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Leading Transformational Change: A Study of Internationalization at Three Universities in the United States

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Date Issued:
2007
Summary:
Globalization, the integration of markets and the shrinking of boundaries both figurative and real, provides the context in which institutions of higher education have considered a change to their culture, curricula, and composition in recent years. Increasingly, the response ofunjversities to globalization is to bring a greater international dimension to their teaching, research, and service; a process known as internationalization. The purpose of this study was to identify the change strategies that allowed three regional public universities to internationalize their campuses. The qualitative multi-site research design incorporated a critical case strategy with participants who led, facilitated, and/or implemented the change process. Data collection was obtained through interviews, documents, and direct observation. The analysis consisted of pattern matching facilitated by two-dimensional matrices. Leading change in higher education has been related to moving cemeteries and herding cats and therefore may seem like a cruel hoax; but as this study reports it need not be so. The study found that a highly integrated, non-linear change process Jed to successful internationalization. An expanding number of champions who constantly communicated a motivating vision and who opportunistically pursued creative strategies to internationalize resulted in cascading layers of buy-in throughout the university. This buy-in was not only an effect, but a change strategy in its own right; and was a primary focus of those leading the change effort. These universities institutionalized change through various structural and programmatic means. The change process concluded with a transformed institution that incorporated an international dimension into the culture, life, and work of the university. The findings were compared and contrasted to Kotter's ( 1996) eight stages of leading change and Eckel and Kezar's (2003) model for transformation in higher education. Neither fully explained this study's cross-case findings, and a new model for leading transformational change in institutions of higher education was proposed; one which builds on the strengths of Kotter's and Eckel and Kezar's models, but which addresses their limitations as well.
Title: Leading Transformational Change: A Study of Internationalization at Three Universities in the United States.
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Name(s): Hurd, Duncan L.
Pisapia, John, Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2007
Date Issued: 2007
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 316 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Globalization, the integration of markets and the shrinking of boundaries both figurative and real, provides the context in which institutions of higher education have considered a change to their culture, curricula, and composition in recent years. Increasingly, the response ofunjversities to globalization is to bring a greater international dimension to their teaching, research, and service; a process known as internationalization. The purpose of this study was to identify the change strategies that allowed three regional public universities to internationalize their campuses. The qualitative multi-site research design incorporated a critical case strategy with participants who led, facilitated, and/or implemented the change process. Data collection was obtained through interviews, documents, and direct observation. The analysis consisted of pattern matching facilitated by two-dimensional matrices. Leading change in higher education has been related to moving cemeteries and herding cats and therefore may seem like a cruel hoax; but as this study reports it need not be so. The study found that a highly integrated, non-linear change process Jed to successful internationalization. An expanding number of champions who constantly communicated a motivating vision and who opportunistically pursued creative strategies to internationalize resulted in cascading layers of buy-in throughout the university. This buy-in was not only an effect, but a change strategy in its own right; and was a primary focus of those leading the change effort. These universities institutionalized change through various structural and programmatic means. The change process concluded with a transformed institution that incorporated an international dimension into the culture, life, and work of the university. The findings were compared and contrasted to Kotter's ( 1996) eight stages of leading change and Eckel and Kezar's (2003) model for transformation in higher education. Neither fully explained this study's cross-case findings, and a new model for leading transformational change in institutions of higher education was proposed; one which builds on the strengths of Kotter's and Eckel and Kezar's models, but which addresses their limitations as well.
Identifier: FA00000670 (IID)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2007.
College of Education
Subject(s): Education--Curricula--Cross-cultural studies
Educational leadership
School management and organization--Decision making
Inclusive education--United States
Educational change
Education, Higher--Philosophy
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000670
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.