Appalachian Mountain Club Case Study

Since its creation in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club has prided itself on the ability to bring “people to know nature and to realize its beauties, and to take advantage of the mental and physical betterment that communion with the out-of-doors induces.” The club’s ability to achieve this sought after vision was mostly achieved through the distinctive and substantive use of volunteers. Despite the organization’s ability to flourish over the years with the help of its volunteers, recently, the Club has found itself going through tough times. Taking these organizational struggles into consideration, this analysis will provide an overview of the organization, carefully highlighting its key features. Then, the analysis will provide an in-depth

At the time, there were no national or state forests or parks in place, which prompted the donation of mountainous property to AMC with the intent for the organization to preserve its natural condition. Once established, the AMC returned the property to their respective national and state agencies who then ensured the properties’ protection from commercial development. In addition to ensuring that properties maintained their condition, the AMC had taken on the role of environmental protector in the political sector through its lobbying efforts. In addition to its notability in the environmental community, the AMC also worked “out of the mountains” with the help of its steady volunteer base, recognized as members. Volunteers throughout the organization “cleared trails, led trips into the wilds, and managed a number of activities” involving the organization at-large. The use of volunteers in these capacities fostered a sense of community among the members; however, the “community” would not continue to be beneficial to the overall health of the

Schein (2010) defines organizational culture as shared basic assumptions learned by a group to solve its problems. Perhaps the most important part is that it it considered valid and is taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel. Organizational culture can be uncovered through an understating of the following three components: 1) artifacts, “visible organizational structures and process”, 2) espoused values, “strategies, goals, and philosophies”, and lastly 3) basic underlying assumptions, “unconscious, taken-for-granted beliefs, perceptions, thoughts, and feelings.” Taken together, these components demonstrate a more practical way to apply the theory of organizational