Model for effective leadership in community colleges committed to Continuous Quality Improvement

266 Pages·2002·7 MB·English

by  Sloan, Barbara Robinson

AMODELFOREFFECTIVELEADERSHIPINCOMMUNITYCOLLEGES
COMMITTEDTOCONTINUOUSQUALITYIMPROVEMENT
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I By
BAJtBARAROBINSONSLOAN
ADISSERTATIONPRESENTEDTOTHEGRADUATESCHOOL
OFTHEUNIVERSITYOFFLORIDAINPARTIALFULFILLMENT
OFTHEREQUIREMENTSFORTHEDEGREEOF
DOCTOROFPHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA
2002
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thesupportandassistanceofmanyindividualshelpedmakethisresearchproject
possible.Igreatlyappreciatetheencouragementandguidanceofmychair,Dr.DaleF.
Campbell,whosupportedmethroughoutthisstudy.MyappreciationalsogoestoDr.
JamesL.Doud,Dr.DavidS.Honeyman,andDr.RichardK.Scher,mysupervisory
committeemembers.Eachprovidedsupport,expertise,andguidanceasIdevelopedand
shapedthisstudy.ThanksalsogotoalltheprofessorswithwhomIstudiedoverthelast
fewyears;theygenerouslysharedtheirtimebothinandafterclasses.ForallIlearned
andcontinuetolearnfromthem,Iextendmyappreciation.
Specialthanksgotomycolleaguesandmentorsinthecommunitycollegesystem.
ParticularthanksgotoDr.RobertK.Myers,Dr.HeijiaL.Wheeler,andDr.Debra
Austin,allofwhomhavebeenbothfriendsandmentorswhoencouragedandsupported
methroughouttheyears.Iamalsoappreciativeofthemany,manycolleaguesatSantaFe
CommunityCollegeandatTallahasseeCommunityCollege,manyofwhomhavealso
takenoraretakingthisjourney,andallofwhomhavepatientlyandenthusiastically
encouragedme.SpecialthanksgotoCynthiaKachik,whoprocessedthevariousOPQ
reportsusedinthisstudy.
Withoutthelovingsupportoffnendsandfamily,thisprojectwouldhavenever
begunorcometocompletion.Tofriendswhohavewatchedovermeandencouragedme
tofinishsothatIcould"bemorefunagain,"Iamgrateful.Tomythreechildren,allof
whomhaveenteredorcompletedtheirowndegreeprogramssinceIbeganthisventure,I
amhumblythankful.Theirpatience,love,andsupporthavebeenimmeasurable.My
husbandhasbeenasupportivepartner,nevercomplainingabouttheinnumerable
weekendsthatIstayedburiedinreadingorgluedtothecomputerscreen.
Mostimportantly,1oweallIhaveaccomplishedtomywonderfulmother.She
hasbeentheexampleIfollow,andherbeliefinmehasalwaysbeenabsolute.Shetaught
metoworkhardandtobegratefulforwhatIhaveandforwho1am.
TABLEOFCONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii
ABSTRACT vii
INTRODUCTION 1
BackgroundandRationale 3
ContinuousQualityImprovement 5
LeadershipStudies 7
StatementoftheProblem 9
PurposeoftheStudy 10
SignificanceoftheStudy 12
DefinitionofTerms 13
Limitations 14
Sutrunary 14
REVIEWOFLITERATURE 16
ContinuousQualityImprovement 17
TheoreticalBasisforQualityManagement 17
HistoryofQualityintheUnitedStates 19
CommonQualityPrinciples 21
MalcolmBaldrigeNationalQualityAward 22
AppropriatenessofContinuousQualityImprovementtoEducation 23
ImplementationinEducation 27
StudiesofCQIinEducationalInstitutions 28
StudiesofBarrierstoImplementation 35
TheMalcolmBaldrigeAwardCriteriainEducation 41
SummaryofContinuousQualityImprovementinEducation 43
StudyofLeadership 44
TheoriesofLeadership 45
LeadershipandOrganizationalChange 50
LeadershipinEducationalInstitutions 56
StudiesofCommunityCollegeLeadership 58
LeadershipTeams 69
ContinuousQualityImprovementLeadership 72
StudiesofLeadershipandContinuousQualityImprovement 74
SummaryofReviewofLiterature 77
RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY 79
PurposeoftheStudy 79
ResearchProblem 81
ResearchDesign 83
ResearchInstruments 86
Population 90
DataCollection 92
DataAnalysis 93
RESULTS 96
InstitutionalSelf-Assessment 96
CaseStudyOne 104
SituationalVariables 104
PersonalityAttributes 107
LeadershipStyles 116
TeamTypes 122
InterveningVariables 126
CaseStudyTwo 130
SituationalVariables 130
PersonalityAttributes 134
LeadershipStyles 143
TeamTypes 148
InterveningVariables 151
Cross-CaseAnalysis 157
SituationalVariables 157
PersonalityAttributes 160
LeadershipStyles 168
TeamTypes 172
InterveningVariables 175
CONCLUSIONSANDRECOMMENDATIONS 178
Conclusions 179
SituationalVariables 180
PersonalityAttributesofPresidentsandSeniorleaders 181
LeadershipStylesofPresidentsandSeniorLeaders 187
TeamTypesofPresidentsandSeniorLeaders 188
InterveningVariables 189
FindingsRelatedtoPreviousResearch 190
Limitations 194
TheoreticalConstruct 195
ImplicationsforPractice 199
RecommendationsforFurtherStudy 200
APPENDIX '*'-'^'
AINSTITUTIONALSELFASSESSMENT 202
LettertoParticipate 203
Self-AssessmentSurveyInstructions 204
InstitutionalSelf-AssessmentInstrument 205
InstitutionalSelf-AssessmentResponseSheet 209
BackgroundInformationSheet 210
InformedConsentProcessforAdultParticipantsFormforBaldrigeSurvey 213
BOCCUPATIONALPERSONALITYQUESTIONNAIRE 214
LettertoParticipate 215
OnLineInstructionsSampleEmail 217
InformedConsentProcessforAdultParticipantsforOPQ 218
WorkProfileInformedConsentProcessforAdultParticipants 219
COCCUPATIONALPERSONALITYQUESTIONNAIRERESULTSAMPLES 220
LetterAccompanyingResults 221
StructureoftheOPQConceptModel 223
SampleIndividualResults 224
LeadershipStylesDescriptors 225
AssociateStylesDescriptors 226
SampleTeamTypesResults 227
DINTERVIEWWITHPRESIDENTS 228
E-mailRequestforPresidentialInterview 229
FollowUpInterviewQuestions 230
PresidentReviewofInterview 231
EINSTITUTIONALSELF-ASSESSMENTRESULTS 232
QualityIndexRatingSheet 233
RatingResultsforAllSchoolsCombined 234
OverallFrequencyofResponsestoInstitutionalSelf-Assessment 235
LISTOFREFERENCES 238
BIOGRAPHICALSKETCH 252
V
AbstractofDissertationPresentedtotheGraduateSchool
oftheUniversityofFloridainPartialFulfillmentofthe
RequirementsfortheDegreeofDoctorofPhilosophy
AMODELFOREFFECTFVELEADERSHIPINCOMMUNITYCOLLEGES
COMMITTEDTOCONTINUOUSQUALITYIMPROVEMENT
By
BarbaraRobinsonSloan
May2002
Chairman:DaleF.Campbell
MajorDepartment:EducationalLeadership,PolicyandFoundations
Toremaincompetitiveinthefuture,communitycollegesmustembracechange
andrespondtoworldwideinfluences.ContinuousQualityImprovement(CQI)isan
organizationalandphilosophicalapproachtoaddressingchangethroughcontinuous
improvement,yetthesuccessfulimplementationofCQIhasbeendifficultformany
colleges.ProponentsofCQIhaveemphasizedthecentralimportanceofleadership,but
verylittleresearchhasbeenconductedtoexplorewhatleadershipattributesandstyles
bestcomplementacontinuousqualityorganization.Toaddressthecomplexitiesof
leadershipandtheleadershipsituationinaCQIcollege,thisstudyconsideredmultiple
criteriaincludingtheleadershipsituationandinterveningvariablesaffectingthe
leadershipsituationaswellasthepersonalityattributes,leadershipstyles,andteamstyles
ofthepresidentsandotherseniorleaders.
Thepurposeofthisstudywastodevelopatheoreticalconstructofeffective
leadershipinacommunitycollegethathasadoptedorwantstoadopttheprinciplesof
continuousqualityimprovement.Twoinstitutionswereidentifiedassuccessfulbasedon
anassessmentoftheirdegreeofimplementationoftiieMalcolmBaldrigeEducation
CriteriaforPerformanceExcellence.TheOccupationalPersonalityQuestionnaire(OPQ)
wasusedtodeterminethecriticalpersonalityattributes,teamtypes,andleadershipstyles
ofthepresidentsandtheirseniorteammembers.Questionnaires,institutionalreportsand
semi-structuredinterviewswereusedtounderstandthepracticesoftheCEO'sandto
exploretheorganizationalstructure.
Theresultsofthestudysuggestanumberofleadershiptraitsandbehaviors "^
importanttosuccessfulimplementationofCQI.AlthoughCQIcanbesuccessfulin
diverseenvironments,implementationrequiresalong-termcommitment,asmuchas1
to15years.Thepresidentshouldbecommittedtoempoweringothersandshould
embracetheconceptofleadershipinwhichleadersandfollowersexertmutualinfluence.
Cross-functionalteamsandhorizontalworkstructuresshouldbedeveloped.ACQI
environmentrequiresarelations-orientedleadership.Thecollegesstudiedexhibiteda
highlevelofsharedleadership;therefore,theleadershipattributesofbothpresidentsand
othercollegeleaderswereexamined.
INCTHRAOPDTUECRTI1ON
Communitycolleges,whichenrollnearly6millionstudentsnationwide(U.S.
DOE,2001),prosperedindecadesofdramaticgrowth.Now,theyareamajorsectorof
highereducation,andtheirleadersfacenewchallengesassocietyandgovernmentturnto
communitycollegesforsolutionstotoday'sproblems(Pierce&Pedersen,1997).
Increasingly,communitycollegeleadersareexpectedtoadapttheirinstitutionsto
theneedsofanewsociety.Theyfaceincreasingdemandstotailorcoursestotheneedsof
theworkplace,toprovidenewdeliverymethods,andtoaddressdiverselearningstyles
(Nunley,2001).Inthecurrentcontextofcontinuouschangeandoftheshiftfroman
industrial-basedtoaninformation-basedeconomy,communitycollegesmustbe
structuredtorespondtoachangedandchangingenvironment(Rowley,2001;Vaughan,
2000);theymustbeorganizedtoaddressthefactorsofdemand,competition,andquality
(Alfred&Carter,2000);andtheymustbepositionedtoaddresstheeffectsof
globalization(Levin,2001).Communitycollegefacultyandadministratorsidentified
fundingworkforcedevelopment,usingoutcomemeasuresforaccountability,andmeeting
thecostoftechnologyascriticalissuesfacingtheirinstitutions(Campbell&Evans,
2001).Tomeetthesechallengessuccessfully,communitycollegeleadersmustadoptnew
organizationalstructuresanddevelopanewimderstandingofleadershipandtherolesof
leaders(Cain,1999;Pierce&Pedersen,1997;Tiemey,1999).
Townsend(2000)identifiedfourvaluesthatdetennineeducationalpolicy:choice,
quality,efficiency,andequity.Shestatedthatthesevaluessometimesconflictwithone
1
another.Intheenvironmentofdemandfornewservices,hmitedresources,andpossible
conflictsinvalues,communitycollegeleadersmustseekwaystodefineinstitutional
rolesandtofocusonthecommunitycollege'scoremissionofteachingandlearning.
Overthelast1 years,anumberofcollegeanduniversityleadershaveturnedto
theprinciplesoftotalqualitymanagement(TQM)orcontinuousqualityimprovement
(CQI)asaphilosophicalandstructuralbaseforaddressingthechallengesofchanging
rolesandorganizationalstructures(Axland,1992;Bonstingl,2001;Holmes,1997).
BenefitsofCQIforeducationalinstitutionsincludeapplyingqualityprinciplesto
teachingandlearning,benchmarking,empoweringindividuals,emphasizing
improvement,andimplementingchange(Earthetal.,2000;Marchese,1993).However,
CQIrequireslong-termcommitmentandisdifficulttoimplementprimarilybecauseits
userequiresachangeinphilosophicalapproachforallareasofanorganization(Peterson,
1993).
Deming(1986),Juran(1989),andCrosby(1979),threemajorquality
managementtheorists,stressedtheresponsibilityoftopleadershipinquality
organizations.Communitycollegeresearchers(Fisher,J.L.,1993;Freed,1998;Gratton,
1993;Seymour,1992)havealsodescribedeffectiveleadershipasfundamentalto
successfulimplementationofCQI.Despitethekeyroleofleadershipinorganizations,no
clearunderstandingexistsofwhatdistinguisheseffectiveleadership(Bennis&Nanus,
1997;Bimbaum,1988;Eisner,1984;Fisher,J.L.&Koch,1996;Gratton,1993).Itis
stilluncertainwhatstylesandcharacteristicsareneededtopromotesuccessful
implementationofCQI(Haire,1997).