Module Two WCPS Case PDF

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This is the week two essay info. called the west Chester private school case study. this is a quick and easy essay but this is just the details for the essay nothing more....

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West Chester Private School Case Study

Nicholas Orth Colangelo College of Business, Grand Canyon University MGT-420: Organizational Behavior and Management Alli Schilling 5/16/21

2 West Chester Private School West Chester Private School (WCPS) was known for its reputation as a premier K-12 academic institution with an advanced curriculum. This school first opened its doors in 1944 in Phoenix, Arizona and was founded by the Chandler and Gilbert families who owned it for seventy years. Being open for so long with a reputation of excellence many people wanted their children to attend. As the numbers grew the school opened other location, five in the metropolitan area of Phoenix. In 2014 the families sold the school and all its campuses to an educational consortium called Education Management Services (EMS). Four short years later the new owners tried to widen their reach to Southern California, unsuccessfully. But were successful in launching an International Baccalaureate Preprogram (IBP) the following year. This was a sign of the schools strategic planning for the school’s future. Review and evaluation of the situation in which the school found itself in in the midst of closing its doors will take place in this paper. This paper will also consist of a review of the organizations open system and complex adaptive systems and will evaluate if WCPS effectively utilized these systems. Evaluation of the school’s closure was handled as well as how it could have been handled more appropriately. WCPS ethical duty to their staff, parents, and students will be discussed, and recommendation will be provided on how the situation of closing the doors should be carried out properly in the future. Management theories will be discussed to better understand the appropriate outcome for this case study. After evaluation and review of this case study, recommendations will b provided on long-term goal and short-term goal for the future. Open and Complex Adaptive System WCPS culture had a distinct and differentiating character for various years, previous to the sale to EMS. “Over the years, the school acquired a reputation as a premier K-12 academic

3 institution with an advanced curriculum. Parents described the school as having a highperforming, in-person academic environment that provided a rigorous curriculum while fostering a safe, family-oriented atmosphere in a place where community was valued.”(Grand Canyon University, 2016). When the sale was complete and EMS took over the school showed some promise of the future by trying to expand to Southern California and starting an international baccalaureate program (IBP) in 2019, but they did miss out on the opportunity to capitalize and expand their business virtually as an online learning institution. Despite the success WCPS still closed two of its Phoenix locations do to “low enrollment” in 2020. These schools closing was not uncommon at this time as the economic recession in the United states led to many different establishments going out of business this did not leave the education sector out of that economic recession. In addition to having close two of their schools they were faced with intense competition from other charter schools that are independently operated public schools. In the fall of 2019, after shutting down their two locations 2 top rated charter schools opened campuses within 5 miles of WCPS. “An open system transforms resource inputs from the environment and to product outputs.” (Uhl-Bieb et al., 2021) where a complex adaptive system could be looked at as a subsystem, this subsystem is just a smaller component of a larger system. WCPS was an open system. The reason they're considered an open system is they were family oriented and valued being within a community. They produced good products wich were the learning curriculum for students and the parents valued that, that is why they sent their children there. But when it came to taking care of their customers when it came to closing WCPS should have been more transparent about their closure. WCPS did not ensure parents would be able to adapt to the school closing, with no time to sign students up elsewhere since open enrollment at other locations were already closed, with wait list up to eight hundred. WCPS also dropped the ball

4 when it came to using technology as a resource input. If WCPS would have done this they would have been more prepared for the unexpected pandemic, which would have created better product outputs for the last semester they were open. “Complex adaptive systems approach, introduced by the complexity theory, requires school administrators to develop new skills and strategies to realize their agendas in an ever-changing and complexifying environment without any expectations of stability and predictability.” (Tuncer Fidan, & Ali Balcı. (2017) WCPS as an organization should have their stakeholders’ best interests in mind when it comes to change as well as the organization, not just thinking about the sole benefit of the organization. WCPS did not use a complex adaptive system very efficiently. The effort of the company seemed to be to grow, adapt, and make a few changes such as the expansion to southern californis which was unsuccessful. IBP program for students was another addition the WCPS before closing their doors.

Organizational Culture and Climate

The Culture and climate of WCPS are necessary characteristics to have to promote and maintain a positive environment within the school. “Organizational culture, the system of collective actions, principles, and beliefs that develop within an organization and guide the behavior of its members.” (Uhl-Bieb et al., 2021) WCPS’s culture that had been maintained for so many decades should not have been so quickly replaced, it also should not have been diminished in such a quick manner. All stakeholders held this culture together by sharing the same views, values, and beliefs about this organization and the environment that the organization was encircled by. The short notice of the school closing as well as the inconsiderate one semester notice which parents were notified a day before returning from winter break Really brought

5 down the culture and climate of WCPS. these situations do not give the stakeholders much reason to feel committed to WCPS. the decision makers in the process of closure broke the trust of the parents and stakeholders and this can't be recovered just by making promises to drive students on the bus and not ensure that they will have a school to go to in their last semester. Closure Decision and Process The owners of WCPS, EMS as well as Dr. Murphy failed miserably to communicate the decision that they were making on closing the school with their stakeholders as well as their staff administration their students and the parents of these students. Doctor Murphy and EMS should have been much more closely involved in ensuring that all stakeholders and community members of the WCPS we're treated with compassion. The closer the closure process of WCPS could have been handled much more compassionately by following some simple tools and techniques of management. One method the most crucial method that was omitted here and the situation was a participatory planning technique. Using participatory planning technique including other planning techniques would allow all stakeholders such as parents, students, and faculty members to be suitably included in the closure of the campus an adequately informed on all the things to come including the closure. Theories from the Classical, Behavioral, and Modern Management Approaches If WCPS or EMS would’ve followed an Administrative principles approach to the closure they would have had foresight, organization, command, coordination, and control. Unfortunately, it is clear they lost track in the last two coordination and control. If EMS and WCPS would have made diverse efforts together to ensure information is shared they would have been more capable of solving the problem ahead of time. It was clear that the parents were willing to pay more or even donate to keep the school going. Since the communication between the organization and

6 stakeholders was not transparent and unplanned, they were unable to take corrective action and this is where they thought closing was the only option. If the EMS ot WCPS would have followed Maslow’s theory of human needs their planning and organizational management would look very different. If the organization would have placed the needs of the stakeholders above their own, they would not have seen a drop in the other two locations for the following year of registration. The organization broke their trust they did not feel that the organization was a stable one. This organization did operate as an open system but did so poorly. An open system interacts with its environment, but they lacked contingency thinking and quality management. Without these two necessities the open system is not going to be successful. Total quality management is defined as “an organization wide commitment to continuous improvement, product, quality, and customer needs” (Uhl-Bieb et al., 2021). EMS and WCP would have had more success if they would have trained employees in technology and if they met the needs of the customer which were to be transparent so they customer had time to adapt by getting their student into another school. Plans for the Future Strategic planning would have help EMS one way that will help them in the future would be to clarify their vison. This will help them identify and set goals and objectives needed to accomplish this vision. Technology would be a great place to start. Technology is the future and since the pandemic has become a large part of not just daily lives but essential educationally. Setting operational plans will help EMS and WCPS identify their short-term goals and will help support their vison as well as strategic planning. Identifying the organizations policies and procedure on handling a future closing will benefit the organization by maintain their reputation and satisfying the customer. This will help them maintain better communication in the future.

7 Concluding Statement This paper presented a case of WCPS and EMS and the crisis that effected all stakeholders from administration personnel to students and parents. The EMS needs to set a performance objective and establish hoe they need to achieve this planning phase. Arranging their recourses, vision, and goals. Encouraging their stakeholders to get involved to help achieve these goals leading the organization in a direction to put the customer first not the organization. Lastly measuring and monitoring the performance of not just WCPS staff but those in charge of them with in EMS as well. doing this on a consistent basis will ensure a brighter future for those who work o\for the company, for those who attend the WCPS and for the parents choosing to send their children there.

8 References Oke, M. (n.d.). West Chester Private School case study. Grand Canyon University. Retrieved from Course Materials: https://lc.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.html Tuncer Fidan, & Ali Balcı. (2017). Managing schools as complex adaptive systems: A strategic perspective. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 10(1), 11–26. retrieved from https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.26822/iejee.2017131883

Uhl-Bien, M., Piccolo, R.F., Schermerhorn, J. R. & Bachrach, D.G. (2021). MGT-420 organizational behavior and management with WileyPLUS. Wiley & Sons....