At their core, organizations have the same basic elements as people. They lack human feelings, but they have institutional personalities and a history that, over time, develops an involuntary direction for the larger group.
A certain distinctive bearing throughout the athletic department at the University of Hawaii at Hilo that might be simply described as ohana, has been going through a difficult effort to reshape the internal culture. The family is feeling a little dysfunctional these days.
Athletic director Pat Guillen was hired 20 months ago and brought a mainland structure from his time with schools in Southern California.