Identify An Organizational Problem

Identify An Organizational Problem

Identify an Organizational Problem 1 Identify an Organizational Proble

Identify an Organizational Problem 1 Identify an Organizational Proble

Identify an Organizational Problem

Carl Harris Northcentral University MSOL 5106-3 Understanding Data Dr. Thompson Due March 7, 2021

Identifying an Organizational Problem: Problem solving for organizations can be difficult, especially when the organization does not understand the core problem. Identifying an organizational problem starts with understanding the problem rather than symptoms of the problem. But how do organizations begin to understand the actual problem? The answer lies within the data that is used to discover the problem.

Using data to solve problems has improved the decision-making of several industries because it provides a powerful tool for asking and answering questions in new ways (Mitroff & Sharpe, 2017). This assignment will examine my current employer, Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC), and how the organization identifies problems using data and uses data to solve problems.

The Organization: Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC) is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. The multi-campus institution is located south of Atlanta and provides technical education, adult education, and learning opportunities through various teaching methods at the associate degree, diploma, and certificate levels. In 2010, the institution was formed from a merger between Flint River Technical College and Griffin Technical College.

The institution serves a nine-county region that includes Butts, Henry, Fayette, Jasper, Lamar, Pike, Spalding, Taylor, and Upson counties. SCTC creates value to the community it serves in several ways. The college helps students obtain skills that increase their employability and achieve their full potential. It attracts and retains students in the region, keeping capital and resources local. The institution produces a well-trained workforce with industry-specific skills, benefiting regional and state economies through increased tax revenues and public sector savings.

The Problem: Shortly after the merger in 2011, the college expanded facilities in anticipation of growth. Investments included a 32,000-square-foot industrial training facility, a medical technology building, and a 35,700-square-foot Henry County center. The Georgia Film Institute was also created in 2014 to meet the rising demand for industry-specific personnel. Despite these opportunities, the college experienced flat enrollment from 2011 onwards, with student numbers ranging between 4,000 and 5,000 during that period. Enrollment is critical to the college’s revenue and measures of student achievement, making this stagnation a significant concern.

The Enrollment Problem: In 2017, the college conducted research and developed a new strategic plan involving both internal and external stakeholders, which revealed that enrollment remained stagnant over five years. Further analysis indicated that the core issue was not solely the enrollment numbers but a symptom of broader organizational challenges. The merger and subsequent name change caused community confusion, leading students to believe the college was closing, resulting in transfers or workforce reentry without credentials. Faculty and staff turnover, layoffs, and poor messaging about the change further compounded the issue. The underlying problem was identified as organizational effectiveness, prompting the leadership to shift focus towards improving communication, administrative policies, and stakeholder engagement.

Decision-making became more data-driven, emphasizing strategic objectives across five areas: organizational efficiency, enrollment and retention, academic quality, continuous improvement culture, and infrastructure modernization. By focusing on data and stakeholder input, the college began to rebuild trust and clarify its mission to the community. This approach led to measurable enrollment increases: from 4,703 students in 2016 to 4,756 in 2017, then to 4,899 in 2018, and 5,256 in 2019. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, fall 2020 enrollment surged to 7,647 students, illustrating the effectiveness of a data-informed strategic focus.

Conclusion: Data-driven decision-making relies on facts, metrics, and data to guide strategic initiatives aligned with organizational goals (Gholami et al., 2017). In the case of SCTC, initial perceptions of stagnant enrollment were confronted and addressed through stakeholder involvement and comprehensive data analysis. This approach uncovered organizational communication issues that significantly impacted enrollment. The strategic shift towards transparent messaging, improved policies, and stakeholder engagement facilitated steady growth, even during a pandemic. This case exemplifies how organizations can diagnose and remedy core issues effectively using data, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and organizational effectiveness.

References

• Bhardwaj, G., Crocker, A., Sims, J., & Wang, R. D. (2018). Alleviating the Plunging-In Bias, Elevating Strategic Problem-Solving. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 17(3), 279–301.
• Gholami, H., & Chang, C. K. (2017). Situation-Aware Data-Driven Decision Making in Smart Environments Using the MapReduce. 2017 IEEE 41st Annual Computer Software and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), 722–730.
• Mitroff, S. R., & Sharpe, B. (2017). Using big data to solve real problems through academic and industry partnerships. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 18, 91–96.
• Miguel-Stearns, T. (2019). Fostering a Culture of Teamwork around Continuous Professional Development. AALL Spectrum, 24(3), 12–16.
• Publications from Southern Crescent Technical College. (2021). Institutional Data and Strategic Planning Reports.
• Georgia Department of Education. (2020). The impact of organizational change on student enrollment strategies.
• Georgia System Office for Technical and Adult Education. (2018). Annual Reports & Enrollment Trends.
• Rosenblatt, D., & Lapointe, L. (2019). The Role of Stakeholder Engagement in Institutional Growth. Journal of Higher Education Policy.
• Smith, J., & Wesson, A. (2020). Data Analytics in Higher Education: Case Studies and Lessons Learned. Educational Data Science Journal.
• Watson, R., & Taylor, E. (2016). The Power of Data-Driven Decision-Making in Educational Organizations. Journal of Educational Administration.