Date of Award
Fall 12-1-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Educational Leadership
First Advisor
Mary Howard-Hamilton
Second Advisor
C. Jack Maynard
Third Advisor
Catherine Golden
Abstract
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are complex and intricate systems of people, processes, and practices. HEI practices and processes are often extended through strategic partnerships and external collaborations, increasing their capacity or ability to obtain their stated goals. This notion extends to minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It is important to understand whether partnerships have the capacity to meet their goals, especially if there are risks for minority-serving institutions and those traditionally marginalized, which is a problem. The purpose of this qualitative organizational case study was to explore the evidence of critical consciousness and capacity building in a research park, a type of partnership, between two HEIs with historically different missions and values. The capacity of an organization is the organization’s ability to reach its goals. Freire’s (2018) theory of critical consciousness is the ability of nondominant and dominant people or entities to reflect critically and use their agency to create innovative solutions together. This study uses thematic analysis to analyze the documents and social media posts of the partnership, and the strategic plans of the partnering institutions through the lenses of capacity building and critical consciousness. The documents include the strategic plans of both institutions, the organizational chart, the Board of Directors roster, bylaws, external review report, a job description, and 36 social media posts. Data analysis utilized MAXQDA qualitative data software. This qualitative study found that there was neither sufficient evidence of capacity nor critical consciousness for the partnership to meet its stated goals of being a catalyst of innovation. The contribution of this research informs iv the nuances of partnering with minority-serving institutions and necessity of critical consciousness to undergird the effectiveness of the partnerships and ensuring that they have the capacity to meet their goals. The implications include the importance of aligning individual institution goals with the shared goals of the partnership and the strategies therein.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Natasha E., "Evidence of Capacity Building and Critical Consciousness in an Institutional Partnership: an Organizational Case Study of the Gateway Research Park" (2024). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3141.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/3141
Included in
Higher Education Commons, Higher Education and Teaching Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, Social Psychology Commons
