Mindful Innovation in Higher Education: A case study exploring different business units' strategic adaptation of distance education offerings at a small Northeastern University.

摘要

The research identified how three individual departments at a single institution are leveraging distance education and which methods they are employing to ensure successful implementations and operations. This study identified how and if these departments are mindful of the distance learning environment and their methods of adjusting to change. The research discovered the importance of Weick and Sutcliffe's (2001) theories of mindful organizing in distance education and how these units strategize, make decisions, change, and collaborate. This was done through three data collection methods: document review, semi-structured one-on-one interviews, and observations of strategic and operational meetings.;Three findings emerged from this study. First, decision-making and the market drive growth. Second, distance education requires agility in operations. Lastly, perception that central administration is constraining innovation and growth potential. Implications and recommendations for future research included expanding this study to the three other graduate schools at the university that do not offer distance education, but are in varying planning phases. Gathering information about how these departments are mindfully organizing in conjunction with central administration would help to get a larger sampling and round out the study. Further, the causes of the varying degrees of mindfulness would solidify the findings.