Dissertations on
Organizational Change and Transformation
(1990 - 2000)

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Alzeghoul, E. A. (1997). Factors related to administrative change in colleges and universities, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Purpose of the study. Ecologists argue that organizations are subjected to internal inertia that inhibits them changing their administrative structures. The strength of structural inertia increases with the size, age, and complexity of an organization. However, other authors suggest that organizations alter their structures in responding to the environmental changes. They hold that factors such as size, change in size, and age could be enabling factors for organizations to change their administrative structures. Most previous research has focused on examining the relationship between factors such as, size, change in size (growth and decline), complexity of an organization and an administrative component. The present study examined a selected set of factors in relation to administrative change. Specifically, it examined how university ownership, type of university (based on Carnegie classification), size, change in size (growth and decline), age, and competition are related to administrative change in colleges and universities. Sample. Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education (1987) was used to obtain the sample of this study. Fifty universities (25 private, 25 public) was selected randomly from each type of universities (research, doctorate, comprehensive) by using random numbers table. Procedure. Data regarding the independent variables were obtained from the Yearbook of Higher Education (1981/1982, 1984/1985) and American Colleges and Universities (1982/1983). The amount of administrative change was operationalized in terms of the absolute number of administrative changes (of the top-level managers) that occurred in each university between 1982 and 1985. The deletion of a position was considered to be one change. Similarly, an addition of a new position was considered to be one change. Also a change in personnel position was considered to be one change. Therefore, the absolute number of changes each university had during the period of study represent the amount of administrative change. Statistical analysis. This study used different statistical analyses to test the hypotheses. Analysis of covariance (2 x 3) was employed to examine the effect of university ownership, type of university, and interaction between these two variables. A multiple regression was used to test a combined linear relationship between size and age of an university, competition (as combination) and the amount of administrative change. A simple correlation was used to evaluate the strength and direction of the relationship between the amount of administrative change and growth (increase in students enrollment) and decline (reduction in students enrollment) respectively. A t-test was used to compare the mean amount of administrative change of growing universities with that of declining ones. Results. Significant effect was found for type of university. Both research and doctoral-granting universities demonstrated amount of administrative change greater than that of comprehensive ones. Neither university ownership nor interaction had effect on administrative change. Size, age, and competition in combination explained only ten percent of variance. Size and age were found to have significant and positive relationship with administrative change, while competition was found to have non-significant negative relationship. A significant and negative relationship was found between administrative change and growth and positive with decline. Conclusion. Although some hypotheses were not supported, this study is a good starting point for future research. The findings present several suggestions that might have important practical, theoretical and research implications. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Keywords: I. D, II. E; III. QN; IV. administration, structure; VI. MC; VII. M.

Bombardier, L. D. (1992). An analysis of mediating factors, perceptions, and personnel related to strategic change in community college based small business development centers, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Oregon State University.

The purpose of this study is to examine the events and activities that triggered strategic and large-scale changes in four community college based Small Business Development Centers. A review of the literature in organizational theory and community college education was used to form an integrated conceptual scheme which could be applied to the description and examination of the change process. Tichy's TPC (Technical, Political, Cultural) model for managing strategic organizational change was used to provide the conceptual framework for conducting research and organizing data as it related to the events and activities that triggered change in case studies at four community college based Small Business Development Centers in Oregon. The case studies dealt with how strategic and organizational changes were triggered, whether they were initiated by a common set of triggering events, and the management responses to these changes used in each of the four community college based Small Business Development Center. Information concerning the changes that took place was obtained through using the TPC's in-depth diagnostic plan to analyze the events that trigger change and their impact on the key organizational components of the Small Business Centers. The research produced three findings related to the events that triggered in the four SBDC's organizational changes and the manner and means by which they were perceived, managed, and dealt with by each of the SBDC's studied. The three primary findings were: (a) the role played by key individuals as responders and/or innovators of organizational change was to a large degree dependent upon the congruence between the situation(s) being faced and their backgrounds, personalities, and leadership characteristics; (b) the different roles and hierarchical levels existing in an organization significantly influenced how individuals perceived the nature, type, properties, and characteristics of the events triggering the change process; and (c) when there is no agreement among key organizational decision-makers on the nature or type of change taking place, social power, influence and/or bargaining is used in selecting the strategy used to deal the change event.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change, strategy; V. administration, climate/culture, leadership, management systems; VI. MC; VII. CC.

Brandon, J. L. (1997). Meeting the changing needs of diverse students: Managerial conceptualizations of transformational change in student affairs. Higher Education. Santa Barbara, University of California .

This study explores the factors that facilitate transformational change. The Division of Student Affairs within a medium-sized residential, public university launched an initiative to better serve a more diverse and changing student population. Brandon focuses on the complex implementation process and extracts key elements that serve to transform the organization. Using multiple data sources, this study captures the change process from the conceptualization of change to the documentation of the change process. While managers play a key role in change, Brandon suggests that transactional leadership at the middle management level must be empowered to exhibit transformational leadership in order to change the culture. She also stresses that it is the transformational change of this role that facilitates the sustainability of change.

Keywords: I.D; II. D; III. NE; IV. change, transformation; V. administration; VI. SC; VII. NA.

Brooks, C.T. (1998). The influence of stakeholder assessment on change within a public institution of higher education. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Arkansas.

In the private sector, stakeholders have been used successfully to improve organizational effectiveness. Their preferences influence product design and development, and business and industry has a long history of using stakeholders in marketing research. The author finds that public sector has typically not used this methodology to plan for change. A case study of one public higher education institution focuses on the use of customer feedback to plan for and manage organizational change within one department of the institution. Three types of change were affected by information gathered through customer feedback: 1) structural change; 2) procedural change; and 3) changes with customer relationships. Organizational change was influenced by customer feedback, but organizational leadership and climate were influential in determining to what extent the organization was able to respond to change.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, C, ; III. QL, ; IV. quality improvement, strategy; V. management systems; VI. SC; VII. NA.

Denby, K. K. (1997). Organizational integration: A case study in higher education administration. J. T. M. Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Harvard University.

This case study of a reorganization effort within a university administration examines how changing the organizational structure and addressing the balance of "differentiation" (separateness and autonomy) and "integration" (interdependence and collaboration) affected the way departments worked with students and with each other. It deals with how the Harvard University Division of Continuing Education attempted to streamline procedures and integrate administrative operations while merging a satellite operation into the central administration. The reorganization entailed fundamental changes for the previously autonomous department: from being research- oriented and teacher-driven to service-oriented and student-driven; from relative independence and autonomy to interaction and cooperation with other operational units. The process was very complicated. In the course of "reining in" the department, it became clear that the orientation of individuals in key positions impacted the way they perceived the issues and how they interacted with each other. Repeated failures to reach even basic understanding attest to how very different the players were in attitude and approach, with different perspectives on what was important and different interpretations of what was said or agreed upon in meetings. Upon reflection, it might have worked out differently had the ambiguous term "integration" been adequately defined for all parties. Though they agreed that integration was the goal, there was never agreement on exactly what that meant. They needed to establish specific guidelines about operational objectives and negotiable elements. Were this case repeated, an important exercise would be to identify commonalties (e.g., what should be common for students in any program within the organization) and define the lines that could not be crossed. In addition, the organization as a whole needed to change its collective attitude and expectations toward its "outlier" department-- to let it assimilate while accepting and protecting its uniqueness. The blend of integration and differentiation within an organization depends on many things, but it must correspond to what the environment (including customer, financial, technical, physical, and personnel constraints) demands. Culture and priorities come into play, as do history and personalities. Organizations are not simple. This case portrays the complexities involved in reorganization and change.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change, environmental change, reorganization; V. administration, climate/culture, structure; VI. SC; VII. R.

Desloriers, V. R. (1993). An examination of the strategic planning process at Endicott College: A case study of decision-making to cope with change. A. L. Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Harvard University.

Strategic planning is widely heralded as the response of choice to a growing list of challenges facing American higher education. Endicott College, typical of many small, private institutions of higher learning in the United States, implemented strategic planning to meet its various challenges. This analytic paper, in the form of a case study, focuses on strategic planning at Endicott College, and how organizational forces shaped that process. Questions directing the research were: What were the conditions at the college prior to implementing strategic planning? Why was strategic planning chosen as the vehicle for change? What was the strategic planning process design? What forces, beyond that design, shaped the planning process? What were the consequences of those influences? A pattern, unlike that presented by the textbook model of strategic planning, emerged from the study. A series of campus forces had subverted the predicted process. The internal organizational factors which shaped Endicott's planning correlated with five major obstacles to planned change as identified by authorities in the field. The analysis is organized in terms of those five obstacles to planned change: lack of top leadership support; lack of shared values, goals, and purpose; lack of high morale, trust, power, and personal security; lack of meaningful participation and communication; and lack of adaptability, creativity, and innovation. Long- standing campus factions, cultural norms, and administrative styles combined to present these obstacles and to seriously impede planning efforts. Unable to surmount these problems, the leadership in many ways exacerbated them. Endicott College did, however, face the same harsh realities that were confronting higher education across the United States. Questions of shifting demographics, governance, finances, curriculum, and their role in higher education loomed large. Conclusions of the study were: strategic planning is not a panacea for the problems facing higher education today; the planning model employed should fit the management style of the organization; and development of the planning document itself should be accomplished within a specified time frame.

Keywords: I. D; II. D,P; III. QL; IV. environmental change, planning, strategy; V. administration, leadership, management systems; VI. SC; VII.

Deuben, C. A. J. (1992). The factors facilitating or inhibiting institutional merger among three Catholic institutions of higher education. L. K. Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Wayne State University: 00436.

This dissertation analyzes the proposed merger between University of Detroit, Mercy College, and Mercyhurst College. The conceptual framework for the analysis was Martorana and Kuhn's Interactive Forces Theory, in which organizational change is considered through the interaction of three forces: personal, interpersonal, and goal hiatus. The study is reflective; Dueben conducted interviews and collected data which supported the Interactive Forces Theory, and pointed to factors of finance and presidential leadership as critical in bringing about the merger process. It was unclear whether the theory has predictive value. The dissertation contains a useful literature review of mergers within higher education and the development of Catholic higher education. Excerpts from interviews provide interesting anecdotal information as to the subsequent merger between two of the institutions.

Keywords: I. D; II. C; III. NE; IV. change, V. alliance or partnership, administration, leadership, resource allocation; VI. MC; VII. M.

Durrington, V. A. (1997). A longitudinal study of the diffusion of a computer- based administrative innovation within a university faculty network. J. R. R. Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Texas Tech University: 00201.

Identifying predictors of computer use such as attitude, anxiety, and receptivity to change have been the primary area of interest in instructional technology. Research relating to the diffusion of innovations in education has been based primarily on looking at these individual characteristics as predictors of use. This dissertation proposes to use social network analysis to study the diffusion of two computer-based administrative innovations within a university faculty network. Methodology issues concerning time of adoption and network nominations were examined as well as the relationship of time of adoption and the number of network nominations received, spatial proximity, and organizational unit proximity. Finally, the diffusion of the innovations was to be analyzed using the dual- classification and T/CM models. Subjects were 66 faculty members in a College in Education from a southwestern university during the 1996- 1997 academic year. At the beginning of the study subjects were introduced to the innovations and asked to provide demographic information and to identify communication partners in the areas of advice, friendship, and discussion. At the conclusion of the study subjects were asked to provide feed back related to the innovations and to once again identify their communication partners in the areas of advice, friendship, and discussion. Results indicated that there was no significant difference between adopters recall time of adoption and actual time of adoption. In addition, there was no significant difference between network nominations for advice, friendship, and discussion identified at the beginning and at the end of the study. The number of network nominations received was found to be negatively correlated with the time of adoption. No correlation was found between time of adoption and spatial and organizational unit proximity. The diffusion process could not be studied, because the necessary threshold and critical mass levels were not reached. The innovations did not diffuse through the network. The lack of diffusion could be explained by the negative correlation between the number of network nominations received and the time of adoption as well as by comments faculty submitted related to the innovations and a graphical representation of the social network with the nodes of adopters shaded.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. BT; IV technology; V. academic workplace, information technology; VI. SC; VII. NA.

Gallagher, V. J. (1990). Repositioning the university: Organizational symbolism and the rhetoric of permanence and change. G. T. G. Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Northwestern University.

Institutions shape and are shaped by a variety of competing symbolic contexts and, as a result, exist in a state of conflict. It is the hypothesis of this study that rhetoric provides the means by which institutions reconcile and, at times, transcend the conflict and contradictions of competing contexts to achieve a level of consensus or stability. The study undertakes three tasks: (1) to delineate the role of rhetorical discourse in the creation, development, and maintenance of organizations and institutions, (2) to develop a critical method of organizational analysis, and (3) to use the theory and method to analyze the way in which specific institutions--universities and higher education as a whole--are transformed or "repositioned" through the processes of rhetorical discourse. Case studies of four American universities--Northwestern University, Trinity University, the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan--demonstrate that institutional change emerges out of competing contexts of previous identity and is accomplished through a process of rhetorical integration. And while the symbolic transformation of institutions is shown to be always incomplete, critical analysis reveals the configuration of contextual elements and suggests rhetorical trends that characterize the current and future realm of higher education.

Keywords: I. D; II. D,C; III. QL; IV. change, transformation; V. climate/culture; VI. MC; VII. M.

Gibbs, C.N. (1998). Implementing institutional strategic planning and change: A case study of a division of student affairs. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Virginia Commonwealth University.

The experiences of a student affairs division undergoing a mandated change process is examined in this case study. Although participants in the student affairs office valued some of the opportunities and discussions that were part of the university's Strategic Plan, the study found that most members of the Division were not invested in it, and its useful life encompassed only the two years (1993-1995) during which the Quality of Student Life Task Force was meeting. The Division of Student Affairs had little involvement in the creation of the Strategic Plan itself, resulting in a lack of support for the change process. The author uses two questions to examine the case: 1) what happened when the division attempted to implement the strategic plan directive? And 2) what meaning did the participants give to the change process? Strategic planning is a process for managing change; a means for transitioning institutions, but strategic planning had little meaning for members of the Student Affairs Division, who focused more on the change itself and on the "personal" implications. Such preoccupation may hinder implementation and integration of changed practices into mto the institutional culture. The perception of Student Affairs personnel, is that strategic planning was the administration's vision of the future. The perceived distance between senior administration and the professionals at the operational level who serve students on a daily basis, created an obstacle to the successful integration of change into the culture.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, ; III. QL; IV. change, planning, strategy; V. administration, climate or culture, leadership; VI. SC; VII. NA.

Goldsmith, S. S. (1997). Creating culture at a new university: Expectations and realities. H. S. A. Chair, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of California Los Angeles.

Goldsmith's three year study utilized ethnographic and other qualitative research approaches to examine the development of organizational culture in a newly established public comprehensive university. Data analysis was conducted on written materials, extensive participant observation field notes, and transcripts of reflective interviews with administrators, faculty and staff at California State University, Monterey Bay. Adopting a social constructionist perspective, Goldsmith describes the dynamics of culture creation through which key constituencies actualize individual and collective values trough the process of creating a distinctive new university. The author asserts that structures, processes, policies, and meanings must be developed through which the values of the distinctive vision can be supported. Goldsmith proposes a framework for studying postindustrial organizational culture which focuses on three interrelated themes: 1) vision as search for identity, 2) leadership as search for process, and 3) trust as search for community.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. planning, transformation; V. climate/culture, leadership; VI. SC; VII. C.

Hanson, L.D. (1999). Restructuring academic programs: Faculty leadership in effective organizational change. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Seattle University.

The author writes a qualitative case study of one institution's response to the internal and external pressures felt by many colleges and universities in the 1990s. This study examines Pacific Lutheran University's restructuring process of their academic program. The author indicates that this study counters the prevailing theory in the literature that faculty are not significantly involved in leading change and also points out situations in which faculty resist change. Seven conclusions are drawn from the study: 1) the convergence of internal and external factors gives rise to restructuring; 2) a functioning faculty governance and a guiding coalition for reduction in force is critical to address restructuring; 3) collaborative leadership from administrators and faculty is essential for effective change; 4) factual and political rationale is used in decision making, and is grounded in institutional culture; 5) systematic academic program review potentially limits subjectivity and aids decision making; 6) those faculty adversely affected by organizational change view decisions as irrational and unsupported by the data, and faculty leaders justify decisions by aligning data with core values, mission and direction of the institution; 7) it is not imperative that faculty initiate restructuring to be effective participants.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, ; III. QL; IV. change, restructuring, ; V. academic workplace, faculty, leadership ; VI. SC; VII. R.

Hauck, G.L. (1998). The turnaround and transformation of Grand Rapids Baptist College into Cornerstone College. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Michigan State University.

The author presents a case study of turnaround and transformation at a small, Christian college. Turnaround refers to the ability of an institution to rebound after a period of decline. In this case study, turnaround and transformation were seen as part of one integrated process. The author uses Bolman and Deal's conceptual framework of organizational culture as a "lens" through which to interpret the changes taking place at the college. The factors of turnaround and transformation included the name change, a merger, new recruiting, new governance, more aggressive donor pursuit, shared vision, a new image, strategic planning, new facilities, new technology, a new president and provost, and a new mission statement. These factors were also viewed against the backdrop of the institution's historical context, through document analysis, interviews and observations. The findings show that the most crucial factor in the turnaround and transformation was the arrival, person and leadership of the new president and provost who had - a "transformational style of leadership". The majority of people at the institution feel positive about the change/transformation overall, while still viewing some factors negatively. The research suggests that many of the contributing factors in Cornerstone's turnaround and transformation are equal or similar to the contributing factors in the turnaround and transformation of organizations in the corporate, ecclesiastical, and educational worlds.

Keywords: I. D; II. D; III. QL; IV. change, planning, reorganization, transformation; V. academic workplace, administration, governance, leadership; VI. SC; VII. LA.

Haviland, D.J. (1998). Becoming a student-centered research university: A case study of organizational change. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Syracuse University.

Coherent change in a large research university is constrained by complex organizational structures and forms of shared governance that decrease presidential leverage. This became more problematic during the late 20th century, when colleges and universities came under scrutiny for escalating costs, declining enrollments and concerns about the quality of undergraduate education Large research universities have been faced with the need to alter teaching and fiscal practices. In this case study of one large research university, (Syracuse University), the author examines the successful attempt at planned, coherent and significant change. In the early 1990s, the university faced budget shortfalls totaling $38 million and a projected deline of 20 percent of its undergraduate enrollment. Leadership decisions by the new chancellor created a shift in emphasis from that of attempting to become an elite research university, to a more student-centered university. The author uses a sociological analysis of the change process, with an historical reconstruction of events. Interview, document analysis, and observation were used to describe and analyze the process of change. The author concludes that the successful change effort came about as a result of a confluence of external forces and internal circumstances which facilitated the adjustment. The importance of strong leadership, collaboration, grounding changes in institutional history and of adjustments to traditional shared governance practices are among the key variables that helped to foster the change.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, ; III. QL; IV. change, planning, strategy; V. administration, climate or culture, leadership, mission; VI. SC; VII. R.

Highsmith, D.T. (1999). The board of trustees as institutional change agent: A case study inquiry into the governance transformation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1979 1993. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of South Carolina.

The author uses a case study approach to trace and analyze how the governing board ofSouthern Baptists Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, became a change agent for institutional transformation. The study uses historical and contextual factors, and places the change process in a broad framework of cultural, ecclesiastical and political forces. The author concludes that the process by which trustees are appointed to their positions is an important factor in the board's potential for serving as a vehicle of change. Trustees are elected and may choose to consider the needs and wishes of those that elected them as their primary constituency, over the interests of those internal to the institution. Other factors influencing the role of trustees as change agents included the size of the board, how often they met, and leadership roles on the board. The author interviewed 25 participants or observers to the change process, and balanced this subjective approach with document analysis including statistics, scholarly journals, ecclesiastical journals and news accounts. The author's goal is to help illuminate strategies and procedures for effecting or impeding change.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, E; III. QL; IV. change, , strategy, transformation; V. academic workplace, administration, governance, leadership; VI. SC; VII. LA.

Hogue, W. F. (1995). Reorganizing information and technology resources: Diffusion and decision processes in one university. G. A. J. Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Harvard University: 00129.

U.S. colleges and universities are estimated to spend in excess of four-billion dollars annually to support information and technology (IT) services for faculty, researchers, students, and staff. Despite this substantial investment, concerns about quality of IT resources and services is widespread. An increasingly common response to these concerns by colleges and universities is to reorganize IT units under the leadership of a single administrator. This analytic paper examines the organizational processes at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire that led to a decision to place five operational units--including the library--under a newly created Office of Information and Technology Management. Documents and structured interviews are used to examine the following question. What led to a decision to create a new organization responsible for University information and technology resources? This qualitative analysis posits that the University underwent a paradigm shift; old belief systems about the appropriate management of information technologies and their role in the life of the institution were challenged and ultimately replaced after a period during which competing organizational models were examined. The process of choosing the organizational model was defined by a visionary leader who carefully used task force reports, the governance process, and external technological, budgetary, and political developments to build coalitions in support of his plan. The organizational model defined had its roots in the mission and culture of the University and, therefore, presented minimal threat to the institution's existing structure. Review of the decision and diffusion processes at UW-Eau Claire may be of use to other institutions in addressing the issue of information technology organizational structure, and in better understanding change processes within higher education.

Keywords: I. D; II. D; III. QL; IV. quality improvement, reorganization, technology; V. academic environment, administration, information technology; VI. SC; VII. R.

Hulfactor, M. C. (1992). An attainment discrepancy model of curricular change in academic departments, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Stanford University.

Undergraduate curricular drift in colleges and universities may be the result of incremental change to academic curricula. Empirical investigations of curricular change, though, have focused primarily on the characteristics of academic organizations. An attainment discrepancy model from organizational learning theory offers predictions about processes that stimulate organizations to change incrementally. The model predicts that some types of changes are the result of search motivated by a discrepancy between organizational performance and aspiration. This study tested attainment discrepancy hypotheses with respect to undergraduate enrollment, using data from 120 academic departments over a four year period. Findings supported the hypothesis that curricular change occurs as academic departments respond to low enrollments. However, the effect was mitigated for departments possessing high levels of external funding. Research findings illuminate a process of departmental response to environmental stimuli, and suggest a possible mechanism through which curricular drift may occur.

Keywords: I. D; II. D,P; III. QL; IV. change; V. academic workplace, curriculum; VI. MC; VII. NA.

Hurst, D.G. (1998). The transformation and expansion of higher education in the United States from the Civil War to the present. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Emory University.

The author uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches to the study of expansion of higher education from the 19th century to the present. The qualitative approach uses an historical analysis of changes in the organization and purpose of higher education using four theories as the analytic framework - technological-functional, status competition, class conflict and world-institutional. The research is motivated by three questions that center around 1) identifying the dynamics of higher education expansion; 2) determining the extent to which prevailing theories of educational expansion account for the level of expansion in the United States; and 3) to what degree can higher education be considered a mass institution? The historical analysis examines how higher education has changed from a largely elite institution serving a small population, into a mass institution serving the great majority of high school graduates who aspire to a college degree. The quantitative analysis looks at several factors including technological changes and market demand for college graduates, that have had an effect on enrollments over time.

Keywords: I. D; II. D; III. QL, QN, NE; IV. transformation; V. academic workplace, climate or culture, mission; VI. MC, SA, S; VII. M.

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Julia, J. B. (1996). The influence of planning on institutional transformation: A study of information technology. M. W. Peterson. Chair, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, The University of Michigan.

The external environment within which higher education exists has been labeled a "postindustrial environment" characterized by turbulence, competitiveness, lean resources, and unpredictability. Two organizational responses to the challenges and opportunities inherent in this external environment are planning and transformation. There are implicit suggestions in the literature that planning and transformation are linked phenomena, yet there has been little research conducted on their potential relationship. This qualitative study uses a case study methodology to research the relationship between these phenomena within the context of the migration from a centralized to distributed computing environment at a major research university. The study's central research question is, "How does planning influence the internal transformation that results from the migration from a centralized computing environment to a distributed computing environment in a major research university?" Five organizational units were chosen for inclusion in this study: the central administration information technology unit, two academic units, and two administrative units. Data was collected through a triangulated methodology that included interviews with sixty informants from the selected units. A content analysis and pattern identification of the data collected was then conducted to ascertain emergent relationships between the data. Five key findings emerged from this analysis: (1) Centralized planning from the information technology unit either had little influence on transformation (in academic units) or inhibited transformation (in administrative units); (2) Planning associated with the attempted transformation differed between the academic and administrative units included in this study. The academic units used a rational approach to planning, while the administrative units used a combination of rational and non-rational planning processes; (3) Leadership and resource factors were integral components of both the planning and transformation processes; (4) The rational and non-rational planning conducted within the units positively influenced the extent to which transformation resulted within these units; and (5) Four factors, leadership, human maintenance, commitment of institutional resources, and the accommodations of tradition, governance, and administrative style emerged in the transformational process and results dimensions of the conceptual framework to provide a research supported framework for further study on transformation.

Keywords: I. D; II. D; III. QL; IV. planning, transformation, technology; V. academic workplace, administration, information technology, leadership, resource allocation; VI. MC; VII. R.

Larson, R. S. (1997). Organizational change from the inside: A study of university outreach. East Lansing, Michigan State University.

The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the responses and perceptions of responses to change initiatives. As change is outlined and strategized, there may be a difference between how these plans are received across campus. In addition, committee members who have invested their time writing these documents may have perceptions which anticipate the response of faculty members. Together, these responses and perceptions of responses may fuel problematic misconceptions. Based on data collected within one institution, the findings from this study demonstrate that the process of evaluating and making decisions regarding a new change initiative may be an iterative one for faculty. They have a perspective at the department level which may not be the same as the institutional vantage point. Larson cautions against predicting faculty response and reminds us that those who create an initiative must value the perspective of those who will be expected to implement it. He also suggests that the complexity of change allows for differing responses from within a diverse university community.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change; V. academic workplace, administration, faculty; VI. SC; VII. R.

Lubach, D. W. (1997). A case study of university transformation: An organization adapts to a changing environment. L. I. Chair, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of California Santa Barbara:.

The target of this explanatory study was to advance the development of micropolitical theory. The author sought to use and improve a mixture of unobtrusive research methods with the goal of advancing the understanding of a complex educational institution. The Santa Barbara campus of the University of California served as the organization under examination in this case study. Qualitative research methodology was employed and a number of indicators of "core technology" (Thompson, 1967) were used and modified in order to answer the research question. The study provides a depth analysis of selected aspects of the history of an institution. Data were collected with the assumption that critical incidents and histories hold the blueprint for the basic shape and direction of a social system. Printed records, reports, and public information were the major sources of data. The researcher attempted to minimize effects of his enmeshed role as a member and participant in the organization. Each change in staff, funding sources, allocation of physical space, and grant money received tells the story of a campus that has undergone two types of basic change. What was once a teaching academy has become a celebrated research institution and what was once a primarily State funded institution has successfully invested in resources and strategies to secure alternative funds. Insight was gained into how an organization shifted the balance of its core priorities without dissolving. The campus used subunits to maintain organizational stability while changing on its margins to meet environmental demands.

Keywords: I.D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change; V. administration, climate/culture; VI. SC; VII. R.

McCoy, L. (1999). Accounting discourse and textual practices of ruling: A study of institutional transformation in higher education. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Toronto.

The author takes a unique approach to the examination of organizational change and institutional transformation in the Ontario college system in the early 1990s, by using the study of accounting as a documentary practice of knowledge. It first looks at accounting as a text-based form of knowledge, and shows the present-day organization of accounting as a conceptual and textual practice of representation. The author examines how accounting statements mediate organizational work processes and inter-organizational relations of property and obligation. In the second part, the author uses an institutional ethnography approach to examine the use of accounting as a practice of knowledge. During the period of the early 1990s, colleges were faced with state policies of privatization and fiscal retrenchment, as well as increased competition in the adult vocational training market. In response to these pressures, college administrators responded by attempting to make their institutions more efficient, entrepreneurial and businesslike. Accounting played a central role in this restructuring effort, and new practices of managerial accounting produce observable changes in organizational work processes and approaches. The author provides a closer examination of how this process worked by looking at one college's introduction of program costing, and accounting exercise that established unit costs for each academic program.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, C; III. QL; IV. change, , quality improvement; V. academic workplace, management systems, resource allocation; VI. MC; VII. M.

McKenna, S.M. (1998). The application of a corporate change model to an institution of higher education. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Connecticut.

While many organizations throughout the world have adopted change strategies in order to remain competitive and efficient in turbulent environments, higher education change processes have been slower and more incremental., leaving institutional administrators unable to respond efficiently to pressures including those brought about by increasing demands from constituencies while simultaneously having fewer resources to meet those demands. The answer is in education organizations adopting more flexible organizational cultures and structures. Changing a culture is more difficult when an organization has a history of success, and an established culture as does higher education. The author uses a cultural change model developed by Edgar Schein for use in the corporate sector and applies it to an institution of higher education. The study used qualitative methods including observation, participant action research and clinical interviews with key informants, using Strauss's grounded theory to organize the data., and Schein's model to assess the attributes of organizational culture to two top management committees at the institution. The author found Schein's model useful for deriving five of the subject committees' basic cultural assumptions, but found that the model did not adequately account for political influences on organizational decision making processes.

Keywords: I. D; II. E, ; III. QL; IV. change, environmental change, ; V. administration, climate or culture; VI. SC; VII. NA.

McMurray, J. K. (1997). Building capacity for systemic change: Episodes of learning in the first-year of a grant-funded change project at a land grant university, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Oregon State University.

Demands for increasingly more responsive education systems have caused some higher education institutions to reconsider their original missions and envision new futures. This is particularly true with land grant institutions whose mandate it is to be the people's university. The purpose of this study was to explore the first year of a change project at a land grant institution to determine first attempts to prepare for and catalyze systemic change. The literature review supported the position that change was seldom enduring in higher education organizations, and to effect systemic change an organization needed to embrace the concept of learning. This study sought to make sense of organizational change through the experience of an innovative vision-driven, participant-centered change process. Data were analyzed using multiple sources including interviews, fieldnotes, project documents and participant observation. Three themes emerged from the analysis representative of participant experience: Learning How to Change; Developing a Change Design; and Collaboration and the Paradox of Partnership. The themes represented primary areas of learning for participants in the first year of the project. Stories of participant learning were expressed through key events experienced during the 12-month inquiry. Outcomes of this study reflected the centrality of learning in the beginning months of the change project. Change agents needed opportunities to learn how to change before enlisting others in the process. Active learning, reflection, and the value discovered through an expanded capacity for change created deeper ownership in the project for many participants. These aspects of the change process were also identified as attributes of a learning organization. Another significant research outcome addressed partnering efforts in the project's initial months. First attempts to build collaborative relationships with the State's community colleges were ineffective due to low levels of trust and highly competitive cultures.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change, transformation; V. academic workplace, partnership; VI. SC; VII. R.

Mulvey, T. M. (1993). An analysis of the mergers of American institutions of higher education. D. F. S. Director, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Massachusetts.

American higher education has been affected by spiraling cost, declining college-age population, decreasing financial aid and defense grants, budget reductions from state governments and concerns about quality. The merging of two or more institutions into a single entity is one strategy to cope with these changes. The literature on the subject of merger, however, is fragmented and dwells mainly on the reasons why institutions merge. This study examines the tensions and elements that constitute the merger phenomenon in its totality and identifies implications for implementation. The study analyzed 18 doctoral dissertation case studies of 20 higher educational mergers that took place during the period 1964-1985. Similarities and differences were identified and the findings compared with the merger literature. The data were then interpreted from the perspective of organizational change. The analysis indicated that three major tensions shape the merger phenomenon: the clash between maintaining the status quo and implementing change; the emergence of one institution as the dominant party thereby exacerbating the change for the subordinate party; and the accomplishment of organizational objectives at the expense of individual needs. A pattern emerged indicating that change was not managed, decision-making was top down and self-centered, crisis was not anticipated, power was used to dominate, conflict was divisive, planning was non-existent or poorly done and implementation was characterized by limited strategies to facilitate the process. Several important distinctions were identified according to the type of control of the merging institutions. Differences were found in the impelling reasons, motivation, process stages, type of risk, degree of consultation and outcomes. Exceptions to the conventional wisdom that financially troubled institutions should not merge were noted. Also, a simple legal maneuver frequently employed in the corporate world was identified as an alternative to the standard merger approach. In order to facilitate the complex process of a merger and to address the identified problems, the application of the integrated frames approach for managing organizational change as developed by Bolman and Deal (1984) is recommended. Strategic planning is also recommended as an effective tool for coping with change.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change, merger; V. alliance or partnership, administration, management systems; VI. S; VII. M.

Moldenhauer-Salazar, J.C. (1999). Visions and missions: A case study of organizational change and diversity in higher education. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Michigan.

The author presents a case study of one institution's intentional change effort in the area of diversity, over a thirty-year period. The study uses an inductive (grounded theory) approach centered on two questions. 1) What has changed? 2) How did these changes occur? Interviews with 37 individuals involved in change at the school, and data from archival sources was collected. The results of the data analysis give both a detailed chronology and history of organizational change, and a theoretical framework to explain this change. The theoretical framework includes the role of the school's "vision of diversity" and corresponding mission statement in moving change forward, while balancing political conflict and power struggles over the appropriateness of the mission and its implementation. Vision and mission guide change, attract and maintain support for change, inspire others in the process and affect revenue. However, these functions are only possible if stakeholders are in support, and there is strong financial backing for such an effort. The results of this study integrate the current literature on organizational vision and mission, while adding the concept of power. As well as making theoretical contributions, practical implications serve to inform organizational leaders and actors involved in the change process.

Keywords: I. D; II. D; III. QL; IV.. change, planning, transformation V. climate or culture, mission; VI. SC; VII. NA.

Morgan, H.P. (1998). Moving missions: Organizational change in liberal arts colleges. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Chicago.

The author uses data collected from every American college or university that granted a baccalaureate degree between 1966 and 1992 to trace the patterns in the redefinition of the liberal arts college. Prompted by changes seen in liberal arts colleges that have begun to grant more and more career-oriented and advanced degrees, the author traces the gradual and continual redefinition of the liberal arts college that has taken place over the years. The author extends the theory of why organizations become more alike to propose a theory of "isomorphism with a moving target" which accounts for the observed patterns of change and variation. Six colleges were chose to represent the range of variation. These cases illustrate how liberal arts colleges are open to redefinition because categories such as "liberal arts" and "university" lack clear boundaries. The case studies indicate that most schools stretch the category of "liberal arts" to include schools that grant applied and professional degrees, rather than changing their own category or the entire system of categories. The aggregate effect of individual changes creates new patterns of resemblances, and colleges then redefine their identities in response, creating a continuous process of redefinition. Adaptation then, is spurred by changes in other organizations in the system,
rather than by changes in the external environment. Organizations will continue to adapt in order to retain their relative position.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, C, ; III. QL, QN; IV. change, reorganization; V. climate or culture mission, structure; VI. MC; VII.LA.

Nicklin, J.A. (1999). Measuring perceptions of leadership in a time of organizational change. Unpublished M.A. Dissertation, Royal Roads University (Canada).

This study is an exploratory examination of the effect of planned organizational change on the observed behaviors of leaders. The objectives of the study are to assess changes in leadership practices (as seen by the subjects' peers and subordinates) before and during organizational changes, to suggest explanations for differences and similarities in perceptions of leadership that occur at different points during the change (base-line, mid-point and post-change), and ultimately to provide useful information about changes in perceptions of leadership for organizations planning to implement future organizational change activities. In this study, leadership is defined as skills and behaviors that assist an individual to influence people within the organization. This study focuses on planned, rather than unplanned change.

Keywords: I.D.; II.D,P; III. QL; IV. change, planning, reorganization, restructuring; transformation; V. administration, leadership; VI.SC; VII.NA.

Noftsinger, J. B. J. (1997). Public Service Partnerships and Higher Education Restructuring in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Virginia.

The purpose of this study was to explore the nature and implementation strategies of public service programs that were reported as part of institutional restructuring plans for the fifteen state-supported institutions in Virginia. The plans were required by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) as a part of their public higher education systemic restructuring initiative. The study also sought to determine if these programs were developed or implemented in response to the restructuring criteria and to learn more about implementation strategies, facilitators, and impediments to public service program development and implementation. This study generally employed qualitative research methods. However, some quantitative methods were used to supplement the research. Information from the institutional restructuring reports and 36 informants indicated that 221 programs were reported as a part of the restructuring initiative. The data indicated that institutions were teaming with a variety of partners to develop and implement programs. The data revealed proactive and entrepreneurial engagement on the part of the academy. The most common program goal was human resource development, and the most frequent target audience was persons currently in the workforce. The most prevalent organizational home for programs was academic departments. However, programs were found to be housed in more central organizational units at smaller institutions. The restructuring criteria did appear to have an influence on programmatic activity. Informants reported that 18% of the programs were developed or implemented as a direct response to the mandate. Another 26% of the programs were indirectly influenced by the criteria, usually through enhanced program awareness. Most programs were funded from institutional coffers. State and federal governments were also sources of program funds. The most consistent program impediment was clearly inadequate financial resources, followed by the closely related problem of bureaucratic rules and funding technicalities. The most pervasive program facilitator was the high level institutional support of the senior administration, especially presidents, vice presidents, provosts, and deans. The support/dedication of individual faculty members was also consistently reported as a program facilitator. The concept of organizational agility was developed in the study and was observed in 60% of the programs.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. restructuring, strategy; V. alliance or partnership, administration, governance, resource allocation; VI. MC; VII. M.

Norrell, T. H. (1993). The history of Wofford College: A small college in the context of change (South Carolina). C. W. Director, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of South Carolina.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changing mission and past institutional changes at Wofford College, a church-related liberal arts college in South Carolina. Wofford College has prospered despite the drastic changes in American society since 1854. The origins and history of the College were traced to establish the past mission and process of change at the College. The primary foci of this study were to examine the changing mission, curriculum, presidential leadership, and institutional strategies for change in the period from 1854 to 1992. Wofford College was established at the bequest of Benjamin Wofford, with funds from his estate. This was accomplished through the action of the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Benjamin Wofford established the College to provide an education in literature, classics, and science. The curriculum was similar to other liberal arts colleges of the day. Despite changes in the curriculum over the years, Wofford College maintained its identity as a traditional church-related liberal arts college until 1968. The financial health and enrollment of the College was never seriously threatened during this period with the exception of the era of the American Civil War. During most of its history, the values and curriculum of this institution were seldom questioned. Since 1945, both society at large and higher education in particular have undergone drastic changes at an unparalleled rate. The G.I. Bill brought a large number of students into institutions of higher education. The advent of the atom bomb, followed by Sputnik, began curricular changes at all levels emphasizing mathematics and science. Since then, the Civil Rights Movement, campus unrest, financial constraints, and even coeducation have influenced Wofford. This study examined how these changes affected Wofford College, its curriculum, its programs, and its organizational structure. It also assessed whether institutional changes were simply a response to the demands of the supra-environment or were implemented as part of a proactive strategy of planned change.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. NE; IV. change, environmental change; V. academic workplace, administration, climate/culture, curriculum, leadership, mission; VI. SC; VII. LA.

Nuske, C. J. (1993). The role of management in the planned change process: An analytical case study of the instituting of a computer initiative in a college. J. B. B. Major Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Virginia.

Schools are rushing into instituting innovative programs without understanding the complexities of implementing and managing change. Unfortunately, most change projects have failed. To increase the likelihood for success, managerial leaders of planned change need guidance in managing the change process. This analytical case study focuses on the role of management in the planned educational change process. The case example is the management of a large-scale "computer/networking initiative" being launched across the disciplines of a college. The innovative program advocates student PC ownership, curricular computing, and campus networking to enhance learning, spread knowledge, and foster a collaborative learning environment. Crisis management, political turbulence, controversy, and challenges to authority for project championship characterized this intriguing case. Critical factors were (1) not knowing how to manage the planned change process in the face of such a demanding innovation and the political dynamics of the college environment; and (2) management that at times appeared to be motivated by reasons tangential to the tenets of the program. This study reviews the planned change literature extensively, synthesizes a managerial model, analyzes the case, and compares the case back to the literature and the model. It draws many conclusions relative to the (1) roles of the project leader and project champion; (2) innovation demands, successes, shortfalls, and congruency with resources and the College's culture; (3) adequacy of the model and planned change stage designations; (4) characteristics of the loosely coupled organization; (5) politics; (6) external forces encountered (like the economy and demographics); (7) managerial errors and crisis management; and (8) an organizational governance structure for managing planned change. Scholars of Educational Technology have, for years, studied innovation demands, diffusion, "process" variables, and even project management. I suggest that these are important, but in the sense that they are components of the planned change process. These components need coordination and monitoring in light of the context--management. There is a dearth of studies relevant to the management of planned change in Education, especially in higher education. This study addresses this void. It is essential reading for change managers; and professors, researchers, and students of administration, planned change, or educational technology.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. NE; IV. change, technology; V. administration, climate/culture, information technology, management systems; VI. SC; VII. NA.

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Oakley, K. L. (1996). Different destinies: Organizational transformation at two midwestern Catholic women's colleges, 1965-1990. K. S. L. Advisor, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Minnesota.

This study focuses on processes by which two Midwestern private, Catholic women's liberal arts colleges offering day undergraduate degree programs attempted to reinterpret or change their historic missions in order to maintain or expand enrollments in the face of declining markets for their services during the 1965- 1990 period. Using an interpretive case study methodology, data were gathered and analyzed from two such colleges in one Midwestern state. These schools, "St. Clare's" and "St. Margaret's," both faced similar significant shifts in student demographics and cultural/social climate for their programs, but responded in different ways, with different outcomes. By 1990, St. Margaret's enjoyed stable or growing enrollments in its day undergraduate, weekend, and graduate programs, while St. Clare's had closed in 1989. This study details the nature of the demographic shifts and cultural/social changes these colleges faced, the reinterpretations of mission that occurred in both academic and co-curricular life, the processes by which such reinterpretation occurred, and the outcomes for each institution. Data were gathered from 22 open-ended interviews with key informants, as well as from archival and documentary sources at each college. Findings are analyzed in terms of six themes in the data concerning mission, sponsorship, competition/collaboration, change process, leadership, and administrative practices. Learnings from the study suggest the importance to small private colleges with unique missions of (1) ongoing processes of mission reinterpretation, (2) development and management of mutually beneficial relationships with other institutions, (3) evolutionary strategic planning, and (4) facilitative and inclusive models of leadership.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. environmental change, transformation; V. administration, climate/culture, mission; VI. MC; VII. LA

Olsen, B. E. (1993). Paradigm shifts in training and development: A naturalistic study of management change during organization transformation, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Oregon State University.

The need for organizational transformation is a response to a larger paradigm shift occurring in science and society. It represents a shift from the mechanistic model to a systems, holistic model. The purpose of this study was to determine patterns and practices that limit training effectiveness when facilitating a major organizational paradigm shift. A literature survey identified major clashes between those values and tools of organizational models based on the new paradigm and those of bureaucracy, bureaucratic management and training relationships, domains and dynamics. Participant observation and interviews were the methods used to collect data from a study group of 15 upper middle managers involved as a pilot management team in the first year of TQM implementation at a public university. The group was closely observed during five months of training and 10 participants were interviewed at the end of the first year of implementation. Their stories revealed four obstacles to transformation: (1) managers were coerced into complying, change was imposed from above, there were no appropriate support systems and fear was endemic; (2) the management team had more difficulty than non-management TQM teams learning the mechanics of TQM, claiming they didn't have necessary learning skills; (3) managers protected themselves by rewriting the rules of TQM to fundamentally preserve the status quo; (4) managers defined the TQM effort a success without substantive personal change, pushing responsibility down and praise up in the organization. These obstacles were inherent in the bureaucratic system that effectively protected the managers from substantive change. The conclusion was drawn that four conditions were missing for a major organizational paradigm shift: (1) a willingness to risk, coupled with organizational support; (2) deep learning skills that provide personal context for learning; (3) shared vision, and; (4) personal mastery. Training patterns and practices reflected the same missing conditions. The training program was powerless in the transformation effort because: (1) it modeled and reproduced the old instead of the new wisdom, values, tools and ways of thinking and talking, during the transformation process; (2) the learning capacity implicit in the training program was limited in the same ways management was, by missing support structures, willingness and ability to change, and shared vision; (3) it depended on traditional relationships and dynamics, despite new domain, and was not seen as a credible transformation agent.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. reorganization, quality improvement, technology; V. climate/culture, information technology, leadership, management systems, mission; VI. SC; VII. R.

Ordorika, I. (1999). Power, politics and change in higher education: The case of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Stanford University.

The connection between political processes and change in higher education from an historical perspective is made in this case study of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. The focus is on politics, power and conflict in higher education, and the study constitutes an effort to explain why increasing demands have not produced rapid responses from the university. The lack of response has generated internal and external tension. As well as using the case study, the author relies on an alternative theoretical construct to generalize patterns to other cases and institutions. Three issues of major relevance are addressed: 1) the construction of a conceptual model that focuses on change, a consequence of politics and conflict in higher education; 2) an effort to reassess the limits of University autonomy and the relation between UNAM and the Federal Government in Mexico; and 3) a study of the process of change at the UNAM.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, ; III. QL; IV. change, ; V. administration, governance, leadership, ; VI. SC; VII. R.

Patrick, S. K. (1997). A qualitative study of faculty experiences during organizational change at one regional research university. A. W. C. Director, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, George Mason University.

This dissertation addresses a critical problem facing colleges and universities as they approach the 21st century, i.e., how faculty cope with the changing dimensions of academic life during periods of restructuring. Building on the seminal work of Bowen and Schuster (1986), this study examines the impact of environmental and institutional change on the quality of faculty lives during the 1994-1995 academic year at one regional research university. As institutions change in response to both external pressures (legislative, societal and technological) and internal pressures (accountability, faculty reward structure, student diversity, financial constraints), there is every indication that the nature of academic life will be different (Bensimon, 1996; Zemsky, 1996). Understanding the impact of organizational restructuring on the quality of academic life within institutions of higher education is a first step in identifying venues for change and is a major focus of this study. Through an open-ended faculty survey and a series of open-ended interviews, faculty participants described academic lives that were continually responding to external and internal pressures for change. The findings suggest that faculty accept the values of traditional academic life even though their experiences reveal a struggle between the past and the present as recently suggested by William Plater (1995). From this study it is evident that executive administrators must more clearly articulate how individual faculty roles fit into the institution's mission, and they must recognize the importance of faculty development activities to help faculty effectively meet the teaching, research and academic life challenges facing them in the next millennium. As higher education searches for its place in a highly technical, global environment, more research into academic lives at different types of institutions and in different regions can illuminate the realities of the academic experience and help lead to a better understanding of how to manage change and academic life in the academy.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, P; III. QL; IV. change, environmental change, restructuring; V. academic workplace, faculty, mission; VI. SC; VII. R.

Radtke, E. C. (1997). Organizational culture and attitudes toward merger in three public higher education systems. V. D. M. Major Advisers and A. Melissa S, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Minnesota.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the attitudes of administrators from three higher education systems which were in the process of being merged into a single new governance structure and the relationship of the perceptions of organizational cultures of the administrators of those three systems on their attitudes toward the merger. The population surveyed included administrators from the campuses and system offices of the three systems. Subjects completed two surveys, one examining attitudes toward the merger and the other examining perceptions of organizational culture. Results of the surveys were subjected to various statistical methodologies. Results of the study indicated that significant differences existed in the attitudes held toward the merger by administrators from the three separate systems with one system more pessimistic than the other two. While respondents from the three systems held similar perceptions about their organizational cultures, one system considered its culture to be more constructive. A clear relationship can be seen between attitudes toward merger and perceptions of organizational culture; constructive views of culture are significantly associated with optimistic opinions about the merger. This relationship, however, was only true of certain attitudes dealing with more internal system issues. Organizational culture was not seen as a major factor on attitudes relative to the broader societal impact of the merger. When relationships between culture and attitudes about merger were analyzed by system, different patterns were present for each system. Dramatic differences were also identified when system respondents were divided into campus versus system office groups.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QN; IV. merger, reorganization; V. administration, climate/culture, governance; VI. SC; VII. NA.

Ricker, D. H. E. (1991). Restructuring a college: Communication of change in a major university. W. G. T. Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University.

The research focus of this thesis was how communication functions in understanding the actions of stakeholders involved in the process of institutional change. The study centered on the transformation of the College of Home Economics to the College of Human Development at Penn State during the years 1967 to 1970. Between these years, a planned, holistic change took place as all the departments in the former College of Home Economics were dissolved and four new divisional units created. This transformation produced a markedly different college in the human services professions. In my research, I analyzed how communication played a role in the institutionalization of change when the organizational participants of a large research university transformed one college into another college. In doing so, I had two goals for the research: (a) I employed qualitative methods to investigate organizational communication in a university setting, and (b) I analyzed how communication operates in the process of organizational change. The specific research questions investigated in the study were (a) how did the various stakeholders perceive of the change, (b) how and what did the various stakeholders communicate, and (c) what are the implications for different constituencies in higher education about the effective management of change? Among the findings of the thesis were that successful organizational change requires long-range planning; and it is important to incorporate realistic expectations in carrying out the process of change. There needs to be consistency between that is said and what is actually done, and an understanding that when the structure of the new enterprise conflicts with the established values and culture of the organization, dissonance occurs. Information and effective public communication are important in facilitating change. Recognizing the importance of established relationships and including all stakeholders in the exchange of information are advantageous in institutionalizing change. Planned, comprehensive external communication with outside constituencies is a key component in academic transformations. The findings suggested an overall strategy for change which includes the following three components: Recognize the culture of the organization, including its history, traditions, and values; create an effective, positive, communication climate; and identify and consult with all constituent groups on whom the change will have an impact.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change, planning, restructuring; V. administration, climate/culture, management systems; VI. SC; VII. R.

Robertson, L. D. (1990). Organizational adaptation to environmental change: A study of college admissions. L. M. Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Stanford University.

Students are a primary resource for institutions of higher education, and the changing needs and characteristics of students are also a primary motivation for changes in the organizational structure of colleges and universities. The characteristics of prospective students for American higher education have changed periodically from World War II to the present. The large influx of veterans immediately following the War was followed by an even larger cohort--the "baby boomers". However, the 1970s saw the traditional college-age pool peak and begin to decline. Additionally, the 1980s saw women outnumber men in institutions of higher education for the first time since the War, and the proportion of ethnic minorities in the traditional college-age pool showed steady growth. During this same time period, an administrative specialization in admissions developed in many U.S. colleges and universities. The emergence of this occupational form motivated a 1964 study, The Admissions Officer in American Colleges, the first comprehensive analysis of this type of administrator. A replication of this study looked at admissions officers in 1975-6 in order to identify what changes had taken place. The current study, using 1987-8 data, builds on this line of research to identify changes and trends, and to analyze those changes and trends in light of three organizational theories. The three theories--population ecology theory, resource dependence theory, and institutionalization theory--all focus on the interaction of organizations and their environments. The primary purpose of the study was to examine changes and trends and to see how these comported with what the theories predicted. The primary source of data for the current study, as was the case in the prior two studies, was a survey directed to the universe of chief admissions officers in U.S., not-for-profit, baccalaureate-degree-granting colleges and universities. An initial and two follow-up mailings generated a 71% response rate. The current study found that the increase in the percentage of colleges and universities employing admissions specialists continued, and that this is the dominant form of organizational structure within the population. The study revealed changes in the role, emphases and characteristics of chief admissions officers.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. environmental change, strategy; V. administration, resource allocation; VI. SU; VII. MC.

Rosenzweig, J. S. (1997). The life and times of innovative colleges and universities: Factors affecting the endurance and transformation of institutional reforms in higher education, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, The Claremont Graduate University.

The goal of Rosenzweig's dissertation was to examine six innovative or experimental higher education institutions to determine how or why they have preserved their founding missions in the face of a changing and often non-supportive social, political and economic climate. A total of 151 founding or long-time faculty members, administrators, students, alumnae/i and trustees were interviewed during her four-five day site visits. Additional data was provided by observational research and archival document review which was analyzed inductively both within and across institutions. Rosenzweig notes six fundamental challenges that are currently facing distinctive institutions: 1) retirements of founding faculty, 2) campus image problems, 3) student attrition, 4) onerous faculty workloads, 5) faculty immobility, and 6) the challenge to remain both innovative and innovating. In order for these institutions to survive, the author calls for national recognition and promotion of creative alternatives for higher education.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. environmental change, reform, transformation; V. climate/culture, faculty, mission; VI. MC; VII. NA.

Schrum, L. M. (1991). Innovation and the process of change: A case study in distance education, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation: University of Oregon.

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze one state's efforts to distribute education, training, and information services to its citizens by initiating an innovative state agency for distance learning. My goal was to offer meaning to a complex educational innovation as it emerged amidst political forces, to describe the interaction between the people and organizations at the state level, and to lend understanding of the goals and purposes of those organizations responsible for implementing this project. This study provides a broad perspective of the forces and interactions which have influenced that implementation. ED-NET, Oregon's new agency, has a goal of equal access to resources for all Oregonians using advanced communication technologies. This complex state-wide technological highway for delivery of courses and teleconferences required coordination of multiple educational institutions, governmental agencies, private businesses, and legislative processes. Initial planning included the development of three separate networks, each with hardware and programming requirements. This case study of the development and implementation of ED-NET uses an ecological approach to provide a three year examination of the process. My attendance at inter- and intra-organizational meetings, ED-NET Board meetings, and legislative sessions provided an understanding of the forces which influenced decisions and policy. Interviews of participants and other key people in governmental positions and at institutions of higher and K-12 education offered an insider's view of the proceedings. I have chosen individual institutions for further in-depth examination. I also observed demonstrations of ED-NET programming. The results of the study demonstrate the recurring nature of problems associated with implementation of educational innovations. The building of cooperative constituencies among disparate organizational cultures requires specific strategies. Moreover, significant time for development is necessary but seldom allowed to the initiating agency. It is most important to recognize the pressures which impact educational innovations. Educational organizations, political forces, individual needs, and economic realities constantly buffeted ED-NET. These forces intensified difficulties inherent in the integration and implementation of new technologies into established organizations. This study concludes with suggestions and recommendations for future technological change efforts.

Keywords: I.D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change, planning, technology; V. academic workplace, administration, governance, information technology; VI. SC; VII. NA.

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Sellars, J. D. (1992). Dysfunctional organizational attributes of small private colleges during periods of decline (financial decline), Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation: University of Missouri - Kansas City.

This study investigated twelve potentially dysfunctional organizational attributes in small private colleges in the United States during periods of stable or declining financial resources. A total of 1312 senior managers and middle managers at 159 small private colleges participated in the study. The colleges were evenly divided between the four categories of decline: incremental growth, slow or no growth, moderate decline, and severe decline. The twelve potentially dysfunctional organizational attributes were assessed by a questionnaire developed by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems and modified by the author. Results of the study indicated that senior managers perceptions toward the college were more optimistic than middle managers. The results also indicated that there was no systematic pattern of variation in the mean scores of potentially dysfunctional organizational attributes between all levels of decline. That is, relations were not present in a linear pattern that would suggest the theory that as organizations decline they necessarily confront proportionally more potentially dysfunctional organizational attributes at each level of decline. Additional analysis showed that there were no consistent meaningful patterns relating endowment levels to potentially dysfunctional organizational attributes. Challenges that face small private colleges involve administrators' ability and willingness to take corrective action in responding to environmental threats while being informed on the effects of the potentially dysfunctional organizational attributes (centralization, no long-term planning, employee turnover, resistance to change, loss of slack, and fragmented pluralism).

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change, environmental change, planning; V. administration, climate/culture, management systems, resource allocation; VI. SU; VII. MC.

Sheski, H. D. (1999). Leadership, collaboration and transformation. Unpublished Doctoral
Dissertation, University of New Mexico.

A portfolio of work over a four year time period contains three sections. The first describes and documents the author's knowledge of, reflections on, and applications of theories and principles of leadership and transformational change, as well as the author's own philosophy of education. Overviews and syntheses of the course content for the degree program are included, as well as descriptions of field-based applications of course content conducted by the author during the program. The capstone study in this portfolio project is a study that documents and analyzes efforts to build a collaborative relationship between two institutions - a health careers department at a community college and an alternative high school. This study, entitled "School-College Collaboration: The Partnership Project" resulted in the development of a course for the high school students that explores health career options. The course was team-taught by faculty from each school and focused on teaching high school students about the benefits of a post-secondary education, how to access this type of education, what is necessary to prepare for a college education and also how to improve their own personal health. The co-teaching project, facilitated and led by the author, was transformational in changing the relationship among members of the two institutions.

Keywords: I. D; II. D; III. QL; IV. change, planning, merger; V.academic workplace, faculty, leadership, alliance or partnership; VI. SC; VII.CC.

Simsek, H. (1992). Organizational change as a paradigm shift: Analysis of organizational change processes in a large, public university by using a paradigm-based change model. V. D. M. Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Minnesota.

This study investigated the organizational change process in a large, public, land grant university by using Thomas Kuhn's paradigm change model. The study sought to explain organizational change as shifting patterns of organizational paradigms where a commonly shared organizational world view or belief system is transformed in a revolutionary manner. A paradigm change model of organizational transformation was developed and explored by analyzing the university's strategic change process. Interviewing and computer-content analyses were used to collect data. Qualitative analysis revealed that four metaphorical images best described the University before 1985: Ameba, elephant, octopus, and a wildly growing garden. These metaphors matched strongly with the four central exemplars drawn from the old paradigm: Teaching and service emphasis, large size, growth and expansion, and decentralized/autonomous decision-making. Of anomalies, a close relationship was found between exemplars and anomalies. Many exemplars later turned into anomalies. It was concluded that anomalies are most likely the extended exemplars. From the nature of exemplars and anomalies, the study discovered a widely shared myth--a belief system--that was highly unique to a land grant, public university: populism. This populist myth turned into an "entrepreneurial populism" during the growth years after the Second World War. To solve anomalies, there was just one unchallenged paradigm candidate in the mid 1980s: "Commitment to Focus," a call for substantial reform. The new paradigm emphasized more selectivity in admission, more quality emphasis, more centralization, lean organization, focused mission, more financial management and a stronger research and publication orientation. This new belief system was named the "managed populism." The results of the computer-content analysis generally supported the qualitative findings. In addition, it revealed a sharp difference between hard sciences and social sciences faculty in terms of the use of language and perception of reality. A number of conclusions and implications were drawn from the study to revolutionary change and strategic planning in organizations as well as an assessment of emerging paradigm in the American higher education.

Keywords: I. JE; II. E; III. QN; IV. change, strategy, planning; V. climate/culture, administration; VI. SC; VII. R.

Smith, D. M. (2000). Leadership and professional competencies: Serving higher education in an era of change. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Pennsylvania.

Higher education has experienced substantial external pressures on multiple fronts in the last decade. Decreases in public funding have created fiscal problems. Students are struggling to cope with increased costs. The student population is changing as the country's demographic make up changes. The education market has changed in response to technological innovations. Leaders of institutions must have multiple competencies to deal with this multitude of challenges. Barriers to dramatic change are present at educational institutions at structural, cultural and personal levels. Effective leadership, both at the presidential level and among the core of college administrators at all other levels, needs to use a full set of key competencies in order to succeed within this highly demanding, change-oriented system. The author identifies specific competencies needed by administrative leaders and professional staff, by collecting data from interviews with leaders representing a broad group of departments and functions at the University of Pennsylvania. Information was gathered in two specific areas - managerial perspectives relative to how people experienced working within a change-oriented system, and key competencies needed to succeed. Two competency models were generated as a result of the analysis of the data - a Leadership Competency Model and a Professional Competency Model. Common attributes found in each model include: Leadership, Building and Managing Relationships, Cognitive, Personal Responsibility and Fundamental Skills Clusters. The author concludes that individuals who integrate competencies from these clusters will position themselves well to respond effectively to external pressures.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, C; III. QL; IV. planning, strategy; V. administration,, leadership, ; VI. SC; VII. R.

Snyder, J. P. (1990). The process and organizational culture considerations when strategically changing a community college: A case study of two examples. R. P. C. Director, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Maryland College Park.

Snyder used the context of two nearly identical community colleges that implemented planned, voluntary and institution-wide strategic changes to test two popular theories of strategic change: H. I. Ansoff's process theory and Rosabeth Moss Kanter's cultural model. Following a nine-state survey of community college presidents, system coordinators and higher education scholars, two community colleges were selected for the study. Both were public, comprehensive institutions, of nearly the same size and age, and within the same state system. Both had newly appointed presidents. However, one president was able to maintain institutional cohesion and his own popularity while implementing substantive change of the institution's internal character while the other was forced to resign leaving a scarred institution in his wake. Snyder found that a composite of the two models best explains the strategic changes than either model alone. She also found that though the two models taken together do not predict whether strategic change will in, in fact, be implemented, the composite does provide insight as to the organizational ease or difficulty of implementing strategic change and the personal success of the president in the effort.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change, planning, strategy; V. administration, climate/culture, leadership; VI. MC; VII. CC.

Sodano, C.G. (1998). Introducing institutional change through the opening of a community college branch campus: Losses for gains. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Widener University.

The author uses the opening of a branch campus of a community college (Montgomery County Community College in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania) to do a descriptive study of transformational change, focusing on the culture of the institution. The College President, the President's staff and the West Campus Administrative team were chosen as informants for the study. Patterns of cooperation, conflict and change are observed, using a critical theory approach to examine the identified patterns for evidence of transformation, consensus, collaboration and adaptation. It is realized that participants in this kind of transformation experience both gains and losses, and losses experienced within the context of concession are examined for their motivational influences on individual behavior and subsequent effect on institutionally experience outcomes. The author was a participant observer in the process, and used a critical ethnographic approach for the extraction, analysis and interpretation of meaning. In addition to observation, the author used artifacts, interviews and narratives interpreted through discourse analysis. As community colleges undergo continual expansion to service more and more diverse
populations, it is important to study the issues of conflict and cooperation that surface during these types of changes.

Keywords: I. D; II. D; III. QL; IV. change, planning, restructuring, transformation; V. administration, culture, governance, leadership, ; VI. SC; VII. CC.

Staehle, M. C. M. (1998). Adaptation to organizational change: A study of middle managers' coping styles and their correlates. E. N. Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Case Western Reserve University.

This dissertation addresses how middle managers cope with organizational change, specifically focusing on encouraging proactive coping styles. This is an important topic for research given the amount and rate of change in today's organizational life. The literature on coping suggests that we arrive at our workplaces with particular coping styles which are relatively stable. How can managers of organizational change understand coping styles well enough to prepare people for major organizational change and foster proactively? This dissertation looks at coping style correlates in organizational life: how one has dealt with role conflicts in the past, one's experience of current role conflict, the extent to which one feels valued by the organization (organization-based self-esteem (OBSE)), (one's positive and negative job affect, one's status in the organization, how well one's individual needs are met going through the change process, whether or not one perceives the (organization's culture as encouraging proactively, and the way in which organizational change is managed. Forty middle managers (foremen and engineers) working in a medium-sized, non-union, Midwest manufacturing plant participated in this research study, representing about half of the supervisory group in the plant at the time of the research. Participants were interviewed in the Fall of 1996 prior to plant redesign, and in the Spring of 1997 entering into redesign. Information from the first interviews was used to develop an extensive follow-up survey which participants filled out in December of 1996. Along with the survey, participants filled out the OBSE measure, a role conflict measure, a job affect measure, and responded to four role conflict scenarios ("Think of a time when ... How did you respond?"). From the survey, a subset of items was extracted and used to develop a measure of "Propensity for Proactivity". Lastly, a thematic analysis of OBSE items was done. Results of the research show support for the stability of coping styles over time, and consistency across measures: participants' proactivity ratings from the interviews, Propensity for Proactivity scores, and responses to role conflict scenarios were all significantly intercorrelated. One of the most significant findings related to the importance of OBSE in coping styles: the higher the OBSE, the more proactive the coping style. Also, while most of the participants' coping styles were consistent over the course of the interviews, for those people whose coping styles did change, changes well attributed to OBSE- related management cues. Results also highlight the significant negative correlation between the amount of role conflict present in one's job and their OBSE. Propensity for Proactivity, general job satisfaction, and job affect. Clearly, role conflict has a deleterious impact on these variables. Study limitations and implications for managing major organizational change are discussed.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. BT; IV. change, strategy; V. administration, management systems; VI. SU; VII. NA.

Stevens, L. (1996). Case study of the role of organization culture in a community-technical college merger. S. M. Sponsor, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Columbia University Teachers College.

Organizational culture is regarded as a significant factor in the failure of numerous mergers in the corporate world. However, in this descriptive case study of the merger of a public community college with a technical college, the college President was able to create a positive merger culture. Participants asserted that the President's hands-on consultation of all the individuals involved in the merger made them "Number One in Merger." The study uses Joanne Martin's (1988, 1992) three- perspective framework for culture, which attempts to resolve some of the issues found in the study of cultures in organizations. For Martin, organizational cultures simultaneously exhibit characteristics of leader-driven and organization wide-consensus (the Integration perspective) and have subcultures (the Differentiation perspective) and elements of cultural ambiguity (the Fragmentation perspective). In keeping with this framework, in addition to the positive, leader-created and -driven merger culture, participants reported some confusion about new work roles and procedures and a sense of loss in keeping with the Fragmentation perspective. The presence of several different unions added an element of Differentiation to the cultural landscape. Much of the day-to-day life at the college was structured by these powerful subcultures; participants routinely took their personnel problems to the unions, which frequently solved problems informally and in-house. The case study suggests some ways to manage organizational culture during such difficult change processes as merger. In addition, it provides verification of the Martin three-perspective framework.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, P; III. NE; IV. merger; V. academic workplace, climate/culture, leadership, management systems; VI. SC; VII. CC.

Studer E., E. (1996). The social transformation of four-year united states women's colleges, 1960 to 1990. T. A. D. Supervisor, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Duke University.

This dissertation examines the fundamental transformation of an important organizational form in the higher education field: coeducation adoption by four- year U.S. women's colleges from 1960 to 1990. Using institutional theory from the literature on organizations, I develop and test a framework of organizational change that proposes both organizational legitimacy and the legitimacy of organizational changes affect the likelihood of organizational change. In addition, I test whether organizational adversity, measured by a declining customer base and financial adversity, affect the likelihood of women's colleges adopting coeducation. Methodologically, this dissertation uses both population level analyses and case studies to investigate coeducation adoption by women's colleges. At the population level, discrete-time event-history models revealed mixed effects of measures of organizational legitimacy on adopting coeducation. Public women's colleges were more likely to adopt coeducation than private women's, however, college prestige and denominational affiliation had no effect on adopting coeducation. Fine-grained analyses showed Catholic women's colleges were slightly more likely to adopt coeducation than Protestant women's colleges. Among measures of the legitimacy of adopting coeducation, experience admitting and educating men, Vassar College adopting coeducation, and government actions promoting coeducation increased the likelihood of women's college adopting coeducation. Among organizational adversity measures, enrollment declines increased the likelihood of adopting coeducation and large budget surpluses decreased the likelihood of adopting coeducation. The case studies revealed restrictive provisions in Smith College's charter and opportunities for coeducational student exchanges contributed to the College remaining a women's college. In contrast, Vassar College lacked similar restrictive charter provisions and student exchange opportunities, named a supporter of coeducation President, and promoted other significant changes over the study period. Results of this dissertation lead to several useful new insights concerning organizational change. First, both institutional forces and technical forces affected the likelihood of women's colleges adopting coeducation. Second, future studies should examine effects of regulative, normative, and cognitive institutional forces on organizational change simultaneously. Third, additional analyses monitoring the legitimacy of women's colleges would increase our understanding of the relationship between changing social forces and the evolution of an important organizational form.

Keywords: I. D; II. C, E; III. BT; IV. change, transformation; V. administration; VI. MC; VII. LA.

Thomas, J. M. (1991). Context and meaning: A dialectical study of leadership and change in a small religious college, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation: The Ohio State University.

This study attempts to understand the role of the new leadership in the change process. Specifically it focuses on the relationship between organizational leadership and organizational structure. This case study offers an example of the complex nature of new leadership influence and campus response. Data were collected at a small religious college which was experiencing change in leadership. This qualitative study utilized a dialectic mode to maximize the exploration of contradictions that coexist within the organization. Thomas sought to analyze these differences without attempting to create artificial consistencies. Ultimately, Thomas found that a new leader is obligated to give meaning to the change process. He suggests that the creation of a context for change empowers the whole campus community to function as informed members of the organization.

Keywords: I. D; II. C, E; III. BT; IV. change; V. leadership; VI. SC; VII. LA.

Thomas, J. P. (1997). Innovation conditions and processes used in the adoption of institutional effectiveness in two-year colleges of the southern association of colleges and schools accreditation region. B. M.-W. Director, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, North Carolina State University.

A theoretical framework was developed to answer three questions: (1) Are there literature-based reform conditions and organizational change theories which can be used to assess the processes used to adopt institutional effectiveness reforms in community colleges in the SACS accreditation region? (2) Do the reform support activities or conditions described in the literature help to explain or predict the level of adoption of institutional effectiveness? (3) Can community colleges in the SACS accreditation region be classified by levels of adoption for institutional effectiveness progress based on the perceptions of participants in the change process? The study identified "best practices" from empirical research in educational reform and organizational change literature on innovation adoption. These practices were used to measure the perceptions of administrators and faculty concerning the adoption of institutional effectiveness an each campus. Six factors selected for study were: (1) leadership interventions or behaviors, (2) pro-innovation organization culture and climate, (3) staff involvement, (4) staff development, (5) origin of force to change, and (6) time to adopt. A series of 24 questions were developed to measure adoption of the SACS Criteria by community colleges in the region. An adoption scheme was developed by combining question responses into an index. The index ranked colleges into a superficial, moderate, or deep level of adoption. To ensure perceptions were adequately represented, three questionnaires were required to develop each college index. Ninety-eight percent of colleges (N = 73) returned the required surveys. In 1996 a moderate depth of adoption was perceived by respondents. Leadership interventions, pro-innovation culture, staff involvement and development, and time to adopt were found significant to the level of adoption. Origin of force to change was not found significant. Culture, time, and staff development explained more about adoption level. Administrators generally rated adoption level higher than faculty members. Respondent's length of time of employment wasn't significant to perception of adoption level. Eight recommendations were made for further investigation.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change; V. administration, climate/culture, leadership; VI. MC; VII. CC.

Thornton, M.E. (1999). Leadership, finance, and the revival of St. Edward's College: New ideas and models for higher education financial reform. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Fordham Unviersity.

Focusing on leadership, organizational change and financial management, the author uses both a quantitative and qualitative approach in examining the revitalization efforts of St. Edward's College over a six-year period. The quantitative approach to the study involved analyzing the finances of the institution using a Higher Education Finance Model (HEFM) developed by the author. The author analyzed the revenues and expenditures of the college based upon Source, Function, Location and Time. It also used Functions, Subfunctions, and Detail functions to provide in-depth analysis of each area of the college. The qualitative approach involved investigating the leadership decisions made by the college president during the six-year period. The author looked at the president's efforts to create vision, achieve mobilization, build a measurement system, achieve market focus, create a reward system and develop the organization. From examining the fiscal data in conjunction with the president's leadership strategies, the author found that the ability of an institution to rebound from financial crisis hinges in part on leadership having appropriate financial information available, as well as on courageous leadership in decision-making. The financial implications of the president's decisions could be traced through the positive results seen by the institution - a multi-year surplus, continued growth in enrollment and in the quality of the student body, increased services to students while maintaining low overhead.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL, QN; IV. planning, restructuring, transformation; V. administration, governance, leadership, resource allocations; VI. SC; VII. LA.

Titus, S.E. (1998). The restructuring goals of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities: Exploring the I nterpretations of institutional presidents. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Virgnia.

This study explores the vital role of the president in the institutional change and transformation process. Current environmental pressures on the institution will make restructuring of higher education institutions a necessity in the foreseeable future, and presidents are viewed as the key actors at the institutional level. The study uses the merging of three independent systems in the state of Minnesota, into one new system (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities - MnSCU) in the mid 1990s. Nine presidents were interviewed about their experiences during the merger and the accompanying change process. Organizational transformation (Levy and Merry, 1986) served as the conceptual framework for the analysis of the data collected during the structured interviews. Through an inductive process using Erickson's (1986) interpretive approach, the author found that five assertions could be made about the presidents' experiences. The five assertions revealed 1) how presidents understood the overall purpose of the restructuring; 2) how presidents interpreted the goals of the restructuring; 3) how restructuring goals were communicated; 4) how presidents acted on their interpretations; and 5) how presidents perceived the consequences of restructuring. Important insights into the sense-making process of mandated change was one result of the study. Other results included uncovering practical implications for major actors to consider during the planning and implementation of change initiatives, and the finding that change training for key actors should be developed. Future research should further focus on the impact of restructuring so that change processes can be approached in a more thoughtful, rational, deliberate and value-added manner.

Keywords: I. D; II. D, P; III. QL; IV. change, planning, merger, restructuring; V. administration, governance, leadership, management systems; VI. SC; VII. M.

Waring, A. L. (1995). Urging students to serve: organizational change in three universities. L. C. Adviser, Unpublished Doctoral dissertation: Stanford University.

This exploratory study investigated organizational change in three universities by researching their attempts to support college student involvement in public service. Brown University, Georgetown University, and Stanford University were the sites for this research as they were considered exemplars in promoting student public service activity during the late 1980s. This research used three conceptions of organizational change to view efforts to promote student public service participation. Planned change suggests that change occurs as a result of the intentional actions of a change agent. The political/conflict conception views change as a negotiated process of competing actors with competing interests. The environmental conception of change sees organizational change as a result of environmental forces that influence the actions of internal organizational participants. This research indicated that university presidents, and their surrogates, can play an important role in creating change lending credence to the planned change conception of change. There was much less evidence for the political/conflict conception of change. Interests groups, especially students, did form to influence the change process, however, the stages of this change model were not in evidence as there were no changes in policies related to public and community service. The environmental conception of change was the weakest explanation of the change process as the organizational actors paid limited attention to the environment as they created and designed public service programs. Also, this research confirmed the importance of organizational culture in organizational change. Each of these universities had a unique culture that influenced the change process and resulted in different definitions of and programs for public and community service. Data were collected through interviews with the presidents, relevant administrators, selected faculty and students at each university. In addition, review of documents occurred at each university. At Stanford University, observer-participation was a data collection strategy. Scholars and practitioners need additional information about the effects of public service on students and on the people and communities in which these students work, the relationship between universities and surrounding communities, and how organizational culture influences the change process.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. change, environmental change, planning; V. administration, climate/culture, leadership; VI. MC; VII. R.

Wigand, F. D. L. (1995). Information technology in organizations: Impact on structure, people, and tasks, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation: Arizona State University.

This empirical study applies multiple theoretical concepts investigating the influence of information technology, specifically electronic mail, on three basic organization components: structure, people, and tasks. An organizational interaction diamond model is developed illustrating how each component enables changes in other components and interacts with the organization's internal and external environments. The organizational setting is the administrative structure of a large, public university. The sample population consists of 390 administrators and professional and clerical support staff. Data were collected via a written questionnaire with a 54 percent return rate. The results of electronic mail usage to access different job categories at various organization and functional levels reveal hierarchical boundaries being bridged at the middle and departmental levels, but not at the senior level nor across functional boundaries. Electronic mail usage increases to span geographical distances and to coordinate people from dispersed organization units. These new network paths co-exist within the traditional hierarchical structure. Senior level administrators report using electronic mail more often per day than lower level administrators, and it is used more for horizontal than for vertical communication. Respondents described their daily tasks to be more non-routine, complex and coordination-type tasks than uncertain, simple, routine or broadcasting tasks. Electronic mail usage increases for uncertain, simple and routine tasks and decreases for ambiguous, complex and non-routine tasks. The interaction among information technologies, job categories, and tasks reveals that the media channel selection varies by job category and task types. The perceived importance of using electronic mail is highly associated with the frequency of use of electronic mail to provide access to various job categories at different organization levels and for different task types. Three potential avenues for future research are suggested: Researchers are encouraged to explore information technologies, specifically electronic mail, as (a) tools adding value to an organization, (b) media fostering the creation of teams and enabling new forms of cooperative work, and (c) part of an information technology infrastructure enabling the expansion of traditional organizational boundaries. All of these future potential areas of research address critical concerns for all organizations as they enter the twenty- first century.

Keywords: I. D; II. E; III. QL; IV. technology; V. administration, information technology; VI. SC; VII. R.

Wilfrid, T. N. (1990). The garbage can model reopened: Toward improved modeling of decision-making in higher education. M. L. T. Supervisor, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation: University of Pennsylvania.

Wilfrid's dissertation sought to upgrade the contemporary interpretation of Cohen, March and Olsen's (CM&O) classic Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice metaphor to something more true to the original intent of the model. He contends that recent interpretations of the "Garbage Can" model capture the disorderliness assumed in the model, but add other connotations not included in the original as well as eliminating a key assumption from Cohen, March and Olsen's conceptualization - that the ambiguous decision process is driven by participant energy. Wilfrid confirms the face validity of the CM&O model noting that decision making efficiency varies with organizational structure and energy load, and is generally enhanced by task-oriented leadership, by appropriate planning, by trade-offs between related problems, and by synergistic collaborations. Wilfrid then posits a new metaphor - resource recovery - as more appropriate to the model because "wise organizational leaders orchestrate optimum investment of available energy toward the processing of participant inputs into sound organizational decisions."

Keywords: I. D; II. C; III. NE; IV. planning; V. leadership; VI. SA; VII. NA.

Zekan, D. L. (1990). Mergers in public higher education in Massachusetts. R. R. W. Director, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Massachusetts.

Mergers are not uncommon in higher education, yet the phenomenon has rarely been the subject of research. Although some private sector combinations have been the focus of inquiry, there is a notable lack of study of mergers involving public institutions of higher education. This work concentrates on public sector mergers in Massachusetts for the period 1964-1985. The project shows that a critical dichotomy in understanding the nature of merger exists between institutional and public participants in the merger process. At the institutional level, the focus of attention is on the relatively narrow matters of organizational structure and integrity, while the makers of public policy are concerned with the larger issue of service to constituents. As a result of this disparity in perspective, institutional representatives may fail to understand the larger public policy context of the merger process. Merger in the public sector is ultimately a matter of public policy, not just a characteristic of institutional development and evolution. This historical analysis examines four separate public mergers: A 1964 combination of two former textile schools that created the present Southeastern Massachusetts University; a 1975 merger of a technological institute (and former textile school) and a state college that produced the University of Lowell; a 1981 union of an urban campus of a state university and a state college that expanded the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and a 1985 consolidation of a community college and a technical institute that led to a diversified Massasoit Community College.

Keywords: I. D; II. D; III. NE; IV. merger; V. administration, governance; VI. MC; VII. M.

 

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