The Effect of Expansion to a Multicampus System on the Organizational Functions of an American Private University

Date of Degree

12-2004

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program

Education

Advisor

Dorothy Ettling

Advisor

Louis J. Agnese

Advisor

Annette E. Craven

Advisor

Richard L. Henderson

Abstract

This qualitative case study investigates the impact on decision-making of the expansion of a private university in the Western United States to a multicampus system. Through a series of interviews with campus students, administrators, top managers, and president, it explores how the organizational change from centralized management to decentralized management affects campus decision-making. This study has provided an overview of the multicampus system by identifying and analyzing fundamental concepts such as organizational culture, leadership, and the stages of the development of an organization. This researcher found that the study of the private university multicampus system has yielded invaluable information about the potential of a multicampus system for improving the effective leadership behavior involved in complex organizational functions. The transformation of a single campus educational institution to a multicampus system also exerts a significant impact on the overall organizational functioning of the institution. Issues of concern include the conflict over the allocation of resources and control, the inefficiency in the decision-making processes, and the duplication of organizational functions.

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