Journal Articles and Chapters on
Organizational Change and Transformation
(1990 - 2000)

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MacKnight, C. B. (1995). Managing technological change in academe. Cause Effect, 18(1), 29-31,35-39.

This article describes the strategies used by a number of small private and public colleges and universities to support changes in information technology. The article discusses technology as it pertains to a number of areas common to all including academic implications such as distance learning, high-tech classrooms, the debate over institutional development of software versus purchase, costs associated with technology and obsolescence.

Keywords: I. JE; II.D; III. NE; IV. change, strategy, technology; V. information technology, administration, academic workplace; VI. N/A; VII. M.

MacTaggart, T.J. (1998). Why the time is ripe for restructuring. In MacTaggart, T.J. (ed.). Seeking excellence through independence: Liberating colleges and universities from excessive regulation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 3-20.

This article traces the development of increased federal and state regulations on higher education, and asserts that these restrictions are now hindering the ability of institutions to adjust expediently to changes in the environment. It is argued that higher education's special mission of creating and disseminating knowledge demands greater freedom; specifically, that new communication technologies require decentralized structures, that the current governance, coordination and management systems do not work, and that concurrent with greater freedom will come better academic leadership. Central to the arguments are the concepts of decentralization and deregulation, at both the micro and macro levels.

Keywords: I. B; II. P; III. NE; IV. restructuring; V. governance, structure; VI. SA;
VII. M.

Marcus, L.R. (1997). Restructuring state higher education governance patterns. The Review of Higher Education, 20, (4), 399-418

This article examines whether any combination of factors will predict the enactment of proposals for the restructuring of state-level governance and institutions of higher education. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the author analyzes a number of variables, including initiation of proposals, rationale for the proposals, and internal and regional factors, with a particular emphasis on centralized or de-centralizing of governance authority. Results indicate that proposals aimed at reducing costs or increasing institutional accountability pass at higher than average rates. Also, there was a strong positive correlation between the existence of a state-level/institutional power struggle and the willingness of elected state officials to exercise authority.

Keywords: I. JE; II. E: III. BT; IV. restructuring; V. governance; VI. S; VII. M.

Martin, J. & Samels, J. (1994). The new kind of college mergers. Planning for Higher Education, 22(2), 31-34.

Martin and Samels contrast "mutual growth mergers" with the more traditional perception of higher education mergers that occur due to financial hardship. They indicate that the 1980s produced many higher education mergers with a primary emphasis on increasing academic quality and services - not financial relief. More specifically, "mutual growth mergers" allow institutions to clarify course offerings, eliminate curricular redundancies, and enhance faculty "depth" in merged institutions. Several paragraphs are devoted to brief descriptions of mutual growth mergers. Attention is given to some of the inevitable problems associated with academic mergers, and Martin and Samels propose a five-step process to reduce conflict and friction in the merger planning and implementation process.

Keywords: I. JE; II. E, C; III. NE; IV. environmental change, merger, planning; V. resource allocation; VI. N/A; VII. N/A.

Matthews, G. J. &. Curry, J. A (1995). Back to the drawing board. Trusteeship, 3(3), 13-17.

The issues of declining enrollment and an unbalanced budget are faced by Northeastern University (Massachusetts) in this case study of institutional restructuring. The approach used by the University in addressing the crisis focused on developing a partnership with faculty, instead of imposing changes at the
administrative level, and radical change was favored over easy solutions.

Keywords: I. JE; II. D; III. QL; IV. restructuring, change, environmental change; V. faculty, administration, governance; VI. SC; VII. R.

McCoy, J. J. (1997). The dean as advocate for change. New Directions for Higher Education, 25(2), 109-13.

McCoy's treatise on the role of professional school deans in advocating for change identifies four major societal changes that are affecting engineering education. These forces are: 1) the change in American corporate culture in response to fears about global competition; 2) the dramatic drop in the number of American students aspiring to careers in engineering and science; 3) the change in funding of academic engineering research; and 4) the
globalization of engineering research and design. McCoy asserts that as these pressures continue to mount, deans must serve as both interpreters of these pressures and as advocates for the changes needed to successfully adapt the university to them.

Keywords: I. JE; II. D, P; III. NE; IV. change, environmental change; V. curriculum, leadership, climate/culture; VI. N/A; VII. N/A.

Micthell, T. R. (1997). Border crossings: Organizational boundaries and challenges to the American professoriate. Daedalus, 126, 265-292.

The article examines faculty roles from the perspective of institutional "boundary mechanisms." Two means for defining organizational boundaries are described: buffering and bridging. Buffering insulates faculty, and core institutional functions, from unwanted environmental influences. Examples of buffering include faculty tenure policies and admission policies. Bridging is a mechanism by which institutions absorb environmental demands and influences without interfering with the institution's core technologies. Earlier in the twentieth century, professional schools and extension programs were considered bridging mechanisms. In recent years, as these programs have assumed the role of the institutional core, soft-money units and research/service institutes have taken on the bridging function. Mitchell claims that in contemporary American higher education, the boundary maintenance function is less of an institutional function and more of a function of individual faculty members, who are engaged in extensive externally-funded research and consulting. This boundary maintenance function may create stresses on individual faculty, and on the institution which must increasingly monitor the activities of individual faculty members.

Keywords: I. JE; II. D, C; III. NE; IV. environmental change, reform; V. academic workplace, faculty, structure; VI. N/A; VII. M.

Mielke, P. L. & Schuh, J. H. (Summer, 1995). Ethical issues related to restructuring. New Directions for Student Services, 70, 75-86.

Ethical issues faced in the process of restructuring are explored by the authors, who offer a framework for thinking about principles through the use of codes of ethics, and reviewing specific dilemmas that are faced. Areas that are addressed include the allocation of resources and management. Decisions made by management are influenced by ethical guidelines.

Keywords: I. JE; II. C,P; III. NE; IV. change, restructuring; V. management systems, resource allocation; VI. S; VII. NA.

Mithers, C.L. (1999). Welcome to Multicultural U. Los Angeles Times Magazine (May 2nd), 11-13. 30, 32.

This brief article discusses John B. Slaughter's term as president of Occidental College and the changes that ensued. A major theme carried out by Slaughter is a "college education is the road to fulfillment and success - access can be given without compromising scholastic standards." As president, Slaughter anticipated the demographic changes facing Southern California and by doing so implemented a change towards multiculturalism - through opposition and against odds. He is praised for his "Democratic" leadership style demonstrated through a short history of his educational and professional life. This example of transformation at Occidental College has been praised and critiqued.*

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

Morris, E. E. J. (1994). The four Rs of higher education: Restructure, reinvent, rightsize, revenue. Business Officer, 28(4), 45-47.

The recent emphasis on applying business solutions to the higher education arena is highlighted in this article. Environmental factors including public attitudes have exhibited influence on approaches to leadership in higher education. Approaches used by businesses (restructuring, reinventing, and rightsizing) are being used at colleges and universities, but the author states that these methods won't be effective unless more attention is paid to the revenue problem.

Keywords: I. JB; II. D.P; III. NE; IV. change, environmental change, restructuring; V. administration, climate/culture, resource allocation; VI. S; VII. NA.

Myers, R. S. (Summer, 1996). Restructuring to sustain excellence. New Directions for Higher Education, 94, 69-82.

As the higher education entering a time of constraint finance and public skepticism, there have been practices such as retrenchment to meet the challenges. The author suggests restructuring as a long-term fundamental change to meet the demand of emerging challenges and opportunities. The author suggests redirecting scarce resources, program review and elimination , and administrative and academic reallocations as strategies to fight financial difficulties. To improve the quality undergraduate education as demanded by the public, the author suggests rethinking the research-teaching balance, redeployment of faculty from graduate to undergraduate education, improving teaching effectiveness through evaluation and support, and reforming graduate education as strategies.

Keywords: I. EJ; II. P ; III. N-E; IV. restructuring, planning, quality improvement; V. resource allocation, structure; VI. N/A; VII. N/A.

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Nagy, J. et. al. (1993). Madison: How TQM helped change an admissions process. TQM on campus, case study number three. Change, 25(3), 36-40.

The successful implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in restructuring the graduate school admissions process at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is described in this article. The lessons learned during this process are discussed, which may benefit other colleges who are facing a restructuring process.

Keywords: I. JE; II. D; III. NE; IV. change, quality improvement, restructuring; V. administration, management systems; VI. SC; VII. R.

Nedwek, B. P. (1998). Organizational transformation begins with you. Planning for Higher Education, 26(4), 31-36.

This article defends the assertion that institutional change is dependent on individual transformation and at the core of this transformation is the ability to see things differently. In the process of change, the ability to sustain creative activity in an organization is a function of individual growth and development. Nedwek suggests that if transformation in institutions of higher education is not rooted in our obligation to the learner, we are failing our responsibility. Therefore, responsible change includes individuals who are committed to learning and institutions committed to organizational learning. Nedwek discusses the challenges of change found in many traditional planning processes. He points out the importance of attitudes and behaviors that promote the acceptance of responsibility and continually stresses that individual transformation is the essential building block of organizational change.

Keywords: I. JE; II. D, P; III. NE; IV. change, transformation, planning; V. climate/culture, mission; VI. N/A; VII. N/A.

Neumann, A. (1993). College Planning: A Cultural Perspective. Journal for Higher Education Management, 8(2), 31-41.

The author suggests that beyond looking at the substantive effects of change on an organization, the cultural effects should be reviewed as well, and discusses cultural factors that should be considered during the planning process.

Keywords: I. JE; II.C; III. NE; IV. planning, change; V. climate/culture, leadership, administration; VI. N/A; VII. N/A.

Newton, R. (1992). The two cultures of academe: An overlooked planning hurdle. Planning for Higher Education, 21(1), 8-14.

Higher education institutions blend two different cultures which affects how planning, assessment and institutional change are viewed. One is the traditional community of scholars, and the other is more corporate - those that see the institution as a business. The coexistence of these two complicates the planning process, and requires skilled leadership and an understanding of the history and nature of the university.

Keywords: I. JE; II.C; III. NE; IV. change, planning; V. climate/culture, alliance/partner, administration; VI. N/A; VII. N/A.

Nixon, J. (1996). Professional identity and the restructuring of higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 21(1), 5-16.

Nixon's study brings insights from thirty interviews with British university teachers in two different institutions one an "old" institution and one a "new" institution ñ to the debate on the restructuring of higher education. Nixon identifies three dramatic changes in the conditions of higher education that have occurred over the past 30 years. These changes include: (a) a dramatic increase in student numbers, changes in their demographic characteristics, and reduced resources per student (b) changes in curriculum, teaching, and assessment, and (c) changes in the conditions of academic work. According to Nixon, these changes have led to a crisis in professional identity among university teachers. The crisis is manifest among university teachers in three ways: 1) professional responsibilities now include the need to be both an excellent teacher and an excellent researcher with reward structures creating increasing pulls on faculty to participate in the intellectual life off campus more than on campus; 2) the occupation has become so diverse and stratified that the term professional may no longer even apply to the majority of university teachers, and; 3) these transformations have created a new faculty proletariat with no ideological control over their work which is characterized by insecurity, competition and surveillance. Nixon derives three managerial implications for the restructuring of higher education from his interviews with university teachers. These implications are: 1) the need to recognize teaching as an important area of expertise in its own right with the concurrent need to provide structures of professional development to ensure the growth of that expertise within the faculty; 2) the need to reintegrate teaching and research with the resulting need to create structures to facilitate departmental and cross departmental collegiality; and 3) the need to recognize the value and wide variety of research traditions and outcomes.

Keywords: I. JE; II. D, E; III. NE; IV. restructuring, change; V. faculty, academic workplace, governance; VI. N/A; VII. N/A.

Norris, B. (1996). Managing diversity within South African technikons: A strategic management approach. South African Journal of Higher Education, 10(2), 25-29.

This article reviews how a model for strategic management of diversity was created for technical institutes in South Africa, based on experiences with affirmative action and management of diversity of five research universities in the United States. The final model consisted of six components: organizational culture; organizational/environmental change; Total Quality Management approach; participative decision making; resource development; and strategic planning.

Keywords: I. JE; II. D,P; III. NE; IV. change, environmental change, strategy; V. climate/culture, management systems; VI. S; VII. NA.

Norris, C. J. & Barnett, B. (1994). Cultivating a new leadership paradigm: From cohorts to communities. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the University Council for Education Administration (Philadelphia, PA) October 28-30, 1994.

A qualitative study on cohort structures and leadership development is presented, based on data derived from the journals of 51 students enrolled in cohort programs at four university systems in California, Colorado, Texas and Wyoming. Cohorts operate as communities, that promote the enhancement of individual and group development , and provide mutual support and solidarity. This in turn effects issues of organizational transformation and leadership. The group and the individual interact to the benefit of both. As one is strengthened, so is the other.

Keywords: I. NA, II. E; III. QL; IV. transformation; V. administration, leadership, structure; VI. MC; VII. NA.

Norris, D. M. & Dolence, M. G. (1996). IT Leadership Is Key to Transformation. Cause Effect, 19(1), 12-20.

A shift from the industrial age to that of the information age is the challenge which colleges and universities must face if they are to remain competitive and capitalize on new opportunities. This transformation will involve changes in leadership, strategies, planning challenges, vendor roles, and new economic paradigms, necessary to the transformation. In addition, new models of information technology are presented.

Keywords: I. EJ; II. C ; III. NE; IV. change, planning, technology; V. leadership, information technology; VI. N/A; VII. N/A.

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Olivas, M. A. (1992). The Political Economy of Immigration, Intellectual Property, and Racial Harassment: Case Studies of the Implementation of Legal Change on Campus. Journal of Higher Education, 63(5), 570-98.

Three case studies surrounding the issue of legal change in higher education are presented. The three cases include: the residency status of a foreign student; faculty rights to inventions and discoveries; and racial harassment on campus. In order to measure the effects of policy implementation, an implementation process model is described and recommended.

Keywords: I. JE; II. D,P III. QL; IV. environmental change, change, strategy; V. faculty, mission, administration; VI. MC; VII. M.

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Parilla, R. E. (1993). Adapting Institutional Structure and Culture to Change. New Directions for Community Colleges, 21(4), 21-33.

For community colleges to deal with the shifting demands of the global marketplace, a management model that values continuous improvement and is sensitive to external pressures must be developed. The author suggests several approaches to organizational change, including to recognize the problem, prescribe remedies, equate organizational change with growth, and build a shared vision around common values. Some principles for the remedies are: Stressing shared values, having a bias for action ,personalizing students, encouraging autonomy and entrepreneurship, fostering productivity through people, keeping the approach simple and staff lean, and balancing control and latitude. A case study of Montgomery College in Maryland demonstrates how it defined the problems, took restructuring strategies, and nurtured a new culture, to become an adaptive institution. By taking such a changing process the author believes community colleges can build a cycle of success that is combined of continuous improvement, ownership, empowerment, and constant self-evaluation.

Keywords: I. JE; II. P ; III. QL; IV. change, quality improvement, planning; V. climate/culture, strategy, administration; VI. SC; VII. CC.

Penney, S. H. & MacCormack, J. F. (1992). Managing on the edge: Massachusetts after the miracle. Journal for Higher Education Management, 7(2), 23-52.

Retrenchment in higher education is the focus of this case study at the University of Massachusetts at Boston during the 1988-91 downturn in the state's economy. The study looks at the growth period that proceeded this downturn, and reviews the state and higher education responses to economic conditions. Leadership during times of cuts, planning approaches used and lessons learned from the experience are presented.

Keywords: I. JE; II. D; III. NE; IV. environmental change, planning; V. administration, climate/culture, leadership, resource allocation; VI. SC; VII. C.

Peterson, M. (1997). Using contextual planning to transform institutions. In Peterson, M., Dill, D. & Mets, L. (Eds.). Planning and Management for a Changing Environment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Peterson explains contextual planning as an emerging approach that supplements earlier long-range and strategic approaches to planning. It is then analyzed in the context of its usefulness in the postsecondary knowledge industry of the 21st century. In presenting a contextual approach, Peterson first addresses the evolutionary nature of planning to suggest the relationship of long-range, strategic, and contextual planning. These three approaches are then contrasted in order to clarify the nature of contextual planning, and its relationship to the two former approaches. A process view, identifying the elements of contextual planning, provides further insight into its nature and applicability. A brief case study shows how the approach is useful in understanding one institution's efforts to redirect its mission for the 21st century. Finally, a set of conditions for implementing contextual planning is discussed.

Keywords: I.B; II. C; III. NE; IV. planning, strategy; V. academic workplace, administration, mission, structure; VI. S; VII. NA.

Peterson, M. & Dill, D. (1997). Understanding the competitive environment of the postsecondary knowledge industry. In Peterson, M., Dill, D. & Mets, L. (Eds.). Planning and Management for a Changing Environment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Peterson and Dill outline major changes in higher and postsecondary education since 1950, including the dramatic rise in number of community colleges and proprietary institutions. These changes, they argue, transformed traditional higher education first into mass higher education, and more recently into a postsecondary knowledge industry. This redefinition of the "industry" of higher education demands changes in approaches to institutional planning. A modified schema of competition borrowed from Michael Porter in the business literature is used to explain the nature of forces shaping competition in this industry. Peterson and Dill construct a helpful table intersecting the schema's six forces with six challenges facing higher education as it enters the 21st century. The six challenges are: changing patterns of diversity; the telematics revolution; quality reform; economic productivity; postsecondary relearning; and the globalization of scholarship. Nine planning challenges are listed to close the chapter, and the authors encourage institutional planning to address questions related to institutional redefinition, redirection, reorganization and renewal.

Keywords: I. B; II. C; III. NE; IV. change, environmental change, planning, transformation, technology; V. academic workplace, administration; VI. S; VII. NA.

Peterson, M. W. (1995) Images of university structure, governance, and leadership: Adaptive strategies for the new environment. In Dill, D. D. & Sporn, B. (Eds.) Emerging Patterns of Social demand and University reform: Through a Glass Darkly. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 140-158.

Using a multinational perspective, the article examines current images of structure, governance and leadership in higher education and the nature of external changes as institutional challenges. It is suggested that these challenges will require a new perspective, from an educational service industry to a post-secondary knowledge industry. Possible impacts of this paradigm shift on organizational, governance, and leadership images are then discussed. The author suggests the use of "contextual planning" in determining how higher education institutions can successful adapt to the new paradigm.

Keywords: I. B; II. D, C; III. NE; IV. change, environmental change; V. climate/culture, governance, structure; VI. SA; VII. M.

Phipps, R. A. (1996). Square One in the Restructuring Process. Trusteeship, 4(2), 21-25.

How should decision-makers start a fundamental change in higher education? This article suggest trustees initiate a fundamental inquiry of what its institution does and why. Three categories of questions should be posted to their president, senior administrators, and the academic community. They are questions concerning: transmitting and integrating knowledge (teaching), creating and applying knowledge (research), and the academic tenure system. For example, questions of the first categories may include what do we want our students to know, what are the most effective ways students learn, and how can we use technology to enhance learning? Questions of the second category include what is the best way to focus on quality of research, not quantity, is it necessary to provide every faculty member a certain amount of time every year for research and writing and how can we expand the definition of research beyond publications?

Keywords: I. JE; II. C; III. NE; IV. restructuring, change; V. governance, faculty, mission, curriculum; VI. N/A; VII. N/A.

Potter, D., et. al. (1992). Maintaining Momentum and Quality in a Time of Decline: A Case Study. Journal for Higher Education Management, 7(2), 53-65.

This case study of Virginia's George Mason University looks at its response to the economic decline of 1989-92. Four stages in the downturn are presented, as well as GMU's management of planned and unplanned reductions, and planning and policy issues. The politics of decline are also explored.

Keywords: I. JE; II. D ; III. QL; IV. change, planning, environmental change; V. resource allocation, administration; VI. SC; VII. C.

Presley, J. B. & Leslie, D. W. (1999). Understanding strategy: An assessment of theory and practice. In Smart, J.C. (ed.) Higher Education: Handbook of theory and research. New York: Agathon Press, 14, 201-239.

The authors provide a thorough analysis of the state of strategy formation in both corporate and higher education settings. The article begins with an overview of the history of strategic planning, continues with an examination the components of the strategic planning process, and concludes with suggested areas for further research. The authors maintain that within the higher education literature, strategic planning is promoted as a valid response to environmental challenges, yet colleges and universities must understand the markets and public policy arenas in which they operate and be willing to undergo substantial transformations in order to survive.

Keywords: I. B; II. C; III. QL; IV. strategy; V. leadership, systems; VI. S; VII. M.

 

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This bibliography was prepared for the Kellogg Forum on Higher Education Transformation program and funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.


Higher Education Transformation Work Group
Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education
2117 School of Education
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1259