Girl Scout Usa

Overall Performance Assessment of Girl Scouts USA, Hasselbein's role, changes brought and their impacts. The GSUSA underwent a number of changes during the period of 1976-1990. As I have observed base on the case facts, the GSUSA's main measure of their activities is the number of membership across the world. This then translates to participation in the organization's activities. However, starting 1970, it experienced a steady decline in membership figures. As described in page 1 of the case literature, several challenges or issues were noted during a meeting with local councils' executive directors. I believe that these were the factors as to why the membership figure was declining. The factors were brought about by the organization's growth through decades without much change, where it seems that it has become "outdated" for the general public. Examples of the "out-datedness" are: the activities engaged in by the girls were more on cooking and household skills when the interest has changed as women becomes more liberated in the 70's; the image of the organization that it is only for "white, middle-class people", when American society has started to recognize and embrace other races in their country. During 1976-1990, the changes were focused on addressing the factors mentioned. GSUSA membership was turned around from a declining trend from 1970. The growth in membership boosted the success of GSUSA's activities like the equipment & cookie sales, marketing, advocacy of "pluralism" and foster communication to address "contemporary issues". The overall performance of GSUSA during the said period has been a period of great progress as its activities were well-grounded by the organization's values and mission, but at the same time, of interest to the public with its alignment to the changing times. It has even been dubbed as the "Best-run organization in America".

The changes were instigated by Hasselbein's role as the prime mover of change in the organization as the National Executive Director. I believe that the most important change she introduced is the comprehensive Corporate Planning / Management System. The system ensures the study, creation and review of goals, plans and performance against goals of the entire organization in a periodic cycle. It provided an avenue for communication among different councils to share insights, best practices and establish the different trends that affect girls (e.g., diversity, school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, etc.). Since the goal of GSUSA is for the development and growth of the girls, the current trends and issues should be the ones addressed. This ensured that the organization does not stay stagnant and "outdated" by keeping its goals, objectives and activities are in line with the environmental and social changes (external factors); and are in line with the ultimate purpose of the GSUSA. Measurable objectives were established which made GSUSA more result-oriented by elaborating on the factors that affect its membership. The system also included a self-evaluation for the councils to encourage them to review if their activities are aligned to the objectives of the national organization and see how well they implement them. This product of this system (goals/ objectives) served as the main driver for GSUSA's overall performance.

Consolidation and rationalization. Several councils were merged together to form bigger, more resource-efficient councils to deliver its services to different troops. This allowed them also to have a wider reach to the community. The bigger council also gets to stretch its funds with the total of smaller funds of the smaller councils. Properties were rationalized, where those that are hard to maintain have been eventually sold to organizations that will guarantee the preservation of the property. This served as a source of funding for the GSUSA during the period.

Programs. Based on the set goals of GSUSA, a number of programs were done. Many of which are for the purpose of addressing current contemporary issues (e.g., teen pregnancy, school dropout, self-esteem), diversity in the organization (e.g., increasing staff competence in handling tensions arising from racism and classism, involving different races in different projects), leadership (e.g., camping as opportunity to have an intensive interpersonal experience in teamwork and self-governance), and enhancement of troop leader viability (e.g., targeting potential current day role model as troop leaders and training for troop leaders to communicate to girls with current day issues rather than dating and kissing). The above-mentioned programs increased the interest of the public to GSUSA's purpose and its benefits to the youth. The programs that Hesselbein started are exactly activities that improve girls' skills and character by becoming "self-sufficient, servant to others, earning of proficiency badges reflecting contemporary challenges" in the current time, which were also like the activities that initially generated demand during Low's time.

Hesselbein made changes in GSUSA but consciously maintained its identity by constantly making sure that all changes are aligned to GSUSA mission. Looking back at the 1985-1990 Corporate Goals and Integrated Operating Objectives, Hesselbein was successful in all the goals in it.

Goals / Objectives Result

Goal # 1 - Membership Membership steadily increasing: 2,248,000 in 1986 to 3,166,000 in 1989

Ethnic/Racial membership: from 5% in 1979 to 15% in 1989

Training system: opening of Edith Macy Conference Center for use of leadership and management dev't activities

Goal # 2 - Program The programs involve different ages of girls, but the Winning Girls! Winning Women! And Positive Futures programs were created to reach the 11-18 year olds. The corporate planning system involves 14 yr old and above members to be delegates and attend the planning