Government. VLGA. Melbourne: SUSTAIN.
World Health Organization (WHO. (2015). Impact of increasing prevalence of myopia and high
myopia: report of the Joint World Health Organization. Brien Holden Vision Institute
Global Scientific Meeting on Myopia.
White, S. L., Wood, J. M., Black, A. A., & Hopkins, S. (2017). Vision screening outcomes of
Grade 3 children in Australia: Differences in academic achievement. International
Journal of Educational Research, 83, 154-159.

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APPENDIX
Questionnaire
Q- Briefly outline the appropriate style of leadership you apply as a leader in World Vision
Auistralia.
A- As a leader I prefer participatory style of leadership because through involving the
employees in decision making, they feel valued and do their best for the achievement of
the organizational objectives.
Q- Briefly tell me the number of employees you handle in the organization
A- As a senior manager , iam in charge of over 3500 employees in World Vision
Australia.
Q- Have you realised any benefit in good renumeration of the employees?

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A- It enhances the retention of the employees in the organization because it leads to
job satisfaction.
Q- What is your description of effective leadership in World Vision Australia
A- Effective leadership comes with integrity, honesty and accountability
when dealing with the donations.
Q- Outline the challenges you face as a leader in the organization.
A- Leaders in human services organizations face a lot of challenges such
as competition for donors.
Q- What strategies have you used to overcome this main
challenge?
A- The organization raises funds from investments and occasional
fundraisings planned within the organization.