The Impact of Culture on Organizational Decision-Making Theory and Practice in Higher Education

1. The Strange Case of Organization Culture; PART ONE. DEFINING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE 2. Facts and Constructs. Defining Reality in Higher Education Organizations; 3. Organizational Culture in Higher Education. Defining the Essentials; PART TWO. EXAMINING ACADEMIC LIFE 4. Academic Work and Institutional Culture. Constructing Knowledge; 5. An Anthropological Analysis of Student Participation in College; 6. Organizational Socialization in Higher Education; 7. Models of Minority College Going and Retention. Cultural Integrity Versus Cultural Suicide; 8. A Cultural Perspective on Communication and Governance; PART THREE. THE ROAD AHEAD 9. A Cultural Analysis of Shared Governance. The Challenges Ahead; Index.

Biography

William G. Tierney is University Professor and Wilbur-Kieffer Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He has conducted research on colleges and universities for twenty years, the results of which have appeared in numerous journal articles, book chapters and books. His most recent book is Trust and the Public Good: Examining the Cultural Conditions of Academic Work.

“At a time when institutions recognize the need for change but may be unsure of how to make that change happen, I found The Impact of Culture on Organizational Decision Making, by William G. Tierney (Stylus Publishing, 2008), a must-read. I would recommend it to business officers and other leaders engaging their campuses in improvement and prioritization processes. Understanding the culture of the institution—and of higher education in general—is vital to the success of any change plan, particularly for business officers coming from private industry. Tierney’s call to look beyond the structure of American research institutions and use a cultural model to understand organizational decision making is a needed wake-up call to college and university administrators who wish to lead their organizations to success and excellence in the 21st century.”

Business Officer Magazine

"Overall, this collection enables a fresh look at a set of theoretically rich articles, all of which have maintained their currency in how we might think about and study postsecondary organizations. And while the chapters may not present any easy answers to those who work within higher education, the clear prose and cogent explanations certainly clarify how one's theory of organizational culture matters."

Rebecca D. Cox, Ph.D.

Journal of College Student Retention

"Tierney's book offers an enlightening review of the culture of higher education. It provided me with the opportunity to reexamine our collective assumptions regarding student engagement and retention. Tierney's analysis of Tinto's work offers a gateway to the next level of deeper understanding for college administrators who want to move beyond simply retaining students and to a level of student growth, institutional enhancement, and professional excellence. Tierney's call to look beyond the structures of large American research institutions and utilize a cultural model to understand organizational decision making should be a wake-up call to college and university administrators who wish to lead their organizations to success and excellence in the 21st century."

Jim Mello, Assistant Provost for Financial Planning, University of Hartford