Exploring Haiti from an Organizational Psychology Perspective: Lessons Learned along the Way

There is an increasing awareness, and often outspoken disgust, that international aid is failing those it seeks to “help.” Academics and practitioners from a variety of disciplines are challenging the aid community to identify new and more effective approaches to humanitarian assistance that will be more aligned with the needs of the communities they serve (Easterly, 2006; Easterly, and Pfütze, 2008; MacLachlan, Carr, and McAuliffe, 2010). While spending three months in Haiti exploring the relationship between humanitarian aid organizations’ intent (i.e., mission, vision, goals) and their actual impact on the community members, I was able to experience firsthand how aid and development work was perceived as having both a positive and negative outcome on communities. Although there were certainly examples of the positive impact of aid, based on my conversations with Haitians’ and aid workers, the brutal realities of inadequacies that aid and development work was having on the communities often overshadowed these positive outcomes. It quickly became apparent that a socially responsible mission (e.g., reduce poverty by providing housing/food/shelter/education) did not necessarily equate to socially responsible organizations (e.g., organizations doing what is in the best interest of the communities and taking into account the needs of community members) and that the old paternalistic “we know what is best for you” methods of aid work would be more effective if adjusted to new approaches that are more inclusive and community driven.