Higher education: power and influence of academic administrative staff members
2014-05
Loading...
View/Download File
Persistent link to this item
Statistics
View StatisticsJournal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Title
Higher education: power and influence of academic administrative staff members
Authors
Published Date
2014-05
Publisher
Type
Thesis or Dissertation
Abstract
This study examines the role of informal power sources available to administrative staff in university academic departments. The research question that drives the analysis is, "In what ways do administrative staff members utilize informal power to influence departmental decision-making?" Data were collected through interviews with chairs, Directors of Graduate Studies, faculty, and administrative staff at a public research university, utilizing a structured interview guide. Results indicate that staff members in the four departments studied possess and use formal and informal power sources. The formal bases of power studied are formal power and legal prerogative power. The major sources of staff informal power described by the interview participants are productive power (notably, political alliances), information power, and resource power. The study suggests that administrative staff members have access to informal power and those with the skill and willingness to use that power can impact departmental decisions.
Keywords
Description
University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. May 2014. Major: Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development. Advisor: Melissa Susan Anderson. 1 computer file (PDF); xi, 160 pages, appendices A-F.
Related to
Replaces
License
Collections
Series/Report Number
Funding information
Isbn identifier
Doi identifier
Previously Published Citation
Suggested citation
Thompson, Denise Renae. (2014). Higher education: power and influence of academic administrative staff members. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/163922.
Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.