A case study of organizational innovation in higher education: The academic support program

This research examines the relationship between innovation and selected organizational variables of an academic support program (ASP). The study addresses the relationship between the initiation and implementation of new services and (1) internal organizational linkages; and (2) the institutional environment. A case study approach is used to examine these relationships.;The focus of the inquiry is the initiation and implementation of three organizational innovations in the University Learning Center located at a large state university. The data were collected from two sources: written documents and materials produced during the period of innovation and interviews with participants involved with or who had information regarding any one of the cases of innovation. Primarily memos, letters, reports, newspaper articles and newsletters were collected and used to develop an overview of the events occurring within the organization and the institutional environment. Interviews with key actors are used to ascertain information about the internal organizational linkages and the institutional environment at the time of innovation. Analysis of both the documents and the interview data included identifying various themes and conversation topics, indexing and coding merging concepts and developing an individual case record.;The findings suggest there are relationships between the initiation and implementation of organizational innovations and the institutional environment and between the initiation and implementation of an innovation and its internal organizational linkages. In addition, different types of linkages were identified within the organization. The process of innovation in an educational organization is also examined. The findings suggest that stages of the innovation process generally progressed in the order specified by the model used for the study.;The following recommendations are warranted: (1) Additional studies are needed to further extend the understanding of the effects of organizational characteristics on innovation in education. (2) Research in the effects of innovation characteristics and the implementation process is needed. (3) Additional research exploring the relationship between the role and organizational position of individuals during the initiation and implementation of organizational innovations. (3) Further investigation of innovation in other types of organizational units in higher education such as academic departments. (5) Additional studies of innovation in other academic support programs in both public and private institutions. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)...