Storytelling strategies for leading change in university prestige
by Paden, Matthew T., Ed.D., PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY, 2011, 242 pages; 3487439

Abstract:

Universities across the United States desire to enhance their level of institutional prestige in order to recruit top students, hire outstanding faculty members, and increase financial support. The purpose of this study is to discover storytelling strategies for leading change in university prestige. This qualitative study utilized the Dynamic Narrative Approach in conducting interviews to collect data from university leaders whose titles included president, provost-vice president, and academic dean. The interview instrument consisted of semistructured questions, was reviewed for validity by a panel of experts, and was administered through the use of technology. A review and synthesis of the literature provided the constructs for a conceptual framework. A combination of the literature and the research findings produced a model of Storytelling Strategies for Leading Change in University Prestige. The data gathered and analyzed yielded 3 themes that served as a framework for using storytelling as a strategy for leading change in university prestige. The 3 major themes were sensemaking, framing, and restorying. Further, this study revealed strategies associated within each of the major themes, as demonstrated by higher education leaders specifically in leading efforts to increase university prestige. This study adds to the literature in the disciplines of storytelling and leadership, higher education leadership, organizational change in higher education, and strategic planning in higher education. Implications for higher education leaders and the universities they serve were also discussed. Limitations of this study along with research findings guided recommendations for future research, including but not limited to, conducting a longitudinal study to study the impact of storytelling as a strategy for leading change in university prestige over a designated period of time, and expanding the study to observe the use of storytelling in universities outside of the United States. Storytelling as a strategy for leading change within institutions of higher education to increase prestige helps constituencies make sense of change, frame the details surrounding change, and implement a new story and refocused vision for attaining increased prestige.

 
AdviserL. Hyatt
SchoolPEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY
SourceDAI/A 73-03, p. , Jan 2012
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsHigher education administration; Educational leadership; Organizational behavior
Publication Number3487439
Adobe PDF Access the complete dissertation:
 

» This is an open access dissertation.
  Use the link below to access the full text PDF of this graduate work:
  http://gradworks.umi.com/3487439.pdf
  Use the link below to search and retrieve all open access dissertations:
  http://pqdtopen.proquest.com

About ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
With over 2.3 million records, the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world. It is the database of record for graduate research.

The database includes citations of graduate works ranging from the first U.S. dissertation, accepted in 1861, to those accepted as recently as last semester. Of the 2.3 million graduate works included in the database, ProQuest offers more than 1.9 million in full text formats. Of those, over 860,000 are available in PDF format. More than 60,000 dissertations and theses are added to the database each year.

If you have questions, please feel free to visit the ProQuest Web site - http://www.proquest.com - or call ProQuest Hotline Customer Support at 1-800-521-3042.