Week 4

For such a large organization, the Phoenix Zoo does a great job attempting to create an interdisciplinary work place in which all departments and positions work together towards a common goal. While there is certainly an element of hierarchy present (volunteer, part time staff, full time staff, managers, supervisors, etc) the departments do work together quite often and there is a high level of communication throughout all levels of employment. The Phoenix Zoo seems to operate in both a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary manner. On a multidisciplinary level, there are various departments with their own staff and their own responsibilities. For example, the experiences department, of which I am an intern, responsibilities range from park signage to animal information presentation and guest satisfaction. Another department, which is much different from mine would be the park operations department, which involves the maintenance and responsibilities associated with the daily use of the zoo itself. Where the interdisciplinary aspect comes in to effect is in situations where two or more departments collaborate. For example, the experiences department often works closely with the animal resources department. Rather than considering each department a separate entity, these two areas come together to ensure animal and guest safety and satisfaction during animal presentations and information sessions. Generally, each department is structured in a hierarchical fashion, with a larger number of volunteers making up a large portion of the department and a fewer number of supervisors. This interdisciplinary approach allows for much greater success when it comes to getting people excited about nature. For instance, without the marketing department, the animal resources group would have less attendance at their animal presentations and less of an opportunity to influence them. The conservation department would not be nearly as successful if it was not for the education department working to get the message out to our guests about conservation issues. All in all, the Phoenix Zoo does a tremendous job incorporating all departments and all levels within the zoo to present a quality product.