Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Developing a Shared Vision for Change: Moving toward Inclusive Empowerment

Research in Higher Education volume 62, pages 206–229 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Shared vision is an important process for change projects, serving to amplify success, increase participation, and erode the divide between project leaders and constituents. Yet there are few empirical examinations of the process of building shared vision within academic departments. Using focus groups and participant observation, this study examines shared vision development within 13 large-scale change projects in engineering and computer science higher education. We find that teams of faculty, staff, administrators, and students built shared vision with stakeholders through co-orientation, formational communication, and recognition of stakeholder autonomy. Our results delineate practices for developing shared vision for academic change projects and demonstrate the benefits of inclusive stakeholder empowerment.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Notes

  1. The program was originally named “Revolutionizing Engineering Departments” but expanded with the inclusion of Computer Science departments. From the 2019 solicitation for proposals the scope has narrowed again to Engineering only, and the name has reverted to the original.

References

  • Ansay, S. J., Perkins, D. F., & Nelson, C. J. (2004). Interpreting outcomes: Using focus groups in evaluation research. Family Relations, 53(3), 310–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ansell, C., & Gash, A. (2008). Collaborative governance in theory and practice. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 18(4), 543–571.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnard, M., & Stoll, N. (2010). Organisational change management: a rapid literature review (No. 10/01). Bristol, UK: Centre for Understanding Behaviour Change, University of Bristol, UK. Retrieved June 21, 2019 from https://www.bristol.ac.uk/cubec/portal/pr1.pdf

  • Beer, M. (1980). A social systems model for organization development. In T. G. Cummings (Ed.), Systems theory for organization development. Chichester, NY: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beer, M., Eisenstat, R. A., & Spector, R. (1990). The Critical path to corporate renewal. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benford, R. D., & Snow, D. A. (2000). Framing processes and social movements: An overview and assessment. Annual Review of Sociology, 26, 611–639.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergmark, U., & Westman, S. (2016). Co-creating curriculum in higher education: promoting democratic values and a multidimensional view on learning. International Journal for Academic Development, 21(1), 28–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brownell, S. E., & Tanner, K. D. (2012). Barriers to faculty pedagogical change: Lack of training, time, incentives, and … tensions with professional identity? CBE—Life Sciences Education, 11(4), 339–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruhn, J. G., Zajac, G., & Al-Kazemi, A. A. (2016). Ethical perspectives on employee participation in planned organizational change. Public Performance & Management Review, 25(2), 208–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, J. A. (2010). Avoiding traps in member checking. Qualitative Report, 15(5), 1102–1113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Case, J. M., & Light, G. (2011). Emerging methodologies in engineering education research. Journal of Engineering Education, 100(1), 186–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandler, D., & Munday, R. (2011). Informational communication. A Dictionary of Media and Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charmaz, K. (2001). Grounded theory. In R. M. Emerson (Ed.), Contemporary field research: Perspectives and formulations. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charmaz, K. (2009). Shifting the grounds: Constructivist grounded theory methods. In J. Morse (Ed.), Developing grounded theory: The second generation. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, B. (2004). Sustaining change in universities: Continuities in case studies and concepts. New York: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fry, C. L. (2014). Achieving systemic change: A sourcebook for advancing and funding undergraduate STEM education. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities, Coalition for Reform of Undergraduate STEM Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooperrider, D. L., & Srivastva, S. (1987). Appreciative inquiry in organizational life. In R. Woodman & W. Pasmore (Eds.), Research in organizational change and development (Vol. 1, pp. 129–169). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coser, L. A. (1957). Social conflict and the theory of social change. The British Journal of Sociology, 8(3), 197–207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W., & Miller, D. L. (2000). Determining validity in qualitative inquiry. Theory into Practice, 39(3), 124–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtin, M., & Fossey, E. (2007). Appraising the trustworthiness of qualitative studies: Guidelines for occupational therapists. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 54(2), 88–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Avanzo, C. (2013). Post–vision and change: Do we know how to change? CBE—Life Sciences Education, 12(3), 373–382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahl, R. (1989). Democracy and its critics. New Haven: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Cremer, D., & Tyler, T. R. (2005). Managing group behavior: The Interplay between procedural justice, sense of self, and cooperation. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 37, 151–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeAro, J., Bird, S., & Ryan, S. M. (2019). NSF ADVANCE and gender equity: Past, present and future of systemic institutional transformation strategies. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 38(2), 131–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional learning communities at work: Best practices for enhancing student achievement. Bloomington: National Education Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerber, L. G. (2001). “Inextricably linked”: Shared governance and academic freedom. Academe, 87(3), 22–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gioia, D. A., & Chittipeddi, K. (1991). Sensemaking and sensegiving in strategic change initiation. Strategic Management Journal, 12(6), 433–448.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gioia, D. A., & Thomas, J. B. (1996). Identity, image, and issue interpretation: Sensemaking during strategic change in academia. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41(3), 370–403. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393936.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guest, D. E. (1998). Is the psychological contract worth taking seriously? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 19(S1), 649–664.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurley, D. K., Peters, G. B., Collins, L., & Fifolt, M. (2015). Mission, vision, values, and goals: An exploration of key organizational statements and daily practice in schools. Journal of Educational Change, 16(2), 217–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hargrave, T. J., & Van de Ven, A. H. (2006). A collective action model of institutional innovation. Academy of Management Review, 31(4), 864–888.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hattori, R. A., & Lapidus, T. (2004). Collaboration, trust and innovative change. Journal of Change Management, 4(2), 97–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, C., Beach, A., & Finkelstein, N. (2011). Facilitating change in undergraduate STEM instructional practices: An analytic review of the literature. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(8), 952–984.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurtado, S., White-Lewis, D., & Norris, K. (2017). Advancing inclusive science and systemic change: The convergence of national aims and institutional goals in implementing and assessing biomedical science training. BMC Proceedings, 11(12), 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12919-017-0086-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, W. A. (2011). Faculty involvement in institutional governance: A literature review. Journal of the Professoriate, 6(1), 117–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanter, R. M., Stein, B., & Jick, T. (1992). The Challenge of organizational change: How companies experience it and leaders guide it. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kavanagh, P. J. (2000). A Vision of democratic governance in higher education: The stakes of work in academia. Social Policy, 30(4), 24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kezar, A. (2014). How colleges change: Understanding, leading, and enacting change. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kezar, A., & Eckel, P. (2002a). Examining the institutional transformation process: The importance of sensemaking, interrelated strategies, and balance. Research in Higher Education, 43(3), 295–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kezar, A., & Eckel, P. D. (2002b). The effect of institutional culture on change strategies in higher education: Universal principles or culturally responsive concepts? The Journal of Higher Education, 73(4), 435–460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kezar, A., & Lester, J. (2009). Supporting faculty grassroots leadership. Research in Higher Education, 50(7), 715–740.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kose, B. W. (2011). Developing a transformative school vision: Lessons from peer-nominated principals. Education and Urban Society, 43(2), 119–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn, T. (2008). A communicative theory of the firm: Developing an alternative perspective on intra-organizational power and stakeholder relationships. Organization studies, 29(8–9), 1227–1254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Litosseliti, L. (2003). Using focus groups in research. New York: Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lofland, J., & Lofland, L. H. (2006). Analyzing social settings: a guide to qualitative observation and analysis. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lozano, R. (2006). Incorporation and institutionalization of SD into universities: breaking through barriers to change. Journal of Cleaner Production, 14(9–11), 787–796.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lueddeke, G. R. (1999). Toward a constructivist framework for guiding change and innovation in higher education. The Journal of Higher Education, 70(3), 235–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lund, T. J., & Stains, M. (2015). The importance of context: An exploration of factors influencing the adoption of student-centered teaching among chemistry, biology, and physics faculty. International Journal of STEM Education, 2(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-015-0026-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lunenburg, F. C. (2010). Managing change: The role of the change agent. International Journal of Management, Business, and Administration, 13(1), 1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luthans, F. (2002). The need for and meaning of positive organizational behavior. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23(6), 695–706.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977). Institutionalized organizations: Formal structure as myth and ceremony. American Journal of Sociology, 83(2), 340–363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michel, A., Stegmaier, R., & Sonntag, K. (2010). I scratch your back—you scratch mine. Do procedural justice and organizational identification matter for employees’ cooperation during change? Journal of Change Management, 10(1), 41–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, D. L. (1996). Focus groups. Annual Review of Sociology, 22(1), 129–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulford, B. (2006). Leading change for student achievement. Journal of Educational Change, 7(1), 47–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Science Foundation. (2014). IUSE/Professional Formation of Engineers: Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (RED) Program Solicitation NSF 14–602. Retrieved June 21, 2019 from https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14602/nsf14602.htm

  • National Science Foundation. (2015). IUSE/Professional Formation of Engineers: REvolutionizing engineering and computer science Departments (RED) Program Solicitation NSF 15–607. Retrieved June 21, 2019 from https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15607/nsf15607.htm

  • National Science Foundation. (2016). IUSE/Professional Formation of Engineers: REvolutionizing engineering and computer science Departments (RED) Program Solicitation NSF 17–501. Retrieved June 21, 2019 from https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2017/nsf17501/nsf17501.htm

  • Oreg, S. (2003). Resistance to change: Developing an individual differences measure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(4), 680.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oreg, S., Vakola, M., & Armenakis, A. (2011). Change recipients’ reactions to organizational change: A 60-year review of quantitative studies. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 47(4), 461–524.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oswald, S. L., Mossholder, K. W., & Harris, S. G. (1994). Vision salience and strategic involvement: Implications for psychological attachment to organization and job. Strategic Management Journal, 15(6), 477–489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pekarsky, D. (2007). Vision and education: Arguments, counterarguments, rejoinders. American Journal of Education, 113(3), 423–450.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao, H., Monin, P., & Durand, R. (2003). Institutional change in Toque Ville: Nouvelle cuisine as an identity movement in French gastronomy. American Journal of Sociology, 108(4), 795–843.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, S. L. (1996). Trust and breach of the psychological contract. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41(4), 574–599.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose, K. H. (2013). A Guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (5th ed.). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousseau, D. M. (1998). The ‘problem’ of the psychological contract considered. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 19(S1), 665–671.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousseau, D. M., Hansen, S. D., & Tomprou, M. (2018). A dynamic phase model of psychological contract processes. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(9), 1081–1098.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoorman, D., & Acker-Hocevar, M. (2010). Viewing faculty governance within a social justice framework: Struggles and possibilities for democratic decision-making in higher education. Equity & Excellence in Education, 43(3), 310–325.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shadle, S. E., Marker, A., & Earl, B. (2017). Faculty drivers and barriers: Laying the groundwork for undergraduate STEM education reform in academic departments. International Journal of STEM Education, 4(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-017-0062-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, S. (2002). Technical cooperation and stakeholder ownership. Development Policy Journal, 2, 47–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Small, E. E., & Rentsch, J. R. (2010). Shared leadership in teams. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 9, 203–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stains, M., Harshman, J., Barker, M. K., Chasteen, S. V., Cole, R., DeChenne-Peters, S. E., et al. (2018). Anatomy of STEM teaching in North American universities. Science, 359(6383), 1468–1470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stouten, J., Rousseau, D. M., & De Cremer, D. (2018). Successful organizational change: Integrating the management practice and scholarly literatures. Academy of Management Annals, 12(2), 752–788. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2016.0095.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tavory, I., & Timmermans, S. (2014). Abductive analysis: Theorizing qualitative research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, J. (2005). Co-orientation theory. In G. M. Broom (Ed.), Encyclopedia of public relations. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412952545

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, J. (2009). Organizational co-orientation theory. In S. Littlejohn & K. Foss (Eds.), Encyclopedia of communication theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412959384.n268

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, J. R. (2016). Coorientation. In K. B. Jensen, E. W. Rothenbuhler, J. D. Pooley, & R. T. Craig (Eds.), The international encyclopedia of communication theory and philosophy. New York: Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118766804.wbiect003

    Google Scholar 

  • Timmermans, S., & Tavory, I. (2012). Theory construction in qualitative research: From grounded theory to abductive analysis. Sociological Theory, 30(3), 167–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Knippenberg, B., Martin, L., & Tyler, T. (2006). Process-orientation versus outcome-orientation during organizational change: The role of organizational identification. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(6), 685–704.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vest, C. M. (2005). Educating engineers for 2020 and beyond. In Educating the engineer of 2020: Adapting engineering education to the new century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Download references

Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the United States National Science Foundation under Grants No. 1649318, 1649379, 1540072, and 1540042. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Evaluation & Research for STEM Equity, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Kerice Doten-Snitker, Cara Margherio & Elizabeth Litzler

  2. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, IN, USA

    Ella Ingram & Julia Williams

Authors
  1. Kerice Doten-Snitker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cara Margherio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elizabeth Litzler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ella Ingram
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Julia Williams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kerice Doten-Snitker.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Doten-Snitker, K., Margherio, C., Litzler, E. et al. Developing a Shared Vision for Change: Moving toward Inclusive Empowerment. Res High Educ 62, 206–229 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-020-09594-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-020-09594-9

Keywords

search

Navigation