Guiding change in higher education

An emergent, iterative application of Kotter’s change model

Bibliographic Data

ID14690617
AuthorsSung “Pil” Kang (0000-0001-5113-8788, Organization, Information, & Learning Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA), Yan Chen (0000-0003-4119-9688, Organization, Information, & Learning Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA), Vanessa Svihla (0000-0003-4342-6178, Organization, Information, & Learning Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA, corresponding author), Amber Gallup (0000-0002-6924-4949, Organization, Information, & Learning Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA), Kristen Ferris (0000-0002-9967-8633, Organization, Information, & Learning Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA), Abhaya K Datye (0000-0002-7126-8659, Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA)
Year2022
Volume47
Issue2
Pages270-289
Publication date2022-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueStudies in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0307-5079 • E-ISSN: 1470-174X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03075079.2020.1741540
OpenAlexW3011471030
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited23

While university change initiatives have become more common in the face of changing learner needs and higher education funding, many fail to produce desired effects, even when guided by organizational change models. The purpose of this study was to document a successful change process in an engineering department at a Hispanic-serving institution in the southwestern United States. The change effort focused on enhancing faculty capacity to support diverse student success. The change process was planned using Kotter’s eight-step change model (1996) and was therefore a prescribed, linear, sequential change process. Qualitative analysis of audio-recorded faculty interviews and meetings, artifacts, field notes, and participant observation highlights how Kotter’s change model was implemented iteratively and emergently. Early steps were revisited and strategies were treated as improvable. This approach enhanced faculty buy-in and project success. Characterization of each step provides insight into ways to apply Kotter’s change model in higher education settings

Higher education · Institution · Operations management · Organizational change · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative research · Semi-structured interview · Social science · Sociology · Computer Science · Engineering · Engineering Education and Curriculum Development · Higher Education Governance and Development · Organizational Learning and Leadership

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