2026-05-18T21:59:34Zhttps://keep.lib.asu.edu/oai/request

oai:keep.lib.asu.edu:node-2008792025-05-08T23:03:52Zoai_pmh:alloai_pmh:repo_items

200879 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.200879 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-05 121 pages Schneider, Jaden DeLusé, Stephanie R. Goshert, Maxwell Barrett, The Honors College School of Politics and Global Studies Economics Program in CLAS This thesis explores the structure, operations, and organization behind the Enterprise Policy Analysis Group (EPAG). EPAG is a team of student policy analysts nested within Arizona State University (ASU) who research and report on topics of interest to ASU’s Executive Leadership and President Michael Crow. The team’s work is both policy analysis and consulting, and is performed by both students and professionals. The thesis deconstructs EPAG and separates it into components. From here, the thesis analyzes how the team interacts with ASU’s leadership as well as itself. The team’s operations and tools it uses are also analyzed, forming a cohesive picture of how EPAG runs. The team performs well in terms of its research output and treats its staff with respect. Rather, this report identifies opportunities to improve issues such as miscommunication and offers solutions to erroneous work processes that sometimes hinder the team. Much of this can be addressed by reconnecting the team’s work to its purpose—to provide high-quality, neutral, evidence-based information that informs leadership. Bolman and Deal’s (2021) theoretical framework, Reframing Organizations, 7th Edition, is then used to reframe EPAG within four frames to break apart and analyze the structural, human resources, political, and symbolic components of the team. In applying the frames, the thesis shows how structural hierarchy, human motivation, internal politics, and symbolic meaning are active in even small teams, such as EPAG. The thesis then identifies four opportunity areas: (1) adjusting current EPAG guiding documents, (2) aligning project phases with team expectations, (3) improving internal communication and task delegation, and (4) enhancing research consistency and validity. From here, solutions are proposed, such as guiding documents, creating clearer alignment tools, better structuring communication strategies, and revising research practices, to aid EPAG in improvement. Organization small team Organizational Structure structural Human Resources Political Symbolic Communication digital communication reframing An Analysis of the Enterprise Policy Analysis Group: A Case Study