Case Analysis of Merging Office Cultures Using An Appreciative Framework as a

204 Pages·2015·1.05 MB·English

Case
 Analysis
 of
 Merging
 Office
 Cultures

Using
 An
 Appreciative
 Framework
 as
 a
 Student
 Intervention
 Model

A
 Dissertation

SUBMITTED
 TO
 THE
 FACULTY
 OF
 THE

UNIVERSITY
 OF
 MINNESOTA

BY

Erin
 Konkle

IN
 PARTIAL
 FULFILLMENT
 OF
 THE
 REQUIREMENTS

FOR
 THE
 DEGREE
 OF

DOCTOR
 OF
 PHILOSPHY

David
 Weerts,
 PhD

Advisor

September
 2015
©
 Erin
 Konkle

2015
i

Abstract

Examining
 student
 persistence
 from
 both
 an
 individual
 and
 an
 institutional

perspective
 provides
 important
 knowledge
 and
 increased
 understanding
 of
 the

student
 and
 institutional
 factors
 that
 contribute
 to
 student
 persistence
 or
 early

student
 departure.
 Specifically,
 this
 study
 examined
 how
 Appreciative
 Advising

shaped
 an
 office
 culture
 and
 perceptions
 about
 student
 success.
 The
 benefits
 of

Appreciative
 Advising
 to
 a
 collegiate
 office
 and
 their
 students
 have
 been
 illustrated

through
 this
 case
 study:
 a
 growth
 mindset,
 design
 management,
 proactive

programming,
 collegial
 workspaces,
 and
 shared
 responsibilities.

 Institutions

continue
 to
 look
 for
 the
 best
 ways
 to
 support
 employees
 and
 to
 illustrate
 the

influence
 that
 creating
 a
 strong
 and
 cohesive
 culture
 plays
 in
 furthering
 the
 goals
 of

student
 success.

 Continuing
 to
 understand
 how
 institutions
 are
 supporting
 and

engaging
 staff
 offers
 hope
 and
 promise
 to
 the
 students
 who
 stand
 to
 benefit
 and
 are

critical
 to
 these
 institution’s
 ability
 to
 fulfill
 their
 missions.
ii

Dedication

For
 every
 kid
 who
 has
 ever
 been
 told
 ‘you
 can’t’.

Yes
 you
 can!
iii

Acknowledgements

This
 dissertation
 would
 not
 have
 been
 completed
 without
 the
 help
 of
 others.

Dr.
 David
 Weerts,
 my
 advisor
 and
 supervisor,
 helped
 me
 narrow
 my
 scope
 many

times
 over,
 read
 countless
 drafts,
 and
 was
 never
 annoyed
 with
 my
 ever
 changing

plans.

 He
 was
 thorough,
 but
 kind
 with
 feedback
 and
 patient
 with
 questions.
 There

would
 be
 no
 floppy
 hat
 without
 his
 guidance
 and
 support.

Dr.
 David
 Christensen
 opened
 his
 classroom
 to
 a
 higher
 ed
 student
 with
 an
 interest

in
 Appreciative
 Inquiry.

 He
 asked
 difficult
 questions
 and
 pushed
 for
 excellence
 with

humor
 and
 patience.

Dr.
 Darwin
 Hendel
 who
 helped
 me
 keep
 the
 end
 goal
 in
 sight
 and
 only
 asked
 the

important
 questions.

Dr.
 Jennifer
 Bloom
 inspired
 the
 topic
 and
 always
 had
 appreciative
 insights
 and

endless
 encouragement.

Dr.
 Melissa
 Anderson,
 President-­‐‑Emeritus
 Dr.
 Robert
 Bruniniks,
 and
 Dr.
 David

Weerts
 provided
 the
 resources
 to
 be
 able
 to
 enjoy
 the
 luxury
 of
 full-­‐‑time
 doctoral

work.

Dr.
 Nicole
 Sandhu
 and
 the
 rest
 of
 the
 team
 at
 the
 Mayo
 Clinic
 for
 patience,

encouragement,
 never-­‐‑ending
 effort,
 and
 for
 keeping
 my
 immune
 system
 and

attitude
 in
 check
 on
 mostly
 my
 terms.

Leah
 Reinert
 and
 Jayne
 Sommers
 who
 commiserated,
 lunched,
 and
 laughed
 our
 way

through
 this
 journey
 together
 and
 kept
 each
 other
 sane.

Finally,
 Jan,
 Don,
 Ellen,
 Becky,
 and
 Kate
 who
 provided
 all
 the
 love
 and
 support

needed
 to
 spend
 two
 years
 writing
 the
 same
 paper.
 Konkle
 rules!
iv

Table
 of
 Contents

List
 of
 Tables
  xiv

List
 of
 Figures
  xv

Chapter
 One:
 Introduction
  1

Background
 of
 the
 Study
  1

Problem
 Statement
  3

Purpose
 of
 the
 Study
  5

Significance
 of
 the
 Study
  6

Research
 Question
  8

Overview
 of
 the
 Methodology
  9

Definition
 of
 Key
 Terms
  9

 Culture
  9

 Cultural
 Dynamics
  9

 Student
 Persistence

  10

 Appreciative
 Advising
  10

Organization
  10

Chapter
 Two:
 Review
 of
 the
 Literature
  11

Assets-­‐‑Based
 Approaches
 in
 Higher
 Education
  11

 Psychological
 Foundations
 of
 Assets-­‐‑Based
 Approaches
  12

 Positive
 Psychology

  13
Running
 Head:
 CHANGE
 MY
 WAY
 OF
 THINKING
  v

 Thriving
  14

 Well-­‐‑being
  15

Organizational
 Development
  16

 Appreciative
 Inquiry
  16

 Assumptions
 of
 Appreciative
 Inquiry

  17

 Discover
  18

 Dream
  19

 Design
  20

 Destiny

  21

 Social
 Constructivism

  23

Appreciative
 Inquiry
 in
 Higher
 Education
  25

 Appreciative
 Advising
  29

Foundations
 of
 Culture
  35

 Foundations
 of
 Culture
 in
 Organizations
  35

 Elements
 of
 Organizational
 Culture
  36

 Models
 of
 Organizational
 Culture
  40

 Foundations
 of
 Culture
 in
 Higher
 Education
  43

 Elements
 of
 Higher
 Education
 Culture
  43

 Mission
 and
 Higher
 Education
 Culture
  44

 Culture
 Change
 in
 Higher
 Education
  46
Running
 Head:
 CHANGE
 MY
 WAY
 OF
 THINKING
  vi

 Merging
 Cultures
 in
 Higher
 Education
  48

Organizational
 Culture
 and
 Appreciative
 Advising
  52

Summary
  53

Chapter
 Three:
 Methods
  55

Research
 Perspective
  55

 Interpretive
 Perspective
  55

 Constructivist
 Perspective
  57

 Constructionist
 Perspective
  58

Research
 Design
  59

Conceptual
 Framework
  60

 Figure
 3.1.
 The
 Cultural
 Dynamics
 Model
  62

 Table
 3.1.
 Processes
 and
 Methods
 of
 the
 Cultural
 Dynamics
 Framework
  63

 Table
 3.2.

 Processes
 and
 Methods
 of
 the
 Cultural
 Dynamics
 Framework
  63

Research
 Setting
 and
 Subjects
  64

 Central
 South
 University
  67

 Table
 3.3
 Institution
 Profile
 (Institutional
 Assessment
 and
 Compliance

  67

 Report,
 2012)

  68

 Table
 3.4
 CSU
 Student
 Population
 (IPEDS,
 2014)

68

 Figure
 3.2
 Demographic
 Profile
 by
 Race
 (IPEDS,
 2014)

69

 Figure
 3.3
 Demographic
 Profile
 by
 sex
 (IPEDS,
 2014)

Reflexivity

  69
Running
 Head:
 CHANGE
 MY
 WAY
 OF
 THINKING
  vii

Pilot
 Study
  70

Data
 Collection
  71

 Table
 3.5.
 Interview
 participants
 by
 office
  72

Instruments
  73

Data
 Analysis
  73

 Document
 Analysis
  74

 Interviews

  74

 Observations
  75

 Memos

  75

Coding
  76

Confidentiality
  76

Data
 Reporting
  77

Summary
  77

Chapter
 Four:
 Results
  78

Participants
 Demographics
  78

Organization
 of
 the
 Data
  79

Presentation
 of
 the
 Data
  80

 Office
 for
 Coaching
 and
 Academic
 Support
 (CAS)
  80

 Description
  80

 Small
 size,
 big
 results
  81
Running
 Head:
 CHANGE
 MY
 WAY
 OF
 THINKING
  viii

 An
 Appreciative
 Coaching
 Model
  82

 Figure
 4.1.
 GPA
 at
 the
 Conclusion
 of
 Spring
 10
 Semester
 for
 Students
 on

  84

 Academic
 Probation

 Partnerships
 Spur
 Growth
  84

 A
 Supportive
 Culture
  85

 Summary
  86

 Center
 for
 Academic
 Programs
 (CAP)
  87

 Description
  87

 A
 Divisive
 Culture
  87

 Communication
 Challenges
  88

 Personnel
 Challenges
  90

 Damaging
 Comparisons
  92

 Summary
  94

 Transition
 to
 the
 Office
 for
 Academic
 Support
 Initiatives
 and
 Services

  95

 (OASIS)

 Description
  95

 The
 Need
 for
 Merge
  96

 The
 Golden
 Child
 and
 the
 Stepchildren
  97

 Think
 Big.
 Start
 Small.
 Move
 Fast
  98

 Restructuring
 to
 Encourage
 Buy-­‐‑In
  99

 Breaking
 the
 Siloes,
 Playing
 Favorites
  100