Organizational Culture and Learning in Higher Education: How the Competing Values Framework Relates to Learning Organization Dimensions in Student Affairs

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore learning organization dimensions in relation to the culture that currently exists in the organization as well as to explore the preferred culture for the organization. The study design was quantitative, descriptive, correlational research. Participants were full-time staff members (n=554) across departments within a division of student affairs at a large public university. I combined two instruments, the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument and the Dimensions of Learning Organization Questionnaire, into one survey document sent electronically to participants. I analyzed the data using descriptive statistics and correlational quantitative research methods. I concluded the dominant culture of the organization under study was hierarchy; yet clan was preferred. The organization had all learning organization dimensions at least moderately. The preferred clan culture had the highest positive correlations with all learning organization dimensions. Therefore, I recommend the organization shift toward a clan culture because this culture type is statistically significantly, positively correlated, currently and in the future, with all seven learning organization dimensions. I also recommend future research regarding culture and learning organization dimensions at additional levels within the organization and across various types of institutions. Future research should also explore the relationship between culture and learning organization dimensions in more depth and in relation to demographic variables. This additional research could inform theory regarding the direction of the relationship between organizational culture and learning organization dimensions.