Date of Award

12-2008

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Abstract

Using a grounded theory approach, this study explored organizational change in higher education, the research examined how direct service staff, directors, and administrators perceived and responded to changes created by increasing international student numbers, and how the organization of Academic and Student Affairs adapted to these changes. The data supported that every person perceived having a certain level of power to influence change but the amount of power depended on an individual's understanding of a situation, persuasiveness in motivating people, relational dynamics with others, and participation within the flow of communication. The study found two processes operating simultaneously as individuals strived for more power to influence the organizational change. Consequently, this research created two organizational change models, one model describing individual perceptions of power and the other depicting organizational change.

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