Through the Cracks: A Schein-Informed Case Study of Organizational Culture and Institutional Change in a Local College

Abstract

Local higher education institutions face a persistent problem with organizational culture. This study aims to holistically understand organizational behavior in a local college in Region XI. A single-case study approach was employed to determine how visible structures, proclaimed values, and behavioral patterns lag in institutional growth and change. The primary data were collected using key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and document reviews. Findings highlight glaring issues, including procedural delays, concentration of leadership, and rigid organizational boundaries. Emergent coping strategies, such as controlled decision-making, management of informal structures, and collaborative action, were recognized as ways to mitigate institutional volatility. The study illustrates how leadership, faculty participation, and cultural context shape domain governance, professional development, and resource allocation. In higher education, it is relevant to theory for framing Schein's model concerning governance and socio-political adaptive leadership. These findings provide practical insights for administrators and policymakers seeking to strengthen governance, foster adaptive leadership, and guide future reforms in higher education institutions confronted by similar cultural challenges. Furthermore, these results can be empirically substantiated in future studies using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), regression, mediation analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM), potentially informing the development of more robust and context-sensitive organizational models.