One purpose of a foundation is to provide support and a source of funding for a specific charitable purpose. In 2009, The Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen Foundation was formed to “ensure our school receives the funding necessary for our children to obtain the education they deserve.” (Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen Foundation, 2011). The current structure, procedures, and workflow of the foundation are currently ineffective in reaching goals. There are no clear guidelines for the current executive director, and the way processes are set up, or a concise chain of command. At the current time, the foundation has failed to reach its purpose and mission to provide funding for Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen. The current board of director’s president resigned on December 13, 2011 and there are three open positions on a board of seven. The current failures of the foundation to operate efficiently have directly affected the school financially and with the current financial status of public education in Colorado if the problem is not rectified not only is the foundation in danger of no longer existing by the school is also in financial danger.
Background
Prior to the creation of the foundation Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen (RMAE) a public charter school in Colorado received State funding per student as well as internal donations only as their revenue source. The concept of creating a foundation was to open up more opportunities for sustainable revenue outside of internal stakeholders. The foundation is made up of a board of directors and a paid executive director that should answer directly to the board. The executive director was hired in 2009 for a salary with the expectation that within a year their position will be self-sustaining from the money that was to be brought into the organization. For the past two years, the executive director has not procured funds to supplement the State funding for the school.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to achieve the following goals and objectives:
i) Identify the causes of the problems facing Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen (RMAE)
ii) Dissect the current organizational structure of the academy in order to come up with succinct proposals to salvage the current situation.
iii) Determine how poor leadership might have contributed to the current problems being faced by Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen (RMAE).
iv) Identify other avenues that could have been utilized by the academy to source for funds to improve its cause.
Significance of Study
This completion of this study and its success will depend largely depend on the long-term goals and objectives set forth that have to be achieved. First, this study is important because it will enable the entire Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen (RMAE) community to evaluate itself and identify what could have caused the problems it is currently facing. The study will provide an opportunity for all the stakeholders in the academy to evaluate itself thoroughly right from the top management team to those in the lower level. In the end, the strategies put forth will be entirely clear-cut in addressing the issue.
This study is also significant because it will bring to attention the fact that leadership is the core of any organization and all decisions made by the team have serious impacts for its success. This will be possible because the study focuses on the managerial aspect of Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen (RMAE). This study will be also important because it will help the stakeholders in identifying other source of funding that can b e used by the management to source for money to support its projects. This will go far ahead in ensuring that the organization does not collapse only after few years of operation. Besides, the study will also come up with important proposals that may be of use to the management and might be helpful in the smooth running of its operations. Such proposals may stretch to include streamlining the organizational structure, aspects to deal with the handling of employees, the general organizational behavior, work ethics, among others.
It is important to appreciate the fact that studies relating to leadership are worthwhile to most organizations including Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen (RMAE). First, a study on leadership helps the management to identify factors affecting the success of its operations. These may include gender, age, education level among others. Such study also identifies various leadership lifestyles and their effectiveness to a particular organization. It is important to appreciate the fact that most employees work effectively depending on the leadership styles used by the top management.
Studies in leadership also give room for the organization to compare itself with other organization in order to improve the areas it considers weak. Such comparative analysis goes ahead to rank an organization that treats its employees. This will be important in identifying aspects to do with orientation of gender groups, effective leadership behaviors, and performances towards satisfaction. A study on leadership also enables someone to compare approaches like autocratic, transactional, and any other leadership that may be valuable in the realization of desired results. From the foregoing, studies in leadership are valuable and any organization should employ it regularly in order to gauge its position of performance in the corporate world. If Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen (RMAE) had carried out regular studies on its employees, perhaps the problems it has faced could have been avoided.
Nature of Study
Research Questions
Definitions
Summary
Reference
Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen Foundation. (2009). Purpose. Retrieved December 14,
2011, from http://rmaefoundation.org
Organizational Behavior Doctoral Case Study
