Increasing Member Involvement Within the W.P. Carey Business Ambassadors: A Multi-Frame Analysis

This thesis will focus on increasing the engagement of members within the W.P. Carey Business Ambassadors. This was done by first analyzing the environments the organization exists in: Arizona State University and the W.P. Carey School of Business. Each of these organizations contextualize the Business Ambassadors, providing a structure for the organization to operate within. Next, the organization’s processes are analyzed. This provides a current status of the club to be used a foundation for systematic review. Through this review, it is revealed that members often do the bare minimum required for the organization. In fact, only a select few fully taking advantage of the events offered by the club. To fix this, the management techniques outlined in the thesis’ primary source, Reframing Organizations by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal, are introduced as ways to assist managers in problem sectors or areas of opportunity. These areas of review are the Structural, Human Resources, Political, and Symbolic frameworks. Each frame is explored and described, eventually being contextualized with the Business Ambassadors organization. These frames then provide insights to ways the organization can invoke greater participation from its members. These solutions include investing in training and mentorship, fulfilling member needs, promoting leadership, and leveraging the symbolic strength of the organization. The paper concludes with next steps for the organization and ways the solutions can be put into action with respect to the club’s goals.