Knights Of Columbus Case Study

Introduction Alienation of younger members within the individual Knights of Columbus (KofC) Councils is counterproductive to the success of their mission and the culture of volunteerism that leads to low participation and loss of membership because of cognitive bias based on age stratification. Although there are standardized business practices and organizational values, each Council's interpretation and execution are based on the age and longevity of its members. Not only does the problem exist between the Councils, but it also exists within the Councils which misaligns values and hinders progress. The Council's prosperity is directly dependent on the strength of their membership and their ability to be creative and to successfully execute

These programs are dependent on the members “taking the initial idea, modifying it to suit specific situations and local needs, and then implementing the program” (Today's Knights: Our Structure). Executing new programs can be risky, challenging, and resource intensive. Because of age stratification, most Councils are risk and change averse, therefore they rarely execute anything new or modify existing programs. The age related cultural differences breed distrust between young and old members which results in younger members leaving the organization within a few years. Improving communications, business and code of conduct standards, and instituting multi-tiered advocacy, educational, and mentorship programs would normalize the culture across the organization. Creating a culture that is flexible and fosters inclusion should increase younger members' participation, grow and diversify the Councils, and diminish the organization's legacy culture improving the organization's performance, aligning their values, and creating a sense of esprit de corps within the

Each local council works to assist with the needs of its community consistent with the principles of the Order based on six service programs: church, community, council, culture of life, family, and youth (Today's Knights: Our Structure). Some councils have a Ladies Auxiliary and a youth program called Squires. Proceeds from membership dues and the six programs provide the funds need by the Council for operating cost and charitable contributions.

Cultural Assessment and Analysis This section will use Schein's levels of culture to assess how age stratification in the Councils impacts the Knight's of Columbus organization's volunteerism culture and analyze the organization artifacts, espoused and operational values, underlying assumptions, and cultural issues that identify dysfunctions resulting from the culture. After applying Schein, the next section will address the organization’s culture based on Cameron & Quinn's Competing Values Framework identifying where the organization is, and where it should be.

The Artifacts section will identify the elements of the Knights of Columbus. Showing the attributes of the organization will unveil how the culture in the Councils are not