THE ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE CYCLE CONTAINS BETWEEN THREE AND SEVEN PHASES. THE FINAL PHASE OF ALL MODELS HAS BEEN THE DEATH OF THE ORGANIZATION. THIS STUDY DETERMINED IF THERE COULD BE AN ALTERNATIVE TO THIS ORGANIZATIONAL DEATH. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT AN ORGANIZATION CAN ENTER A PERIOD OF HIBERNATION, TO BE REJUVENATED LATER. THIS HIBERNATION ALLOWS THE ORGANIZATION TO RETAIN ASSETS THAT CAN BE USED IN THE FUTURE. THE ORGANIZATION IN HIBERNATION WOULD NEED SUPPORT TO MONITOR THIS HIBERNATION FOR THE ORGANIZATION REJUVENATION.
THIS STUDY USED INTERVIEWS OF UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS WHO FOCUSED ON COLLEGE VOLUNTEER STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS (VSOS). USING VSOS AS THE SUBJECT TO DETERMINE THE VIABILITY OF HIBERNATION, THIS STUDY EXAMINED WHAT ROLES MEMBERS OF THAT VSO COULD PLAY TO MOVE THE VSO INTO HIBERNATION RATHER THAT ALLOW THE VSO TO DIE. CONCURRENTLY, THE STUDY EXAMINED ACTIONS COULD THE UNIVERSITY TAKE FACILITATE VSOS IN THE HIBERNATION PROCESS. URBAN UNIVERSITIES HAVE MORE FLUCTUATION IN STUDENT INVOLVEMENT IN VSOS DUE TO OTHER ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ENTERTAINMENT, INTERNSHIPS, AND EMPLOYMENT. LARGE UNIVERSITIES OFFERED THE VSO A GREATER STUDENT POPULATION UPON WHICH TO ATTRACT MEMBERS. THESE TWO FACTORS, UNIVERSITY SIZE AND LOCATION, APPEAR TO SUPPORT A HIGHER RATE OF TURNOVER IN MEMBERSHIP IN INDIVIDUAL VSOS. HIBERNATION IS DONE BY FRATERNITIES AND THE SAME PRINCIPLES OF HIBERNATION CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO VSOS. THIS OFFERS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE DEATH OF THE ORGANIZATION. SUPPORT FROM UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS TO DEVELOP A HIBERNATION OPTION WOULD STREAMLINE THE RETURN OF INACTIVE VSOS.