The policy-formulation process in higher education as an aspect of organizational change.

Abstract

The current educational reform movement mirrors reform recommendations of the past fifty years. The response of institutions of higher education to these recommendations has been limited. Some attribute this poor record to a variety of factors including a lack of understanding of the process of change, a lack of understanding of the complexity of organizations, a failure to address the constraints inherent in systems of higher education, and a failure to address the cultural characteristics of schools, colleges, and departments of education. There are a limited number of studies of teacher education as it attempts to respond to calls for reform. Studies incorporating multiple perspectives, various systems levels, and a variety of theoretical frames are even more limited and yet organizations can best be understood when consideration is given to the complex interacting forces that go to make up the systems. This study examined one state system of higher education's attempt to strengthen the preparation of teachers. It incorporated multiple perspectives by utilizing four theoretical frames to provide a focus on the changes at the various system levels. The structural, political, human resources, and symbolic frames were incorporated and reflected by the formal power structure, the informal power structure, the attitudes, and the organizational culture(s). The failure of some levels of the organization to utilize a multi-frame perspective and the resulting implications for change are addressed. This study found that the formulation of policy is an interaction of organizational structures, politics, and individuals. The culture of a given organization gives meaning to the way the organization addresses change, how individuals play both their formal and informal roles, and determines, in significant ways, the potential for substantive change.