The purpose of this research was to explore, identify, and describe the challenges two-year college administrators face when blending the organizational culture of two or more institutions as a result of an involuntary, single sector merger. This phenomenological qualitative study drew findings from interviews with 12 individuals who have experienced a merger, are currently in leadership or faculty positions, and work for the Technical College System of Georgia. Using Moustakas’s (1994) model of transcendental phenomenology and the open systems theory, the researcher sought to uncover the human experience of a higher education merger. As a result of the data analysis, the following major themes emerged from the data: organizational culture, community resistance, communication, transparency, relationship-building, model behavior, change management, decisive leadership, visibility, decision-making, and integration. Findings in the study provided details of the challenges faced and the influence leaders associate with leading a merger in higher education.
The study objective was to identify key strategies used to influence a sustainable and healthy organizational culture as a result of an involuntary, single sector merger. There are several significant findings that suggest that leadership has great influence on blending the cultures of two higher education institutions as the result of a merger. A compelling finding is the noted community resistance to the merger for their respective local technical college. Additionally, mergers in higher education present operational challenges that are unprecedented in higher education.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this research was to explore, identify, and describe the challenges two-year college administrators face when blending the organizational culture of two or more institutions as a result of an involuntary, single sector merger. This phenomenological qualitative study drew findings from interviews with 12 individuals who have experienced a merger, are currently in leadership or faculty positions, and work for the Technical College System of Georgia. Using Moustakas’s (1994) model of transcendental phenomenology and the open systems theory, the researcher sought to uncover the human experience of a higher education merger. As a result of the data analysis, the following major themes emerged from the data: organizational culture, community resistance, communication, transparency, relationship-building, model behavior, change management, decisive leadership, visibility, decision-making, and integration. Findings in the study provided details of the challenges faced and the influence leaders associate with leading a merger in higher education.</p> <p>The study objective was to identify key strategies used to influence a sustainable and healthy organizational culture as a result of an involuntary, single sector merger. There are several significant findings that suggest that leadership has great influence on blending the cultures of two higher education institutions as the result of a merger. A compelling finding is the noted community resistance to the merger for their respective local technical college. Additionally, mergers in higher education present operational challenges that are unprecedented in higher education.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Maison, Amy A."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education (EdD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Michelle Collay","Brandie Shatto","Jim Glass"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-11-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2018-11-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:21:18Z","subjects":["Community College Education Administration","Educational Administration and Supervision","Educational Leadership","Higher Education Administration"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dune.une.edu/theses/236","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Michelle Collay","Brandie Shatto","Jim Glass"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Maison, Amy A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-09-26T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Community College Education Administration","Educational Administration and Supervision","Educational Leadership","Higher Education Administration"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dune.une.edu/theses/236"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this research was to explore, identify, and describe the challenges two-year college administrators face when blending the organizational culture of two or more institutions as a result of an involuntary, single sector merger. This phenomenological qualitative study drew findings from interviews with 12 individuals who have experienced a merger, are currently in leadership or faculty positions, and work for the Technical College System of Georgia. Using Moustakas’s (1994) model of transcendental phenomenology and the open systems theory, the researcher sought to uncover the human experience of a higher education merger. As a result of the data analysis, the following major themes emerged from the data: organizational culture, community resistance, communication, transparency, relationship-building, model behavior, change management, decisive leadership, visibility, decision-making, and integration. Findings in the study provided details of the challenges faced and the influence leaders associate with leading a merger in higher education.
The study objective was to identify key strategies used to influence a sustainable and healthy organizational culture as a result of an involuntary, single sector merger. There are several significant findings that suggest that leadership has great influence on blending the cultures of two higher education institutions as the result of a merger. A compelling finding is the noted community resistance to the merger for their respective local technical college. Additionally, mergers in higher education present operational challenges that are unprecedented in higher education.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Higher Education Mergers: Challenges Blending Organizational Culture And The Influence Of Leaders"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Michelle Collay","Brandie Shatto","Jim Glass"],"dc:creator":["Maison, Amy A."],"dc:date.available":["2019-09-26T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this research was to explore, identify, and describe the challenges two-year college administrators face when blending the organizational culture of two or more institutions as a result of an involuntary, single sector merger. This phenomenological qualitative study drew findings from interviews with 12 individuals who have experienced a merger, are currently in leadership or faculty positions, and work for the Technical College System of Georgia. Using Moustakas’s (1994) model of transcendental phenomenology and the open systems theory, the researcher sought to uncover the human experience of a higher education merger. As a result of the data analysis, the following major themes emerged from the data: organizational culture, community resistance, communication, transparency, relationship-building, model behavior, change management, decisive leadership, visibility, decision-making, and integration. Findings in the study provided details of the challenges faced and the influence leaders associate with leading a merger in higher education.
The study objective was to identify key strategies used to influence a sustainable and healthy organizational culture as a result of an involuntary, single sector merger. There are several significant findings that suggest that leadership has great influence on blending the cultures of two higher education institutions as the result of a merger. A compelling finding is the noted community resistance to the merger for their respective local technical college. Additionally, mergers in higher education present operational challenges that are unprecedented in higher education.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dune.une.edu/theses/236"],"dc:subject":["Community College Education Administration","Educational Administration and Supervision","Educational Leadership","Higher Education Administration"],"dc:title":["Higher Education Mergers: Challenges Blending Organizational Culture And The Influence Of Leaders"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:21:18Z"}