National Conference(NatCo) update!

I attended the first NatCo of the year 2010-2011 in a castle all the way in the other end of the Netherlands.

After an exhausting train ride that started at 6.15am I finally arrived with the rest of the Rotterdam AIESECers in Venlo. Two amazing days of trainings and motivational talks (and not to forget an awesome party!!). We were given a very inspirational talk by Marcus Orlovsky, a British entepreneur also an AIESEC alumni. His mission is to improve the world of education in order to create better learning environments where young people can achieve their goals. He told us that we shouldn't listen to what other people tell us and do what we think is best according to ourselves. It was amazing, and everyone was very enthusiastic. After his speech all the members present held a brainstorm session to help set out our new goals that should be achieved by 2015. NatCo was an amazing experience, and I can't wait for NatCo II in January!

During the conference I managed to interview the vice president of Rotterdam's Local Committee (a.k.a. the LCVP).

Conceptualizing: Organizational Culture & National Culture

The culture of an organization is found in various elements and seen through the hierarchical levels in an organization; it is “embedded in and expressed by patterns and habits of communication” (Cheney, et. al, 2010; 75) An organizations culture is significant for both the identity and the image of an organization, therefore it is important to identify what makes an organization. However, sometimes we can only identify “taken for granted” values or habits of an organization when they have been violated or ignored. For example, Aiesec is known for being an organization that is “run by young people for young people” (Aiesec official website; 2010) but if suddenly the organization started to recruit elderly people that wanted an experience a global exchange, then it would be highlighted that Aiesec’s purpose was to help and work with the youth.

Aiesec also has to experience different national cultures within the organization and with the global companies that it works with. Cheney (2010; 76) defines culture as a system of meaning that guides the construction of reality in a social community. The differences in cultures are highlighted when compared to what we know about our own culture. It is important for members of Aiesec to understand that there are cultural differences in communication, decision making, values and beliefs and several other aspects. By identifying the cultural differences that occur within the organization, the members are then able to understand these differences and progress towards working with them and even find that benefits of an international organization.

References:

Cheney, G., Christensen, L. T., Zorn Jr., T. E., & Ganesh, S. (2010). Organizational Communication in an Age of Globalization: Issues, Reflections, Practices (2^nd Ed.). Waveland Press: Long Grove, IL.

What is aiesec?. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.aiesec.co.uk/what_is_aiesec/

Conceptualizing: AIESEC’s Structure

Aiesec’s organizational structure is made up of four levels. Its overall structure is top to bottom. However, at each level the structure differs in regards to the objectives of the members in the group. In an organization as Aiesec which deals with several projects both at a national and international level it is common to see the ‘project organization’ model (Cheney et. al, 2010; 38). This model allows for the organization to shift its boundaries permitting the members of the group to focus on the fundamental concerns and bringing together expertise and resources from various departments in the organization. Moreover, the project model allows for the different departments in the organization to work together towards one common goal. In terms of communication, the group will work with both formal and informal forms; there is no clear flow of communication between hierarchies however patterns may emerge between certain individuals in the group. Once the project’s goal has been completed it is possible that the group will no longer work together, they will relocate back to their departments and focus on their own goals. 

References: 

Cheney, G., Christensen, L. T., Zorn Jr., T. E., & Ganesh, S. (2010). Organizational Communication in an Age of Globalization: Issues, Reflections, Practices (2^nd Ed.). Waveland Press: Long Grove, IL.

Develop your leadership potential

AIESEC is an organization officially founded in 1948 by a group of students. At that time its mission was to expand the understanding of a nation by expanding the understanding of the individuals. It aimed to bring students from across the globe together and by doing build more understanding between nations. Nowadays, AIESEC has expanded to over 107 countries with over 50,000 members worldwide becoming the largest youth-run organization.  Its current aim is to help develop leadership capabilities through internal leadership programs and providing students and graduates with international exchange and internship programs for profit and non-profit organizations. Therefore, AIESEC aligns itself with their current slogan: “the international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential.”  

Similar to other organizations, AIESEC is structured in four levels. The first level constitutes the Local Committees, for AIESECers known as the LCs. A  Local Committee is based at a university and it holds itself responsible for AIESEC’s leadership and international internship programs.  The second level constitutes the Member Committee (MC), each representing a country. The MC is the national board and coordinates activities for the particular country or territories. The MC organizes national conferences and supports all the LCs on a national level. On top of the MC we have AIESEC International (AI), their tasks are similar to the MC but on a larger scale. 

A few times a year international congresses are organized and all AIESEC members can attend these conferences. Lastly, situated at the top of the pyramid is the Global Plenary, also known as Global Network.

This international network meets throughout a set of international meetings to discuss global strategies. These meetings support the international network by means of Global Information Systems, conferences, country coaching, regional products and specific country support.

As an active member of AIESEC, I have learned that in order to reach the top of the pyramid you have to work your way up and live the whole “AIESEC experience”. It is known within the LCs that if you want to be in the MC first you have to take responsibility in a local committee team and if you are lucky nail a position on the local committee board in order to become eligible for a position in the MC, and this fashion work your way up to AIESEC International.

The AIESEC Experience

 To enrich my AIESEC experience, I will be attending the first National Congress of the year 2010-2011 in Baarlo, the Netherlands. I am very excited and I will keep you posted!



References:

AIESEC the Netherlands. (2009, January 26). Retrieved from www.aiesec.nl

AIESEC International. (2010, January 26). Retrieved from www.aiesec.org

AIESEC the Netherlands. (2010, July 6). AIESEC the Netherlands: Annual report 2009-2010

Welcome!

This blog is about the largest student organization; AIESEC. 
It is run by students for students.

After reading this blog we hope you will be able to visualize what AIESEC is all about!

Enjoy!