Minding the Gap: Understanding the Role and Needs of Interim Appointees in Higher Education

ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml

N

135

Private Colleges; Administrators; Crisis Management; COVID-19; Pandemics; Temporary Employment; College Administration; Leadership Responsibility; Leadership Role; Professional Development; Informal Education

979-83-8118-574-4

The purpose of this Action Research Study was to examine the lived experiences of interim administrators at a private university in New York and determine how they made sense of unexpected appointments resulting from crisis scenarios including those caused by leadership departures and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key to the investigation was the understanding of how interims made sense of new assignments in the wake of disruption, and what types of learning they relied on to manage unexpected assignments in the absence of formal training. Guiding the inquiry was the objective of deeply understanding the interim function so that workplace mechanisms could be designed to support the interim role while more broadly advancing workplace learning and development capable of sustaining continual change. Two cycles of data collection were structured around these main areas with resultant findings from the first round of data informing an action step designed to support future interim hires and the organizational cultures in which they serve. A second round of data collection and analysis evaluated the action step for its utility. A final analysis of Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 data, coupled with an examination of extant literature in the areas of interim leadership, adult learning, and workplace learning and development, rendered three ultimate findings relevant to the areas of interim leadership and success and workplace learning and development. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

As Provided

2024

ED641329