Belongingness and ownership of ones’ work Prepared by Vera Koussa

Being at work in the same place for 34 years, I feel I belong and ownership to where I work more than to where I live. By the nature of my job, as a Librarian I feel I am very involved with, and attached to, the community at Bethlehem University in general and specifically Bethlehem University Library, literally having my fingerprints all over the Library because of the number of working years.

To belong is to be naturally associated with something or to fit into a group (i.e., Library Staff). Employees in an organization and also the organization itself will succeed if they feel they belong and are allowed to take ownership of whatever they are doing in an organization.

The belongingness of an employee to work is connected to the person himself / herself and to the manager. In order to address indifference and professional jealousies at work and increase the sense of belonging, managers must choose different behavior patterns to create an atmosphere in which people can develop a sense of belonging by: 1.Emphasizing the importance of the employer – employee relationship.

2. Involve all members of the staff in the life of the organization which is applied in the Library through the LAT team; it is healthy if all staff will be informed of all the library happenings.

3.The bond between the employer and employee creates a sense of belonging. Managers are significant in the lives of employees, thus, they play an important role of security and stability. Bonding occurs when an individual makes meaningful contributions to a group by simply sending an appreciated message to the ones involved. An example of an appreciated message is found in this of acknowledgement below sent by the BU Library Director, Dr. Mellie Brodeth to one of her staff members …

“I'm writing this to acknowledge and recognise George's kind act and availability to be of "technical help" throughout the presentation although that wasn't the primary purpose of his presence there. It was done with naturalness and even without being asked to do it - and many times, the various faculty/department heads write me about this service offered by the AVC staff, and now in particular by George himself as we witnessed it. Many thanks George for this availability and initiative to be of service.”

4.Cooperation promotes a sense of belonging because all members of the organization work together to achieve a common purpose. When goals are achieved, every member experiences a sense of accomplishment. Cooperation also helps the employees develop a capacity for teamwork, that leads to a successful career. An example of cooperation applies to BU Library through “The choice of best student assistant”. Members of the library help in the decision done to make this choice of best student assistant with the help of the Librarian in charge.

5.When people feel they belong, they have an enhanced sense of worth and increased self-confidence, they are more motivated, have higher expectations of success, and believe in the value of their professional work. Thus, their productivity improves and both the individual and organization grow.

Examples of how to develop a sense of belonging at BU Library are found in “The professional Development Topics” which are monthly topics prepared by the Library staff each in her/his turn as it shows the value of each employee at work by publishing the topic on the homepage of the Library. Another example of belonging is “e-turathuna Know your Palestinian Heritage ” are articles published also on the homepage of the Library prepared by the curator of the Palestiniana Section.

To feel belongingness and ownership most employees want to experience fairness as some people primarily want to be treated fairly and justly by the organization; they want sensible rules and they do not want “special treatment” for specific individuals.

Adaptations from the following websites: thesop.org/story/training/2009/08/23/professional-belongingness.php topresults.com/blog/2010/06/23/developing-a-sense-of-belonging-at- work