JOURNAL OF HIGHER EDUCATION THEORY AND PRACTICE

Organizational Culture: Comparing Faculty and Staff Perspectives

Author(s): Bela Florenthal, Yulia Tolstikov-Mast

Citation: Bela Florenthal, Yulia Tolstikov-Mast, (2012) "Organizational Culture: Comparing Faculty and Staff Perspectives," Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, Vol.12, Iss. 6, pp. 81 - 90

Article Type: Research paper

Publisher: North American Business Press

Abstract:

A university’s organizational culture influences students’ overall educational experience. One critical aspect of a positive campus cultural experience is the strong sense of community largely established by a constructive working relationship between faculty and staff. The current study focuses on sources of potential conflict in faculty-staff relations that could negatively influence this organizational culture, and thus, inhibit positive student educational experiences. The study uses 272 questionnaires collected from faculty and staff at a private Midwestern university. Findings indicate that greater staff involvement in decision-making, clearer communication of roles and responsibilities, and an adequate rewards system can reduce faculty-staff tension.