Michigan State University

Introduction 

Culture plays an essential role in any organization because it influences both internal and external identity. The success of any organization, therefore, largely depends on its culture, which explains why many institutions are striving to have the best and well-functioning culture that is aligned to the set goals and objectives. According to Howes (2019), Michigan State University (MSU) is one of the leading research universities not only in the USA but also in the whole world. The institution has gone through many changes since it was found in 1855. The university is striving to be an excellent institution, and it can only achieve the objective if it has an effective and relevant culture.

Existing Culture of MSU

MSU currently has a people-centered culture because the university is determined to serve the people while addressing the needs of the wider community or society. The university is not only determined to share success with individuals and communities, but it is also collaborating with other relevant stakeholders to ensure that it meets its goals and objectives (MSU, 2019). At the same time, the university is always determined to connect and engage with other people, especially those who are passionate about its mission and vision, with the primary objective of meeting the needs of people while making a difference in the world. MSU is relying on research, teaching, and outreach to make a difference in the lives of individuals and the entire world (MSU, 2019). Thus, the university believes in both passion and teamwork, which define its growth and success. MSU is determined to serve people through various activities, leading to its people-centered culture. The culture of the University is defined by some of its core values and beliefs, such as respect, collaboration, passion, and commitment.

However, recently, the university was accused of embracing the insular culture or self-contained culture. The university has been reluctant to embrace some of the relevant cultures from other institutions (Howes, 2019). The flow of new culture has been limited to the University. Consequently, the University has been accused of a lack of transparency, especially with regard to disclosing critical information to the public. Nonetheless, MSU is trying to eliminate the insular culture by hiring outsiders in some of the top leadership or management positions. For instance, Samuel Stanley Jr. was appointed recently to be the president of the university (Howes, 2019). Stanley Jr. may help the institution to eliminate insular culture, resulting in a new organizational culture at MSU.

Creating and Intervention to Effectively Shape the Values and Attitudes of Professionals within MSU

The main intervention that MSU should implement to shape the values and attitudes of professionals effectively is the adoption of the People-first culture, which is closely linked to its current people-centered cultures (Black & Venture, 2017). The university has proved that it cares for its people, as well as outsiders, making it one of the best universities in the USA. However, people-first culture is more effective than people-centered culture because the former involves the true and holistic care of employees, which can motivate professionals in the university to aggressively work towards meeting the needs of the institution while connecting with its strategic plan. The new culture will enable the university to deeply value and care for its people, resulting in enhanced productivity and the general performance of the institution. However, to successfully implement the intervention, MSU should improve its communication system to improve engagement while enhancing transparency. People-first culture will motivate professionals in the university to works towards attaining the set goals and objectives, including strategic plans.

Also, the university can use elements or concepts of the affective domain to implement and enhance the success of the intervention. Receiving is one of the categories of the affective domain, and it mainly involves paying close attention to ideas while acknowledging their existence. Based on the category, MSU should identify some of the main issues or challenges associated with current culture and find ways to improve or address them through people-first culture. The category of responding can enable the university to respond to the identified issues in the current culture effectively. The category of valuing, on the other hand, will enable MSU to see and appreciate the value of its professionals, especially in terms of achieving the set goals and objectives. Valuing employees will enhance the success of people-first culture in the university (Black & Venture, 2017). Finally, based on the organizing category of the affective domain, the university will create a unique value system to enhance its success.

Conclusion

MSU is one of the leading universities in the USA, and its success can be attributed to people-centered culture. The university is determined to meet the needs of individuals and society at large. Nonetheless, MSU should shift from people-centered to people-first culture to motivate employees to achieve the set goals and objectives. The university should value its employees who will enable it to serve the larger society successfully. Employees play a critical role in the success of any organization, and they should always be given priority to increasing long-term and sustainable success. 

References

Black, J., & Venture, K. L. (2017). The human factor to profitability: People-centered cultures as meaningful organizations. Journal of Organizational Psychology , 17 (2), 24-34.

Howes, D. (2019, May 28). Howes: Michigan State taps outsiders to help change insular culture. The Detroit New . Retrieved from https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/columnists/daniel- howes/2019/05/28/michigan-state-taps-outsider-samuel-stanley-help-change-insular- culture/1258488001/

Michigan State University (MSU). (2019). Our Culture . Retrieved from https://advancement.msu.edu/careers/our-culture.cfm