ERIC EJ965140: Looking Within: Examining Positive Relationships and Healthy Organizational Cultures in Departments of Educational Leadership PDF
Preview ERIC EJ965140: Looking Within: Examining Positive Relationships and Healthy Organizational Cultures in Departments of Educational Leadership
Looking Within: Examining Positive Relationships and Healthy Organizational Cultures in Departments of Educational Leadership Linda Orozco California State University, Fullerton Brad Allison California State University, Los Angeles Effectiveleadershipbeginswithpositiverelationshipsandahealthyorganizational culture.Howwelldoprofessorsofeducationalleadershipmodelsuchleadershipide- alswithintheirownuniversities,departments,andworkenvironments?Thisarticle addressesthecriticalneedforprofessorsofeducationalleadershiptolookwithinand determineiftheyaremodelingthatwhichtheyareteachingintheirclasses.Itfocuses ontheacademicenvironmentofprofessorswhoarepreparinganddevelopingtoday’s schoolleaders.Usingtheimportantconceptsofacademicfreedomandsharedgover- nance,thisarticleoffersatheoreticalconstructandpracticalapplicationforassessing departmentsofeducationalleadership.Justhowcollaborative,safe,supportive,pro- ductive, and creatively vibrant are our own professional environments? Introduction AnelderCherokeeNativeAmericanwasteachinghisgrandchildrenabout life.Hesaidtothem,“Afightisgoingoninsideme.Itisaterriblefightand itisbetweentwowolves.Onewolfrepresentsfear,anger,envy,sorrowre- gret, greed, arrogance, self pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,superiorityandego.Theotherstandsforjoy,peace,love,hope,shar- ing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, gen- erosity,truth,compassionandfaith.Thissamefightisgoingoninsideyou andeveryotherpersontoo.”Theythoughtaboutthisforaminuteandthen onechildaskedhisgrandfather,“Whichwolfwillwin?”TheoldCherokee replied,“Theoneyou feed.” Positive Relationships and Healthy Organizational Cultures Effectiveleadershipbeginswithpositiverelationshipsandahealthyorga- nizationalculture.Asprofessorsofeducationalleadership,weunderstand, teach,andexpectourstudentstodemonstratetheirabilitytoleadbycreat- CAPEAEducationLeadershipandAdministration,Vol.20—2008 64 ©2010DEStechPublications,Inc. Examining Positive Relationships and Healthy Organizational Cultures 65 ing positive work relationships and organizationally healthy schools and districts.Yet,doweourselvesmodelsuchleadershipwithinourownuni- versities,departments,andworkenvironments?Thisarticleaddressesthe criticalresponsibilityofprofessorsofeducationalleadership.Doweprac- ticewhatweteach?Dowetreatothersthewaywewanttobetreated?Do weprovideourcolleagueswiththesafetyandsupporttheyneedtofunction in a healthy organizational culture? The ’Managed Heart’ is CAPEA’s theme designed to examine how effective leaders engender positive rela- tionshipsanddevelophealthyorganizationalcultures.Thegoalistoiden- tify how these relationships and positive cultures advance powerful teachingandlearning.Thisarticlefocusesontheacademicenvironmentof professorswhoarepreparinganddevelopingtoday’sschoolleaders.How successful are these professors in creating positive relationships within their own organizational cultures? Just how collaborative, safe, support- ive, productive, and creatively vibrant are their professional environments? Departments Within a University Environment Anacademicdepartmentisthecriticalunitinanyuniversity.Ifthemajor- ityofthedepartmentsworkwell,theuniversityislikelytobesuccessfulin (1) student attraction and retention, (2) professorial achievement in the classroom and the laboratory, (3) student academic success, (4) alumni achievement,and(5)grantsanddonations.Takentogether,theuniversity departments create the reputation that defines the university. Therefore, anyimprovementintheuniversityasawholeshouldbeginwithananalysis ofthefactorsthatcreatehigh achievementatthedepartmentlevel. Furtherscrutinyleadsustotheindividualfacultymemberwithinthede- partment.Doesthedepartmentofeducationalleadershippromoteprofes- sorialsuccess?Isthereanalignmentbetweentheprofessors’prioritiesand department direction? Are members of the faculty free to create and dis- agree? Is department leadership skilled in strategic planning, leadership development, governance and conflict management? Discovering how faculty thrive in their department is the first step in the ongoing improvementofdepartmentalacademicsuccess. Academia’s Special Role in Society A department cannot, and should not, be measured by popular ’business practices’measuring successby stockholderprofits, bottomlinesales, or profit margins. Using such a gauge, university department functionality wouldbemeasuredintermsoflargestudentenrollments,evenlargerclass sizes,andcost-cuttingmeasuressuchasapreferenceforcheaperparttime facultyovertenuredfaculty.AccordingtoScott(2002),“...educationisa differentkindofactivity,auniqueculturethatoccupiesaspecialplacein ourdemocraticsociety”(p.2).Unliketheaverageworkplace,theuniver- 66 CAPEAEducation Leadership and Administration sityenvironmenthaslongrepresenteddemocraticidealsoffreespeech,un- bridled and creative research in the search for truth, and a distinctly independentautonomydirectedbyfacultyastheyexercisetwosacredaca- demic principles. Academic freedom and shared governance are para- mount. Both have long established academia as a unique professional environmentaround theworld. Universities have traditionally valued these two bedrock values that are critical to the advancement of knowledge. Academic freedom and shared governancearetheissuesthatseparateuniversityorganizationsfrombusi- nessorganizations.Businessorganizationsmovepeopleinandout,followa topdowndecisionprocess,andmeasurevaluearoundprofitandproduction. Universitiestendtothinkinlongersegmentsthanthenextfiscalquarter.The successofthisuniversalacademicorganizationdependsdeeplyontheextent towhichfacultyatthedepartmentlevelareacriticalpartofthegovernance system.Atrue’sharedgovernance’systemassuresacademicfreedom. Attracting high quality students is often the result of recruiting and re- taining great professors. Student enrollment and institutional reputation are highly influenced by great teaching and creative scholarship. Profes- sors, and the universities that employ them, hold these two key academic principlesasextremely importantones. Thesecoreprinciplesdistinguish theuniversityenvironmentfromanyother.Thesetwofoundationsarethe guide in examining positive relationships and collaborative work environmentswithin departmentsofeducationalleadership. Shared Governance and Academic Freedom Whatdothesetermsreallymean,andhowdotheyrelatetothesuccessof departments?Let’sbegin with basicdefinitionsofboth terms. Academicfreedomiscommonlydefinedintwocontexts.First,academic freedom is defined as the right of an individual faculty member to teach, conductresearch,andassociatefreely.Morespecifically,itis“...thefree- dom enjoyed by those with disciplinary credentials grounded in their scholarly expertise to express their ideas, however critical; to call estab- lished beliefs into question; and to open new areas of scholarly inquiry, evenifdoingsomeantchallengingwhatwastakentobereceivedwisdom or common sense” (Scott, 2002, p. 1). Second, academic freedom is de- finedasacollectiverightforacommunityoffaculty.Inthe1957Supreme CourtdecisionofSweezyv.NewHampshire,thehighcourtdescribedthe academiccommunity,“...asamarketplaceoffreeideaswhereafreespirit ofinquiry reigns”(Rajagopal,2003,p.4). Shared governance is defined as the regular exchange of information, opinion,consultation,reflection,mediation,andcompromise.Thisdelib- erateandconsultativepracticecontributestoanatmosphereofmutualre- spect and trust. The California State University System echoed these elementsinastatewidestudysupportedbytheAcademicSenate,CSUand Chancellor’s Office. “The single most important element in effective Examining Positive Relationships and Healthy Organizational Cultures 67 shared governance is mutual trust and respect” (California State Univer- sity, 2001, p. 14). Tolerance and a civil regard for differing opinions and pointsofviewarealsokeytosharedgovernance.Othercharacteristicsde- tailedbytheCSUreportincludedcivility,honesty,truthfulness,earlyand effective communication, broad and frequent consultation, and open and frankdiscussions.Inaddition,“...proceduresmustbeopenandtranspar- ent.Closedmeetings,processesorproceduresunderminetrustandtheatti- tudes necessary for shared governance to succeed” (California State University,p.16).A1985reportbytheCSU’sdefinedsharedgovernance asconsistingoftwinelements:aprocessandastateofmindorasetofatti- tudes (Academic Senate-California State University, 1985). Birnbaum (2004)reportedthattheconnectionbetweeneffectivenessandsharedgov- ernanceisclear,“...proposalsthatsuggest,eitherexplicitlyorimplicitly, thatthefacultyroleinsharedgovernanceshouldbereducedorlimitedare morelikelytodiminishratherthanimproveinstitutionaleffectiveness”(p. 4). Furthermore, the link between shared governance and academic free- domwasarticulatedbyScott(2002)simplyas,“Thefaculty’sroleingov- ernance...isthefoundation foracademicfreedom”(p. 2). Thesewidelyacceptedandestablisheddefinitionsofsharedgovernance and academic freedom transform simple words of general concept into usefuloperationalterms.Theseoperationaltermswillbeusedlateraspart ofaninformalprocesstoexamineyourowndepartment’srelationshipsand organizationalculture. Warning Indicators: Fear, Marginalization, Fair Weather Only and Contingent Faculty Withanunderstandingofwhatacademicfreedomandsharedgovernance mean;let’stakealookatwhattheydonotmean.Therearefourdysfunc- tionalconditionswithinwhich,academicfreedomandsharedgovernance cannot survive. These elements run contrary to all features, aspects, and key processes needed for academic freedom and shared governance. The presenceofany ofthesefourdysfunctionsisawarning sign,onethathas disturbing impacton any departmentofeducationalleadership. Fear Fear,ifpresentinadepartment,isanindicatoroftremendousdysfunction. Are some faculty afraid to voice opinions, ideas, questions? Is keeping yourheaddownthemodeofsomeorallfacultyinyourdepartment?Trust and respect are simply not compatible when fear is present (CSU, 2001; Nelson, 2008). If fear is present in your department, even by a few, one could seriously question thefunctionality ofyourdepartment. Marginalization Assessingadepartmentisnotanindividualendeavor.Instead,theveryna- 68 CAPEAEducation Leadership and Administration tureofsharedgovernancerequiresabroaderperspective.Adepartmentcan- notbefunctionalforjustoneorafewfavoredfacultymembersifitwantsto besuccessfulinitsendeavors.Truedepartmentfunctionalityisateamenter- prise. Observe those faculty members exercising high levels of academic freedom,andevenhigherlevelsofexpectationforsharedgovernance. How aretheytreatedwithinthedepartmentand/orbythedepartmentchair? Are theysilenced,marginalized,ignoredorworseùdotheypaythepricewithno perksofmoneyorreleasetime;oraretheysimplygivenpoorcourseassign- ments,officespaceor? Facultymemberswhochallengethestatusquopro- viderichopportunitiestoobservethefunctioningofthedepartment. Justas a democratic society cannot exist when some cannot vote, a department is notsuccessfulifonlythefewareheard.Sharedgovernance isthemosteffectiveprocessthroughwhichacademicinstitutionscanachievetheir indefinitegoals,justasconceptssuchasconsentofthegoverned,checksandbal- ances,andtherightoflegitimateyetcontendingvoicestoparticipatemakesdemoc- racyitselfungainlyyetultimatelyeffective.(Birnbaum,2004,p.4) Fair Weather Only The most revealing opportunities to observe and assess department func- tion are during times of challenge. What happens when faculty exercise high levels of academic freedom and/or demand higher levels of shared governance? How does a department and/or department chair react? For example, assessing a boxer’s ability requires watching him or her in the boxingringatmaximumstress.Assessingadepartmentrequiresobserving your department in action under conditions when maximum performance isrequired.Scott(2002)proposedanumberofquestions.Duringcreative, complexorcontroversialchallenges,doesyourdepartmentrisetotheoc- casioninacollegialmanner?Ordoesyourdepartmentcollapseunderthe weight of any significant internal challenge, intimidate key players, or worseyet,runfromtheexperience?Whenthegoinggetstough,doesyour department abandon key elements of shared governance and academic freedomincluding respect, trustand afreespiritofinquiry? High Contingent Faculty “Themodel environment forshared governancewould havefaculty that is largelytenuredortenuretrackwithalong-termcommitmenttotheuniver- sity[department],whoseworkloadprovidesopportunitiesforparticipation ingovernance,isrewardedforparticipation,andisprovidedtheresourcesto support effective participation” (California State University, 2001, pp. 9-10).Part-timefacultyandfulltimelecturers,alsoknownascontingentfac- ulty,donotholdthesamecommitment,time,northeinvestmentinthede- partment, and sometimes rarely participate or are invited to participate in departmentmeetingsandoperations.Whatpercentageofyourdepartment’s coursesaretaughtbyparttimefacultyorlecturers?Thehigherthepercent- Examining Positive Relationships and Healthy Organizational Cultures 69 age,thehigherriskofdepartmentdysfunction.Theburdenofdevelopingde- partment purpose, policies, operations, curriculum, decision-making, advising students, chairing projects, and chairing theses and dissertations falltothefewtenureandtenure-trackfacultybythelopsidedweightofcon- tingentfaculty.Orworseyet,thechairalonewieldstremendouspowerover hiring,firingandevaluatingalargecadreofcontingentfacultyoutsidethe parametersoftruesharedgovernance.Tenuredfacultyareessentialtothero- bustnatureofsharedgovernance.Themoreyourdepartmentconsistsoften- ured and tenure-track faculty, the stronger likelihood of true functionality throughsharedgovernanceamongequals. Whataboutdisgruntledfaculty(individualsandsmallgroups),andtheir impact on the process? This article addresses key issues in department functioning at the macro-organizational level. However, when issues are raisedbyanindividualrelatedtosharedgovernanceoracademicfreedom, departments should listen carefully and analyze such criticisms. Simply dismissingfacultyasdisgruntledindividuals,withoutaddressingconcerns anchored in shared governance or academic freedom, perpetuates department dysfunction. The next section will assist departments in engaging allfaculty in theprocessofassessment. How does YOUR Department Measure Up? Beingwhatyoubelieveisthehardpart.The2001CSUStudyfoundstrong support for the ideal of mutual trust and openness; however, their study foundtheperceivedrealitywasfarfromwhatwouldbedesirable.“Thesur- veyindicatedthatfaculty,ingeneral,areskepticalnotonlyofadministra- tors’intentionsandmotives,butalsoofthenotionthatsharedgovernance evenexists.Inshort,itappearsthatsomepeoplebelievethenotionsof’re- spect’ and ’trust’ are so important to concepts of shared governance that their absence indicates that shared governance does not really exist—de- spite the presence of formal structures and processes” (p. 4). With an un- derstanding of such academic skepticism, how would you rate your departmentand yourself? Theliteratureandcollegialexperienceconfirmthatdepartmentfunction- ingandoperationscanbenegativelyimpactedorhinderedbyasinglefaculty memberorsmallgroupoffaculty.Neithersharedgovernancenoracademic freedomareimmunefromthenegativeeffectsofsuchindividuals.Ifthose individuals hold key decision-making positions in the department such as departmentchair,programdirectororcoordinator,forexample,theirunder- mining of the department in these areas can be even more detrimental. So, howcanfacultyobjectivelyevaluatetheirdepartments? Department Assessment Instrument Theauthorsproposethefollowingassessmentinstrumentasabeginning,a foundation, for department reflection and analysis of shared governance 70 CAPEAEducation Leadership and Administration and academic freedom. Each individual faculty member should complete theassessment.Theassessmentfocusesonindicatorsevidentinthedepart- mentfromamacro-perspectiveofdepartmentoperationsand processes. Theassessmentinstrumentcontainssevenareas.Byidentifying,review- ingandisolatingwidelyaccepted(andestablished)definitions/discussions ofsharedgovernanceandacademicfreedom,thefollowingsevenkeyareas emerged:(1)trustandrespect,(2)facultyfreedomwithinadepartment,(3) healthy department environment, (4) communication and collaboration, (5) shared governance, (6) open procedures and processes and (7) severe warning indicators. Eachofthesevenkeyareasprovidedacriticalconceptualcomponentto theassessmentinstrument.Andeachisusedaskeycategoriesintheinstru- ment. However, it was important to translate these conceptual terms into operational descriptors. Operational descriptors included the identifica- tion of behavior, skills, actions and/or processes within the department. The authors, experienced professors and educational leaders, used re- searchmodelsineducationtoarticulatetheoperationalelements.Fourad- ditional faculty contributed and edited the operational elements of the assessmentinstrument. Thefollowingassessmentsurveyisanchoredintheimportantcorefoun- dationsofacademia:sharedgovernanceandacademicfreedom.Thedefi- nitions provided earlier create a robust perspective and clarity to assess your department’s functionality. As you move through the questions be- low,reflectonyourtimeasamemberofyourdepartment.Useyourobser- vations, experiences, impressions, and affective responses to assess your department’sfunctionality. Remember,yourdepartment’senvironment,climate,spirit,andstateof mindareasimportantasactualeventsandprocesses.Reflect,notonlyon your own experiences, but what have you observed regarding the experiencesofyourcolleagues.Trytoanswereachquestion,notfromyour singularvantagepoint,butfromalargermorecollegialperspective. Thisarticleandsurveyhavethepotentialtoserveyouandyourdepart- ment. Isyour department open to beginning thediscussion ofdepartment effectiveness related to academic freedom and shared governance? We suggestthatyouusethisarticleandsurveyasacatalystwithinyourdepart- menttocreatemorepositiveprofessionalrelationships,andahealthyorga- nizationalculture. “Thefacultyaretheprimaryupholdersoftheacademicculture,sothose thatgiveprecedencetotheideaofauniversityasanacademicinstitution believe that there are few earthly things more splendid than a university” (MasefieldascitedinBirnbaum,2004,p.19).Theseindividuals“arelikely also to continue to believe in the importance of shared governance” (Birnbaum,2004,p.16).Creatingorganizationsinwhichallmemberscan thriveisnot just alesson to betaught. It isalesson to bepracticed by the very professors of educational leadership professing such an ideal to students. Examining Positive Relationships and Healthy Organizational Cultures 71 Table 1 Survey: Examining Positive Relationships & Healthy Organizational Cultures in Departments of Educational Leadership Based on Indicators of Academic Freedom & Shared Governance e e StronglyAgree Agree Disagre StronglyDisagre NoOpinion Part I:Indicators of Trust andRespect Thereisanoverwhelmingatmosphereof’mutual trust’among&betweenallfaculty Truth,honesty,fairplay,highethics,feelingsof trustareallvalued,expected&presentinmy department Cheating,dishonesty,back-biting,endruns, powerplays,andfavoritismareabsentinmy department. Thereisanoverwhelmingatmosphereof’mutual respect’among&betweenallfaculty Allfacultyaretreatedequally(withrespect)by eachotherandbythechair/administration Allfacultyfeelequallyrespected,regardlessof theirtenureorposition Allindividual,groupanddept.communications areequallyrespectfulregardlessofthespeaker orlistener Impressivelevelsofrespectareextendedto thosewithdivergentideas,recommendations, criticism,orquestioningofthestatusquo Nofacultymembersarecutoff,interrupted,or disrespected Nodialogscontainyelling,namecalling, bullying,intimidation,oraccusations PartII:Indicators of Faculty FreedomwithinaDepartment Facultyfeelfreeandareinvitedtoexpressideas, howevercritical Truth,honesty,fairplay,highethics,feelingsof trustareallvalued,expected&presentinmy department Facultyarefreetoopennewareasofscholarly inquiry Facultyarefreetochallenge’whatistakento be’receivedwisdomorcommonsense (continued) 72 CAPEAEducation Leadership and Administration Table 1 (continued) Survey: Examining Positive Relationships & Healthy Organizational Cultures in Departments of Educational Leadership Based on Indicators of Academic Freedom & Shared Governance e e StronglyAgree Agree Disagre StronglyDisagre NoOpinion PARTIII:Indicators of Healthy DepartmentEnvironment Nurturesanatmospheretocreatea’community ofscholars’ Marketplaceoffreeideasexists Freespiritofinquiryreigns Collegialstateofmindispositive Climatesupportsdiversityofopinion,schoolsof thought,perspectives,andpersonalstyles Part IV:Indicators of Communication and Collaboration Honestyispresentandimportantinall communications Openandfrankdiscussionsarepartof departmentcommunications Thereiscivilregardfordifferencesofopinionand pointsofview Facultycanexpressdissentingviewswithoutfear ofreprisals Thereisearlyandeffectivecommunications Thereisaregularexchangeofinformation Opinionsaresolicited,exchangedandarepartof regularcommunications Thereisregularcollaborationandconsultation Thereisregularreflectionasindividualfaculty andasadepartment Thedepartmentregularlyusesmediationprocesses Thereisregularcompromise PART V:Indicators of Shared Governance Attitudesandactionsofallfacultyandchair supportanatmosphereofgenuineshared governance Thechairpositioninmydepartmentchanges regularlytoreflectandincludeavarietyoffaculty indepartmentleadership Duringanabsenceofthechair,otherfaculty representthedepartmentatdean’smeetings,and otheruniversityadministrativemeetings (continued) Examining Positive Relationships and Healthy Organizational Cultures 73 Table 1 (continued) Survey: Examining Positive Relationships & Healthy Organizational Cultures in Departments of Educational Leadership Based on Indicators of Academic Freedom & Shared Governance e e StronglyAgree Agree Disagre StronglyDisagre NoOpinion PART V:Indicators of SharedGovernance (Continued) Departmentmeetingsareledbyavarietyof faculty(notonlythechair) Governanceinmydepartmentistrulyshared,not heldbyafeworsolelybythechairalone Departmentmeetingagendasarecreatedjointly byfaculty Budgetsareregularlyreviewed,discussedand debated Alldepartmentexpendituresareregularly presentedandreviewed,particularlymonies providedtoindividualfacultyforsupplies,release time,etc. Facultyregularlyevaluatethedepartmentchairin aspiritofcollegialitytoofferconstructive feedback Thedepartmentisfreeofpreferentialtreatment, perks,rewards,specialmonies,orspecial assignmentstothosefacultyinthe’incrowd’. Facultyfeelfreetoholdthechairaccountablefor actionsanddecisionsthechairismakingoutside ofDepartmentmeetings Politicalormanipulativepower-playsarenotpart ofmydepartment Departmentdecisionsarenotforsalewith politicalrewardsorperks.Facultyarenot rewardedforsupportingthechairorothers Departmentdecisionsarenotcontrolledwith punishmentsorpenalties. Facultyarenotpunishedfordisagreeingwiththe chairorothers Notopdownadministrativeannouncementsor ’decision-forcing’ Informationisnotcontrolled,censured,or withheldinmydepartment Thereisnoinsistingon’quick decisions’—feigninganeedforspeed Nofalseinformationisprovidedtofacultyto influencedecisions (continued)
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