Making educational organizations able to change: a literature review

Abstract

Purpose Educational organizations have to continuously adapt their structures, processes and practices to meet the evolving institutional and social challenges raised by the external environment. From this point of view, organizational change is a fundamental ingredient of the recipe for success in educational management. The purpose of this paper is to contextualize organizational change to educational institutions, pointing out its determinants, barriers and consequences. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was performed. On the whole, it concerned 330 scientific contributions. Manuscripts were searched in two large citation databases. Tailored selection and inclusion criteria were designed in order to exclusively focus on papers investigating organizational change dynamics in the educational environment. In sum, 41 contributions were included in this literature review. Findings Organizational change in the educational context paves the way for various managerial challenges. First, the internal and external triggers of change should be concomitantly handled, in order to curb isomorphic pressures and steer organizational evolution. Second, specific strategies should be implemented to overcome the barriers to organizational change, including ambiguity and uncertainty. Finally, yet importantly, the side effects of organizational change should be recognized, in an attempt to attenuate their drawbacks on employees’ working conditions. Practical implications Organizational change should be understood as an iterative process, rather than as a circumscribed event. Educational managers should design specific approaches and deploy ad hoc tools to effectively implement organizational change. Originality/value This study attempts to systemize the current scientific literature about organizational change in the field of educational management, illuminating some intriguing avenues for further research.

Filling in the gaps in higher education quality

“…Beyond extrinsic and functional factors, the students' positive perceptions of the relational and emotional attributes of educational services were found to affect the students' quality ratings (Srikanthan and Dalrymple, 2007). In light of these results and adopting an organizational perspective (Palumbo and Manna, 2019), HEIs should attach a special emphasis on the implications of their structures and practices on the students' emotions and social relations. The conventional bureaucratic and provider-centered design of HEIs is thought to undermine their ability to identify and meet the students' perceptions of emotional and relational value (Gunn, 1995).…”

Digital learning orientation and innovative behavior in the higher education sector: effects of organizational learning culture and readiness for change

“…Failure to innovate can hinder institutions' potential to sustain or gain competitive advantage, and the ability to innovate is inextricably linked with the internal work processes and structures that support innovation and creativity (Shanker et al, 2017). An institution's competency to remain adept and adapt to emergent changes and bring forth innovative ideas is largely determined by its internal stakeholders', the students', attitude toward readiness for change (Lyman and Daloisio, 2018;Palumbo and Manna, 2019). Readiness for change refers to the "cognitive precursor behavior of either resistance to, or support for, a change effort and these perceptions can facilitate or undermine the effectiveness of a change intervention" (Armenakis et al, 1993 p. 681).…”

For better or for worse? Handling the side effects of organizational change on workplace discrimination

“…On the other hand, it boosts fair and purposeful interpersonal relationships, which engender increased commitment to change and decreased risks of opportunistic behaviors (van der Voet et al, 2017). In line with these considerations, OM contributes in clearing the uncertainty and ambiguities that affect OC, preventing its negative implications on WD (Palumbo and Manna, 2019b) senses around OC is thought to prevent the escalation of conflicts amongst employees, stimulating their active engagement in the transition process (Shulga, 2020). Alongside OM, EI seems to have an important role in moderating the relationship between OC and perceived unfairness in the workplace (Branch et al, 2013).…”