Researcher ORCID Identifier

0000-0002-4075-0119

Graduation Year

2022

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Organizational Studies

Reader 1

Barbara Junisbai

Reader 2

Melissa Mesinas

Abstract

One Night Stanza, an intercollegiate a cappella group at the Claremont Colleges, has undergone a drastic transformation during my past four years in the group. Whereas the most prominent change from the outside is our improvement in sound, this was the byproduct of a complete shift in organizational culture. As a leader and an organizational change agent who has driven this transformation, I examine the practices my a cappella group implemented to cultivate a positive organizational culture. My definition of a positive organizational culture draws from cultural dimensions that research demonstrates lead to positive organizational outcomes. More specifically, I draw from the Competing Values Framework (Quinn & Spreitzer 1991) and Denison and Mishra’s framework for organizational culture (1995). My analysis of my group’s transformation focuses on four key areas: fostering positive interpersonal relationships, adapting to changing needs, driving our group with a strong mission, and the role of recruiting in creating and sustaining a positive organizational culture. To support my analysis, I reflect on my own lived experiences and those of the ten group members I interviewed. After discussing our organizational practices and their effects on individual and group-level outcomes, I provide recommendations for organizations looking to start their own transformational journey.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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