Giving Veterans a Renewed Sense of Purpose Shortly after returning from his depl

Question

Giving Veterans a Renewed Sense of Purpose Shortly after returning from his deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marine veteran Jake Wood cofounded Team Rubicon. Staffed by veterans, his organization bridges the gap between the moment a natural disaster happens and the time at which conventional aid organizations respond. Wood seeks to solve two problems. The first is that many aid organizations are not equipped or trained to respond rapidly during the “crucial window" of time immediately following a disaster. The second is the inadequate way that many veterans are reintegrated into society after serving in the military. Veterans have a unique set of skills and experiences that are ideal for disaster relief situations. Team Rubicon provides veterans with three things they lose after leaving the military: Purpose: Doing work with a higher purpose, in this case helping survivors of natural disasters, is motivational for veterans. Community: Veterans are accustomed to serving with and protecting their team members. Self-worth: Helping others in crisis provides veterans with a sense of self-worth and accomplishment. Since its founding in 2011, Team Rubicon has made a positive impact on survivors immediately following several disasters around the world, including Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey, a tsunami in Chile, floods in Pakistan, an earthquake in Haiti, and tornadoes in Missouri and Arkansas. Disaster relief missions are highly motivating for veterans, and their skills bring victims badly needed assistance, medical supplies, and other forms of relief until organizations like the Red Cross arrive. Team Rubicon staff and volunteers know how to get their jobs done: “When we arrive on site after a disaster in a foreign country, all eyes and hope have turned to us, expecting immediate action and results. Disasters are noexcuse, results-only zones."70 Questions: Of those veterans who would like to work for Team Rubicon, what types of rewards are likely to keep them motivated: extrinsic, intrinsic, or both? To what degree do you think Team Rubicon will make a positive impact on natural disaster victims? Explain.

Explanation / Answer

Extrinsic rewards means rewards that are externally gained like a trophy, a medal, some cash prize, salary, any many more. These rewards are measurable and tangible. Whereas, Intrinsic rewards are rewards that one gains out of inner satisfaction like a feeling of accomplishment, feeling of satisfaction and happiness.

In the present case, the volunteers are veterans who have returned from war. The main purpose of creating the team Rubicon was to give the veterans a sense of purpose which is an intrinsic reward they would derive out of helping the people in the disaster struck places. They have the ability and the skill required to deal with situations in disaster stuck places.

Being on a job after serving the military for situations that need their skills gives the veterans a sense of being engaged or being employed , it gives them a feeling of being able to be of help and worth to the people of the disaster struck area. It also gives them a feeling of self worth, builing the confidence within.

For veterans working for Team Rubicon intrinsic rewards are more motivating than the external rewards. Here the team is formed with the purpore being a sense of purpose which is an intrinsic reward. If monetary reward is attached to it then the whole focus shifts from satisfaction to earning more and more decreasing the quality of work done as compared to befor introduction of the extrinsic reward.

purpose, self worth and working for the community are all intrinsic rewards, if extrinsic rewards are introduced then veterans may work better initially hoping for better rewards but eventually the focus and enthusiasm may decline and focus may shift to extrinsic rewads like salary , bonus etc thereby decreasing the interest to do the job and resulting in poor performance or forced performance to gain extrinsic rewards.

In the present scenario, intrinsic rewards may be more beneficial for keeping the veterans motivated.

Team Rubicon has a big impact on the victims as they are the first relief they recieve at the time of disaster. A natual disaster is a time when people needs help and by doing so even before redcross can be of help , the team is giving the victims a type of morale boost and imbibing a sence of security and of being one, which furthermore brings in a positive impact on disaster victims.

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