Findings and Analysis - Sample final paper PDF

Preview

Summary

Sample final paper...

Description

Consultant Report of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc and it’s interaction with it’s external environment. Alexandra Hunt Grand Valley State University

2

Table of Contents Section 1 Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………….3 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..4

Section 2 Findings and Analysis……………………………………………………………………………..5 Partners…………….. Competitors………………………………………………………………………………..6 External Environment……………………………………………………………………..7

Section 3 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………………..9 Conclusion Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………………9 Recommendations

Section 4 Work Cited……………………………………………………………………………………….10

3

Executive Summary: Introduction Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc is looking for ways to better engage with their external environment to not only actualize the mission and goals of the organization, but to also better the external environment as well. Sigma Gamma Rho addresses concerns that impact society educationally, civically and economically both through its programs and partnerships. By setting itself apart, it has learned to adapt to its rapidly changing environment and stay relevant in the face of global crisis and competition from other organizations. Through research and analysis, an examination of Sigma Gamma Rho’s partners, competitors and interactions with it’s external environment will help reveal recommendations to help it be a better organization as well as a better competitor with the hope of achieving it’s goals and mission.

Findings and Analysis Sigma Gamma Rho has many Partners including the Girls Scouts of USA, USA Swimming and March of Dimes that all help to contribute toward carrying out the mission of the organization. Sigma’s competitors, all service based sororities in the same council, all have a holistic approach to service while Sigma uses women as a focal point targeting their families as well for service and aid. Many Factors affecting the external environment of Sigma Gamma Rho affect how the organization operates. These factors include sociopolitical issues such as hazing, economic factors including the Great Recession and cultural factors including African American culture and history. All of these impact the internal and external behaviors of Sigma Gamma Rho.

Conclusion and Recommendation Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated has done well at thriving in its external environment. Several Recommendation given to help Sigma Gamma Rho improve are to leverage competitors as occasional partners to help forward their mission, to build new, enduring partnerships and to continue the leverage the partnerships they already have that are thriving.

4

Introduction: Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated was founded November 12, 1922 on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana by seven educators. Being the only Divine 9 Sorority that was not founded at Howard University, a historically black college/university (HBCU), Sigma Gamma Rho faced different challenges being founded by seven Black women at a predominately white institution at a racially charged time in America. Comprised of over 85,000 members, Sigma Gamma Rho boasts over 500 chapters internationally in the United States, Bahamas, South Korea and Germany among others. Mission of Sigma “It is the mission of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc to enhance the quality of life for women and their families in the U.S. and globally through community service, civil, and social action. Our Goal is to achieve greater progress in the areas of education, health awareness, and leadership development. Our members, affiliates, staff, and community partners work to create and support initiatives that align with our vision.” (Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc [ΣΓΡ], 2018). How does the organization go about achieving their mission and goals? Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority goes about achieving their goals through the program and initiatives they have such as Project Wee Savers, Mwanimugimu and Project Cradle Care. Project Wee Savers is a program of Sigma Gamma Rho in which younger children in elementary and grade school are taught about how to be frugal with their money, how to save and basic life skills to help them be responsible with their money when they get older. The Mwanimugimu Essay Contest challenges students to expand their knowledge of Africa in terms of history and contemporary development. It also encourages them to improve their writing and research skills while expanding their knowledge. Project cradle care is a program set with the mission of providing education on prenatal care and resources. This program was created to provide a wealth of knowledge, resources and different tools for women childbearing age, including teenagers. The aforementioned programs are just several avenues that Sigma Gamma Rho takes to achieving the mission and goals of their organization.

5

Findings and Analysis Partners Organization Partners Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc has several partners and affiliate organizations that help to forward the mission of the organization. The organization’s partners include the Girls Scouts of America, March of Dimes, and USA Swimming among others. Affiliates of Sigma Gamma Rho include the Rhoer Club comprised of young women ages 12-18 and the Philo Club comprised of women who may have not earned a Bachelor’s degree or would like to assist the sorority in enhancing the quality of life for women. With their help, Sigma Gamma Rho is able to reach more of the community in a more effective way while maintaining a healthy relationship with aforementioned partners.

Purpose of Partnerships Sigma has many other partnerships, whether formal and Sorority wide or locally when chapters collaborate with others to forward the mission of the organization. Sigma’s partnership with the Girl Scouts of the USA strives to push the education of young girls and bring awareness to career opportunities through the GSUSA Imagine Engineering Initiative. This year, the local Grand Rapids graduate chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho recently went to showcase their organization and to speak to young children about the mission of Sigma and to encourage young girls to join our youth affiliate group and take advantage of this initiative. Sigma’s partnership with March of Dimes is utilized to help fund research, provide support to families and allows the organization the chance to forward the progress of Project Reassurance; a program dedicated to promoting responsible living including the slogan: “H3, It’s All About Me!”.. The 3 key components Healthy Living, Healthy Choices and Healthy Generations. The final partner discussed is the USA Swimming partnership with Sigma Gamma Rho which helps to educate youth on how to swim to increase healthy living and to decrease drowning rates of young children.

6

Competitors Direct Competitors In the market of membership, Sigma Gamma Rho is always in direct competition with other Sororities that are a part of the same council such as Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta or Zeta Phi Beta. In terms of serving the community, the sorority has no competitors, only partners. The motto of Sigma Gamma Rho is “Greater Service, Greater Progress” with the idea that you cannot have progress if you do not serve your community. Therefore, Sigma Gamma Rho’s focus is serving their communities, not competing with other sororities for recognition or to say that they have a monopoly in one certain market of need.

Strength of Competitors Each of these three sororities have missions and visions that focus on a holistic approach to serving their communities. Conversely, Sigma Gamma Rho takes a more targeted approach to their services by using women as a focal point and branching out to their families and communities. In addition, each of these organizations, unlike Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc, were founded on the campus of Howard University in 1908, 1913 and 1920 respectively. Each of their missions and visions differ and they each have different programs, partnerships and affiliate groups, similar to Sigma Gamma Rho because of the nature of the organizations.

Approach to Competition While being a smaller sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho addresses the competition from other sororities by branding themselves different while still achieving the same core goals and adopting some of their own as well. For example, Sigma Gamma Rho is the only Sorority to be not be founded at Howard University. In addition, it is the only sorority to be founded by seven educators. Furthermore, the aforementioned partnership with USA Swimming for SWIM 1922 is the only of its kind among competitors. By marketing themselves to be different, focusing on scholarship and service and by finding new ways to service their communities, both locally and globally, Sigma Gamma Rho has worked hard to set themselves apart.

7

External Environment Defining External Environment The external environment of the sorority is the community in which it exists. Speaking more local, the Grand Rapids area is the community in which the graduate chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, Eta Pi Sigma, exists and flourishes. Similarly, Grand Valley State University is the community of the undergraduate chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, Xi Nu, to which all their efforts programs and community service are targeted.

Tenor of Environment Although being served by the same sorority, Grand Rapids and Grand Valley have different external environments. For example, the Grand Rapids graduate chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, Eta Pi Sigma, focuses on community service, programming and working with their affiliate group, the Rhoers club to further their mission and serve the community. Members of the Undergraduate chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, Xi Nu, have to accommodate the collegiate fast pace environment while incorporating their mission, values and service.

Consequences of interaction with Environment Based on the health of the economy, the work for the organization could either increase or decrease. With the purpose of the organization being to serve their communities, in times of economic downturn, Sigma Gamma Rho’s programs and initiatives help serve the needs of the community. For example, the Xi Nu chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho held a school supply drive on Grand Valley’s campus where people donated new or gently used school supplies that could be donated to inner city children who needed them. Moreover, Project Wee Savers is another way Sigma addresses the challenges the economy can pose by educating young children to on what it means to be fiscally responsible and how to go about it. In these ways, among others, Sigma addresses the economy and looks to add a certain stability to it as well.

Political Implications Much like any other organization, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc is not above the law and policies do affect the sorority much like any other organization. For example, in recent years, hazing has become a problem among Greek life across the nation. Hazing is “the imposition of strenuous, often humiliating, tasks as part of a program of rigorous physical training and initiation”(Oxford Dictionaries, 2018). Beginning as a cultural concern and not a legal issue, hazing had a rich history in Greek life and deep roots until recent years when several college students died while being hazed. In response, politicians and lawmakers pushed to make hazing illegal in an effort to discourage fraternities and sororities from harming and killing fellow

8 students. This caused internal sorority politics to change for Sigma Gamma Rho as well. They created a new area that focused on anti-hazing policies, investigating allegations and enforcing sorority protocol on those who broke it.

Contributions to Culture of Environment Sigma Gamma Rho’s environment contributes to the sorority by enriching the sorority’s knowledge and understanding of the needs of the community, providing partners to further its mission and allowing the sorority to flourish in its space. Conversely, by bringing new perspectives and by being leaders of their communities, members of Sigma Gamma Rho, namely the Eta Pi Sigma Graduate chapter and Xi Nu undergraduate chapter, impact their communities civilly, socially and economically.

9

Conclusions and Recommendations Conclusions Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated has done well with interacting with its external environment. By designing different programs, the organization has found a way to not only survive in its external environment, but thrive for almost 96 years. Members, partners and affiliates all work to effect a positive change on their communities through different programming and community service. Propelling the mission and vision of the organization and its founders is the priority of Sigma Gamma Rho and the organization has done well with the task set before them.

Recommendations It is recommended based on observation, interviews and research that Sigma Gamma Rho continue to build partnerships that align with the Organization’s mission and vision. The aforementioned partnerships along with those not formed yet have the potential to propel the organization to the next level of aid and service to its community. In addition, finding a way to leverage Sigma’s competitors as partners, being that they are all service based organizations, is a unique approach to addressing competition. While competition over membership and other areas will still be present, it is important to put the needs of the community above all else to enhance the quality of life. Therefore, coming together sporadically as partners to make a great change is warranted.

10

Works Cited Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (2018). Retrieved January 31, 2018, from http://www.sgrho1922.org/about-sigma Oxford Dictionaries. (2018). Hazing | Definition of hazing in US English by Oxford Dictionaries. Retrieved from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/hazing...