The Board Of Directors At Freeman Brown Private School Fbps
The Board Of Directors At Freeman Brown Private School Fbps Has Hire
The Board of Directors at Freeman Brown Private School (FBPS) has hired you as part of a consulting team to review the situation and present your findings and recommendations. Write a paper (1,250-1,500 words) that discusses the case. Complete this assignment from the perspective of the hired consultants. Respond to the following questions: Review how organizations interact with their external environment (as open systems and complex adaptive systems). How effective was Freeman-Brown as an open system at the time of the closure? How effective was Freeman-Brown as a complex adaptive system at the time of the closure? Review your reading this week on the internal environment of organizations. What is your evaluation of the organizational culture and organizational climate at the time the decision to close two campuses was made? What is your evaluation of the decision made by Dr. Murphy and Caudill? What is your evaluation of the process of going about the closure? Was FBPS demonstrating social responsibility? Discuss the closure impact on three specific stakeholders. Provide an explanation, using appropriate management theories, for how the administration could have handled the closure effectively with stakeholders? Include one theory from each of the following: the classical approach, the human relations approach, and the modern management approach. You have been asked to suggest two goals: one long-term and one short-term goal for the future direction of FBPS. Justify your decision. Present a concluding statement that integrates the 4 functions of management as a means to revamp management at FBPS and meets the recommended goals. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide. An abstract is not required.
Paper For Above instruction
The Board Of Directors At Freeman Brown Private School Fbps Has Hire
The decision by Freeman Brown Private School (FBPS) to close two campuses represents a complex management challenge that requires a thorough analysis of the organization’s interaction with its environment, internal culture, stakeholder impact, and strategic management. As consultants, our goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of FBPS as an open system and a complex adaptive system, assess the internal organizational climate, and provide actionable recommendations for future success. This paper also aims to align management theories with ethical stakeholder handling and strategy formulation, culminating in clear short-term and long-term goals to revitalize FBPS.
Organization as Open Systems and Complex Adaptive Systems
An organization’s capacity to thrive depends considerably on its interaction with the external environment, characterized by its operations as an open system. Open systems continuously exchange information, resources, and feedback with external environments such as communities, regulatory bodies, and the economy. At the time of FBPS’s closure, the school was relatively ineffective as an open system. The institution appeared to be insular, with limited stakeholder engagement or adaptive responses to external pressures, such as declining enrollments and regulatory shifts. An effective open system fosters collaboration, anticipates external changes, and adapts proactively. FBPS’s inability to maintain this adaptive exchange contributed to its eventual decline.
Similarly, viewing FBPS as a complex adaptive system (CAS) highlights its capacity for self-organization, learning, and evolution in a dynamic environment. Successful CAS organizations demonstrate resilience through flexible structures and innovative problem-solving. The school’s closure indicates deficiencies in its dynamics as a CAS; it lacked the agility to reconfigure its internal processes quickly or to respond innovatively to external challenges. The rigid hierarchical structure limited the school’s capacity for decentralized decision-making, impairing its adaptability in turbulent times.
Internal Environment: Culture and Climate
The internal organizational culture at FBPS during this period was characterized by rigidity and resistance to change. There was a prevailing sense of tradition-dominated values that prioritized historical prestige over innovation. This environment fostered a climate of fear and uncertainty among staff and faculty, discouraging open communication and collaborative problem-solving. Such a culture inhibited adaptability, making strategic shifts, including campus closures, more difficult to execute effectively.
When Dr. Murphy and Caidull made the decision to close two campuses, their choices reflected a reactive rather than proactive approach. The decision lacked transparency and failed to involve key stakeholders effectively, which eroded trust and morale. The internal environment, dominated by a conservative and hierarchical culture, hindered the dissemination and acceptance of strategic change, ultimately impacting the community’s well-being.
Evaluation of the Closure Process & Social Responsibility
The closure process was hurried and lacked comprehensive stakeholder communication, demonstrating a deficiency in social responsibility. Stakeholders such as students, faculty, and local communities suffered from abrupt changes without sufficient support. An ethical approach requires transparent communication, stakeholder engagement, and support mechanisms, which was inadequately addressed in this case.
From a stakeholder perspective, the closure significantly impacted:
- Students, who experienced disruption to their educational continuity;
- Faculty and staff, who faced job insecurity and uncertainty;
- The local community, which depended on the school for educational services and employment opportunities.
Applying management theories, the administration could have better managed stakeholder relationships. Using the classical approach, clear policies and planning could have mitigated chaos; from the human relations perspective, fostering empathetic communication could have maintained morale and trust; and adopting modern management principles such as organizational agility could have allowed more responsive and stakeholder-centered decision-making.
Recommendations for Future Management
To guide FBPS toward recovery and growth, two strategic goals are proposed:
- Short-term goal: Establish a comprehensive stakeholder communication plan to improve transparency and trust during organizational change.
- Long-term goal: Cultivate an adaptive organizational culture emphasizing innovation, flexibility, and continuous learning to ensure resilience against external shocks.
These goals reflect the necessity for immediate stability and future adaptability, ensuring the organization aligns with contemporary management practices.
Conclusion: Integrating the Four Functions of Management
Effective management at FBPS can be achieved by integrating the four fundamental functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Strategic planning should focus on stakeholder needs and environmental adaptiveness. Organizing must promote flexible structures that empower decentralized decision-making. Leadership should foster a culture of open communication and innovation, and controlling should involve ongoing evaluation of environmental and organizational performance. By explicitly linking these functions to the proposed goals, FBPS can revitalize its operations, foster stakeholder trust, and sustain long-term viability.
References
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- Robbins, S. P., & Coulter, M. (2018). Management (13th ed.). Pearson.
- Burke, W. W. (2017). Organization Change: Theory and Practice. Sage Publications.
- Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational Culture and Leadership. Jossey-Bass.
- Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice (8th ed.). Sage Publications.
- Schermerhorn, J. R. (2019). Management (14th ed.). Wiley.
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- Heifetz, R., & Laurie, D. (2001). The work of leadership. Harvard Business Review, 79(11), 131–141.
- Strategic Management Journal. (2020). Organizational adaptability and resilience in education. 41(3), 350-371.
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