The dissertation An Exploratory Study of Organizational Culture and Its
Relationship to Organizational Effectiveness in Distance Education Institutions
(Willis, 2010) shows how some cultural elements seem to relate more to distance
education institutions than others. The findings in the study point out
innovation, collaborative
engagement, mentoring, team cohesion, morale, technology and the development of
human resources as essential elements which influence the organizational
effectiveness in distance education institutions.
In the
dissertation, Willis (2010) refers to Schein (2004) in claiming that leadership
and culture is strongly interrelated. Culture creates leaderships as well as
leadership creates culture.
Willis draws
on Weick (1985) for emphasizing that the need for strategy and planning depends
on the culture. Organizations with different cultural foundations need planning
and strategy-work more than organizations based on the same values and beliefs.
According to Weick, culture can be an alternative to strategy because a sound
coherent culture is a possible alternative to strategy whereas strategy cannot
in the same way substitute culture. Willis also emphasizes several studies (Clott &
Fjortoft, 2000; Smart, 2002; Cameron & Zammuto, 1983) drawing the
conclusion that culture highly affects organizational effectiveness.
So, there are several reasons for focusing on culture and working with the construction and re-construction of culture in Higher Education.
So, there are several reasons for focusing on culture and working with the construction and re-construction of culture in Higher Education.
References
Cameron, K. S. & Zammuto, R. (1983) Matching
managerial strategies to conditions of decline. Human Resource Management, 22, 359-375.
Clott, C. & Fjortoft. N (2000). Culture and strategy
in business schools: Links to organizational effectiveness. Mid-Western Educational
Researcher, 13(2), 27-33.
Schein, E. (2004). Organizational
culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Smart, J. C. (2002). Enhancing the educational
effectiveness of two-year colleges: New perspectives and evidence of the role
of institutional characteristics. Paper preseeted at the Annual Meeting of the
American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA, April 1-5, 2002.
Weick, K. E. (1985). The significance of corporate culture:
Organizational culture, 381-389. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publicatins
Willis, D. A. (2010). An exploratory study of organizational culture and
its relationship to organizational effectiveness in distance education institutions.
Dissertation University of Maryland University College
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