Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to gain essence of understanding of the phenomena of the influence of culture on the change process at small, private colleges. Research questions included cultural characteristics of a campus, the impact of policy and procedure on shaping culture, the role of leadership in shaping culture, and contextual conditions that affect the change process. Two colleges that fit the description of small, private colleges were selected as sites. At each site, six individuals composed of a mix of faculty and administration were secured for semi-structured interviews. Interviews provided a rich understanding of the unique campus culture, the changes the college had undergone in response to opportunities or threats, and how the culture helped to shape the change process to produce positive or negative outcomes. Observations included the description and locations of each campus, the setting for interviews, and nonverbal indicators of interviewees. Document analyses included review of published and unpublished documentation provided by a liaison at each campus. A school culture survey was also distributed to faculty at each institution and results were compared with qualitative research data. Emerging themes were unique to each campus culture and included the effect of policies and procedure on the change process, characteristics of leadership initiating and implementing change, and the role of contextual conditions that drove the change initiation. Additional sub-themes included importance of mission, willingness and openness to change among faculty, leadership communication and decisiveness, impact of enrollment and budget in the change process, and the effect of online Education. Findings included impact of faculty governance, importance of decision-making process, communication, trust, respect of leadership, and enrollment as driving factors for change. Implications included the value of understanding the unique cultural context of each college, the significance of the leaders role in change initiation, and the change implementation process.
Recommended Citation
Flamm, Andrew Ralston, "Influence Of Culture In The Implementation Of Change At Small, Private Colleges" (2018). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1650.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/1650