Faculty Perspectives on Diversity and Inclusion at a Highly Diverse Institution: A Study of Organizational Culture
| dc.contributor.author | Camargo, Elsa | en |
| dc.contributor.committeechair | Janosik, Steven M. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Burge, Penny L. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Robbins, Claire K. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Sanders, Karen Eley | en |
| dc.contributor.department | Higher Education | en |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-04-15T08:00:23Z | en |
| dc.date.available | 2017-04-15T08:00:23Z | en |
| dc.date.issued | 2017-04-14 | en |
| dc.description.abstract | U.S. demographic shifts are not being reflected in higher education institutions (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.; U.S. Department of Education, 2013). While institutions recruit underrepresented students and faculty, retention of these populations continues to be an issue in part due to a lack of sense of belonging (Booker, 2007; Hurtado and Carter, 1997), poor institutional climate (Hurtado, Alvarez, Guillermo-Wann, Cuellar, and Arellano, 2012; Rhee, 2008), and institutional racism (Stanley, 2006). Organizational culture theory offers a lens to examine the underlying structural problems preventing organizations from permanently adopting diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout the institution. This qualitative study examines how faculty members describe organizational culture of diversity and inclusion at a research university with a high degree of student diversity. The conceptual framework was Schein's (2010) organizational culture model. Participants included 19 faculty members who identified as Caucasian/White, African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Asian/Pacific Islander. Of all participants, 12 were male and seven female. In-person interviews were conducted to gather data. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Five themes emerged: forming culture, describing diversity and inclusion within the culture, learning impacted by diversity, feeling the culture, and directing culture. Unique findings from this study reveal that participants believed there is a shifting organizational culture of diversity and inclusion at the selected institution due to newly acquired designations, causing redefinition of existing assumptions. Additionally, faculty members (a) held different definitions for diversity and inclusion, which affected how they understood the university's responsibilities; (b) relied on localized diversity initiatives over university-wide ones; (c) believed in the unique needs of a highly diverse student body; and (d) were concerned with gaining diversity and inclusion at all ranks of the institution. Findings suggest that faculty at this institution viewed the organizational culture of diversity and inclusion to be welcoming for students. However, participants' perspectives were mixed about this same culture being welcoming to all faculty members. The study has implications for administrators and faculty members seeking to create more diverse and inclusive organizational cultures. Findings also have implications for future research on organizational culture, faculty, diversity, and inclusion. | en |
| dc.description.abstractgeneral | Although U.S. demographics are becoming increasingly diverse, these shifts are not reflected at universities and colleges. Diverse students and faculty are underrepresented in these spaces. Based on previous research, evidence has indicated that diverse underrepresentation is in part due to the unwelcoming environments diverse populations face in university and college settings (e.g., structural racism). In spite of university and college leaders’ efforts to increase diversity on their campuses and make environments more inclusive, these efforts are not always put into practice uniformly throughout these postsecondary institutions. In this study, I investigated this problem by focusing on the values and behaviors that contribute to creating a welcoming environment for diverse populations at a university with a diverse student body. I interviewed faculty members at this university and gathered information about their perspectives on diversity and inclusion. By conducting the study at a university with a diverse student body, I assumed that this university member’s values and behaviors contributed to welcoming campus environments for diverse populations. My goal through these interviews was to learn from faculty members about the values and behaviors related to diversity and inclusion at this university. In these interviews, faculty members discussed values and behaviors in relation to diversity and inclusion at their university; they defined diversity and inclusion; shared their individual efforts to make learning environments more welcoming for diverse students; conversed about the initiatives that the university put in place to create welcoming environments for diverse populations; and talked about the challenges at the university as these related to diversity and inclusion, which consequently and periodically resulted in less welcoming campus environments. Findings from this study are important because as demographics in the U.S. continue to shift, universities and colleges will need to pay close attention as to how organizational values and behaviors impact diversity and inclusion while they attempt to create environments that are welcoming to diverse populations. | en |
| dc.description.degree | Ph. D. | en |
| dc.format.medium | ETD | en |
| dc.identifier.other | vt_gsexam:10533 | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10919/77414 | en |
| dc.publisher | Virginia Tech | en |
| dc.rights | In Copyright | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | en |
| dc.subject | Education, Higher | en |
| dc.subject | organizational culture | en |
| dc.subject | faculty | en |
| dc.subject | diversity | en |
| dc.subject | inclusion | en |
| dc.title | Faculty Perspectives on Diversity and Inclusion at a Highly Diverse Institution: A Study of Organizational Culture | en |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Higher Education | en |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | en |
| thesis.degree.level | doctoral | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Ph. D. | en |
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