A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

The Corporate Imperative: A Business Guide for Implementing Strategic Education Partnerships-1999

STEP 1. CREATE A CORPORATE ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS EDUCATIONAL INVOLVEMENT

Worksheet 1: Create a Company Culture and Programs/Policies/Resources that Support Educational Involvement

PURPOSE

To understand the degree to which your company culture supports educational involvement and to identify the policies, programs and resources available to promote educational involvement.

VISION

What is our vision of our company's educational approaches?

Worksheet 1: Create a Company Culture and Programs/Policies/Resources that Support Educational Involvement

Does your company have the following structures/systems?If not, what could be done? Which policies, programs and resources are available at your workplace?If not, what can be done?
Policy statement expressing its commitment to educational issues Information about different ways employees can become involved in corporate educational approaches.  
Communication strategies designed to indicate the importance of employee involvement in education. Internal corporate support (for example, information and referral hotlines).  
Opportunities for employee involvement.  Training/workshops (for example, how to help children with their homework, how to be an effective mentor).  
Employee recognition of those employees who are involved in education.  Flexible work arrangements (for example, flextime, compressed work week, telecommuting).  
Manager training about the importance of employee involvement in education.  Alternative work arrangements (for example, part-time positions, job sharing).  
Recognition and rewards for managers who support employee involvement in education.  Paid time-off or Employee Leave Policies for volunteering in schools  
Manager performance evaluations/ reviews linked to support of employees' educational involvement/volunteerism.  Paid time-off or Employee Leave Policies for attending teacher conferences/ accompanying children during transitions.  
Other  Can all employees (for example, non-management, line) use the policies, programs, and resources available at your worksite?  
Unspoken rules     
Management support of employee involvement in education.  Other  
Co-worker support of employee involvement in education.     

Upon completion of this worksheet, you will have identified how supportive your corporate culture is of educational involvement and the steps (if necessary) to improve the current climate. In addition, you will have identified the policies, programs and resources available at your company which promote employee involvement in education.

Structure/Systems

Your work environment provides an important context for the support of educational initiatives. If a work culture exists that endorses work/life balance, it is more likely that employees will participate in all types of work/life programs, including educational initiatives. When thinking about your company culture and business-education partnerships, consider three critical components: vision, structure/systems, and unspoken rules. Each plays a unique role in shaping your organization's culture.

What is your vision of your company's educational approaches (mission; goals and objectives; work place values)?

Example: It is the mission of our company to be a leader in the insurance industry and to ensure that our company maintains its position through development of quality products, promotion of excellence in leadership and implementation of policies that reflect our high regard for our employees, their families and the communities in which we live and work.

What structures/systems (activities that reflect fundamental values) have been put in place to support this vision (programs; formal policies)?

Example: Our company offers flexible schedules and access to an information and referral line for dependent care concerns, and considers managers support of employee requests for work/life balance in performance evaluations.

What unspoken rules (those that represent employees' interpretation of the company's vision) affect translating this vision into action (informal policies; informal practices; customs)?

Example: In our company, there is so much to be done that if you take educational leave for an hour to attend a parent/teacher conference, you will be expected to work late to make up the time.

See the Addendum for Background: Business Case for Corporate Educational Approaches

Programs/Policies/Resources

Employers can encourage employee involvement in educational activities by promoting and establishing programs and policies that facilitate participation in school activities. These may include "lunch-time flex" programs; staggered work hours (or other flexible work arrangements); paid leave policies; part-time work; and job sharing. These policies may be important not only for parent employees, but also for other employees (neighbors, grandparents, caring adults) who are interested in educational reform efforts.

Since parent involvement is associated with improved student achievement, employers' support of school involvement will augment the skills of the future workforce. Other direct benefits for employers are:


These programs can also serve as a vehicle for tapping into high-potential people, providing them with exposure to leadership skills. This can enrich jobs by creating meaningful competencies that can be integrated into performance evaluations.
See the Addendum page for Case Examples: Employee Involvement.

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[How to Use the Business Guide]		 [Table of Contents]
[Step 2: Assess Your Company's Involvement in Business-Education Partnerships]