Page 259 - Crisis in Higher Education

230 • Crisis in Higher Education

unify actions and stimulate employees to make positive change. Without
well-defined goals and effective management, employees do not receive
useful feedback. They do not know if they are performing well, do not
know what actions to take to improve the processes and achieve better
outcomes, and are unaware of their accomplishments. In the current sys-
tem, administrators move forward, almost mechanically, doing what they
have done previously without thinking about what they do, why they do
it, or how to do it better. This is learned behavior because if they recognize
problems and develop new methods that improve outcomes, the system in
which they operate is not receptive to change and the ideas eventually die.
As this happens, others are discouraged from making similar efforts, so
the innovative spirit is lost and the status quo becomes entrenched.

11.3 CONFIGURING A SOLUTION

A good solution must deal with excessive administrative cost and poor
relations between administrators and faculty. Resolving these prob-
lems means addressing their causes, which are tied up in the strategic
plan and manifest when acknowledging that universities are PSOs with
a trifurcated customer. Issues regarding universities at PSOs and the
trifurcated customer are discussed in Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8 and are
not repeated. The discussion continues with a focus on key cultural,
managerial, and structural issues that should emerge from the strategic
planning process.

1. Organizational culture change: To design and implement radical
changes that can dramatically improve performance, it is neces-
sary to change goals, reduce costs, and enhance quality. These, in
turn, require a change in the attitudes and values of administrators,
staff, and faculty. The board and executive leadership must drive
this new culture.
2. Management change: As attitudes and values change, a number of
important management practices must change to increase productiv-
ity and reduce administrative and instructional costs. Instructional/
faculty productivity is discussed in Chapter 12.
3. Structural change: Some organizational changes should be considered
to streamline administration and improve performance.