Week 7: Organizational Structures and Technology
Premise:
The responsiveness of university faculty or student affairs professionals
to technology and technological innovation is partly contingent
upon the institution’s organizational structure. The culture of
an organization may embrace or impede technology. Whether a new
student affairs professional is capable to persuading his or her
peers of the value of a new technology may depend on his or her
understanding of the organizational climate.
The instructors assume that students enrolled in this course have
taken a prerequisite course on organizational theory.
Purpose:
To understand the relationship between an organizational climate
and the opportunities for the introduction and application of technology.
To consider alternative approaches to the integration of technology
based on an assessment of a campus climate
In Class Exercises:
We are dividing the class for week seven into two parts. First, from
the perspective of conventional and post-conventional organizational
theory (and their various sub-theories), we will discuss possible
variations in the adoption, application, utility, and assessment
of technology. In preparation for the homework assignment, we will
informally gauge the acceptance, or perhaps over-reliance, of technology
at our home institution. Second, the director of the Office of
Information Technology will explain and discuss the ways in which
the organizational environment of our home institution's facilitates
impedes the use of technology.
Readings to be completed before class:
Chipman, J.T. and Kuh, G.D. (1988). Organizational entry
into student affairs: A metaphorical analysis. NASPA Journal 25
(4), 274-280.
Full text available online through ERIC.
Abstract:
Uses metaphors to examine organizational entry into student affairs
divisions from the perspective of employing institutions and new
staff members. Defines organizational entry and briefly describes
metaphorical analysis before employing metaphors (skydiving, matchmaking,
gardening, and grocery shopping) to improve understanding of the
entry process for student affairs.
Grementieri, V. (1998). Innovation technology and higher
education. Higher Education in Europe 23 (2),169-175.
Full text available online through ERIC.
Abstract:
The current decade has witnessed an unprecedented relationship, in
character and impact, between technological innovation and social
and economic organization. A new information society has been born,
in which services offered by technologies support human activities.
This represents both revolution and occupational opportunity. The
ability to control and use technologies has become a basic right
of citizens and workers.
Milam, J.H. (2001). Knowledge management for higher education.
ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education, Washington, D.C.
Full text available online through ERIC.
Abstract:
This digest describes the emerging study of Knowledge Management
(KM), a field that has much to offer administrators in higher education.
KM principles recognize that it is important for organizations
to "know what they know." It is the organized complexity of collaborative
work to share and use information across all aspects of an institution
that marks the effective use of knowledge that KM tries to promote.
Companies with a focus on KM pay close attention to issues of collaboration,
organizational learning, best practices, workflow, intellectual
property management, document management, customer-centric focus,
and effective use of data. KM will enable colleges to increase
student retention and graduation rates, retain a technology workforce,
expand Web-based offerings, analyze the cost effective use of technology,
and do other things necessary to compete in an environment where
institutions cross state and national borders to meet students'
needs. Leveraging knowledge capital, using stories in decision
making, and becoming an "infomediary" are aspects of implementing
KM. Some of the challenges in KM implementation are also outlined.
Munoz, M.A. (1999). Total quality management in higher education:
Lessons learned from an information technology office. Higher Education
Clearinghouse.
Full text available online through ERIC.
Abstract:
This research investigated the application of Total Quality Management
(TQM) in the Information Technology Office (IT) of the University
of Louisville since fall 1992. The study includes a detailed literature
review of the relationship between TQM and higher education institutions.
It is a qualitative analysis, involving a research methodology
of interviews (with the Assistant Vice President of IT and two
Quality Council Team members), document analyses, and participant
observation at a Quality Council meeting. The results show that
TQM is making a difference in the management style of IT, and in
this sense, in the University of Louisville and higher education
institutions as a whole. TQM has helped in flattening the organization
of IT, establishing feedback processes, and trying to improve services
to customers continuously. For the implementation process, TQM
requires clear objectives, strategies, and actions, as well as
the understanding of the difficulties that come from a style of
management that differs in many ways from the traditional style
of managing. TQM is a tool of administration that has a future
in institutions of higher learning.
Merck, E. and Fleit, L. (1988). Is higher education too
old for technology? EDUTECH Report 3 (12), 6-7.
Full text available online through ERIC.
Abstract:
The second part of a two-part article provides eight suggestions
for facilitating adoption of new technologies by institutions of
higher education. These involve decentralization; persuading influential
people; the right committee structure; planning a direction; a
knowledgeable chief integrator; encouraging hands-on experience
for people at the top; and budget and space considerations.
Sabherwal, R. and Kirs, P. (1994). The alignment between
organizational critical success factors and information technology
capability in academic-institutions. Decision Sciences 25 (2),
301-330.
Abstract:
Alignment between organizational critical success factors (CSFs)
and competencies is widely believed to improve performance. This
study examines the performance implications of alignment between
CSFs and one source of competence, the organization's information
technology (IT) capability. The results suggest that alignment
facilitates both perceived IT success and organizational performance.
Moreover, sophisticated IT management facilitates both alignment
and perceived IT success, environmental uncertainty facilitates
perceived IT success but not alignment, and integration facilitates
neither alignment not perceived IT success.
Home exercise (due to the instructors via E-mail before
the start of the next class session):
Develop a rubric in Microsoft Excel for evaluating the organizational
climate of a hypothetical Division of Student Affairs and the function
of technology therein. A rubric is an instrument for standardizing
an individual’s observations of any social, scientific, or behavioral
phenomenon. They are often presented in the form of a chart; a number
rating is frequently assigned to various elements of the evaluation.
For more information on creating organizational and sociological
rubrics, consult
here. Although this website pertains most particularly to K-12
student evaluations, the methodology of creating the rubric is the
same. For an example rubric, see here. The
rubric may contain, but is not limited to, the following assessment
categories:
1. The extent of hierarchical decision-making and communication
2. The degree of cooperation between sub-organizations
3. The presence of shared goals and vision with regard to technology
4. The degree of collaboration
5. The distribution of expertise and technical competencies
6. The possibility of institutional renewal, incorporating fundamental
shifts of mindset and culture with regard to technological innovation
You may choose to operationalize these variables in more focused
or specific statements, and evaluate them accordingly.