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Article Type

Professional Proficiency

Article Abstract

Related Issue:

It is self-evident (and well supported in the literature) that the culture of an organization is an important aspect of how successful an organization is at meeting its goals. What is less evident is what the elements of the culture of an organization are; how can they be quantified; and how can we adjust them in a manner that will impact its effectiveness. This article examines an organizational culture diagnosis initiative that utilized the Competing Values Framework model in a fast-growing strategic enrollment management (SEM) division. The division was accumulating new student success-related departments at a pace that the leadership felt might affect the culture of the organization. The purpose of the initiative was to quantify the staff perception of the current state of the divisional organizational culture; quantify the staff perception of the preferred future state of the organizational culture; and recommend the creation of a metrics-driven plan to actively move the culture to the preferred state. This work seems to be unique in the SEM arena because of the quantitative approach taken to discern the state of the culture.

Author(s)

Michael S. Flanigan is Director of Planning and Operational Technologies in the Division of Strategic Enrollment Management at Virginia Commonwealth University. Flanigan’s SEM leadership experience includes information technology, admissions, registrar, financial aid, ERP implementation, and one-stop student services center development. In addition to leading organizational change, technical and business-area initiatives in higher education, his background includes private industry leadership experience in information technology as a director and project manager. Mike is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Education in Leadership program at VCU, where his research interests include organizational change, leadership, and educational technology.

References

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