%0 Thesis %1 amsler_organizational_1985 %A Amsler, Mary Margaret %D 1985 %K ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATION, EDUCATION, %T Organizational adaptations: The effects of coping strategies on a small, private liberal arts college %X This study of the small, private liberal arts college examines the historical role of the liberal arts college, the problems the contemporary colleges face and the adaptive actions taken by one institution to ensure its continued survival. The research is organized around three sets of questions of interest: (1) What specific external problems currently face the regionally-based, small, private liberal arts colleges, often labeled the "invisible colleges"? How are their problems different from the problems facing the other institutions of higher education during a period of declining resources? (2) What specific adaptive actions have been taken by one of these invisible colleges to ensure its continued survival? Are these efforts congruent with the developmental history of the college or do they deviate from the institution's original mission and purpose? (3) What impact has the adaptive actions had on the institution and the people in it? In what ways have the organization, decision-making processes, and culture been affected by these changes? How have adaptive efforts affected the traditional liberal arts values associated with this type of institution? Have they blurred the distinction between the liberal arts college and other institutions of higher education? Reviews of historical literature and social science literature provided a framework to address the first sets of questions. Qualitative data from two phases of field research at a single institution during 1983-84 address the last two sets of questions. The study relied heavily on qualitative methods for gathering the data, including institutional observations, in-depth interviews with administrators, faculty, and staff, document review and archival research. This case study provides information about the small, private liberal arts college to a wider audience of educators and the general public who are not well informed about these institutions. The research focuses attention on the effects of adaptive actions on institutional life during a period of declining resources.

@phdthesis{amsler_organizational_1985, abstract = {This study of the small, private liberal arts college examines the historical role of the liberal arts college, the problems the contemporary colleges face and the adaptive actions taken by one institution to ensure its continued survival. The research is organized around three sets of questions of interest: (1) What specific external problems currently face the regionally-based, small, private liberal arts colleges, often labeled the "invisible colleges"? How are their problems different from the problems facing the other institutions of higher education during a period of declining resources? (2) What specific adaptive actions have been taken by one of these invisible colleges to ensure its continued survival? Are these efforts congruent with the developmental history of the college or do they deviate from the institution's original mission and purpose? (3) What impact has the adaptive actions had on the institution and the people in it? In what ways have the organization, decision-making processes, and culture been affected by these changes? How have adaptive efforts affected the traditional liberal arts values associated with this type of institution? Have they blurred the distinction between the liberal arts college and other institutions of higher education? Reviews of historical literature and social science literature provided a framework to address the first sets of questions. Qualitative data from two phases of field research at a single institution during 1983-84 address the last two sets of questions. The study relied heavily on qualitative methods for gathering the data, including institutional observations, in-depth interviews with administrators, faculty, and staff, document review and archival research. This case study provides information about the small, private liberal arts college to a wider audience of educators and the general public who are not well informed about these institutions. The research focuses attention on the effects of adaptive actions on institutional life during a period of declining resources.}, added-at = {2018-06-19T15:18:45.000+0200}, author = {Amsler, Mary Margaret}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2aaa378a1ad94ddce9d98165d0d5b6911/prophe}, interhash = {c512aacd6788691e7a5a9921f4950a08}, intrahash = {aaa378a1ad94ddce9d98165d0d5b6911}, keywords = {ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATION, EDUCATION,}, school = {Harvard University}, shorttitle = {Organizational adaptations: {The} effects of coping strategies on a small, private liberal arts college}, timestamp = {2018-06-19T15:18:45.000+0200}, title = {Organizational adaptations: {The} effects of coping strategies on a small, private liberal arts college}, year = 1985 }