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The Culture of Empowerment: Driving and Sustaining Change at Conner Prairie
Author(s) -
Seig Mary Theresa,
Bubp Ken
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
curator: the museum journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.312
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 2151-6952
pISSN - 0011-3069
DOI - 10.1111/j.2151-6952.2008.tb00306.x
Subject(s) - visitor pattern , restructuring , empowerment , front line , culture change , organizational culture , public relations , organizational change , order (exchange) , front (military) , sociology , business , political science , engineering , computer science , social science , finance , law , programming language , mechanical engineering
In this paper, we offer a case study of how Conner Prairie Museum recognized its institutional need for change and employed principles of staff empowerment that allowed the museum to adapt to the needs and interests of guests. The result has been a dramatic improvement in visitor satisfaction and learning. To achieve this transformation, Conner Prairie intentionally altered the organizational culture in large and small ways: by reorganizing staff assignments, restructuring staff assessment, and realigning communication between management and front‐line staff in order to empower front‐line staff. This story is not unique to Conner Prairie, but the details illuminate the vital role of empowerment in the process of cultural change.