Creating a distinctive university: impact of a top-down approach to change culture from the ground up

Abstract

Montana State University (MSU), like most organizations, is interested in cultivating a distinctive identity. One possible means towards that end is through the socialization of new faculty into its aspirational organizational culture. The Early Career Faculty Success (ECFS) program, a year-long initiative that evolved from the traditional one-day New Faculty Orientation, was introduced as a strategic intervention aimed at embedding MSU's cultural values and strategic goals into the practices of early-career faculty. This study investigated whether the ECFS program has influenced faculty behavior in ways that align with MSU's desired culture, thereby supporting institutional differentiation. Using a quasi-experimental design, the study compared faculty who participated in the ECFS program with those who did not across three dimensions: 1) engagement with the institutional faculty productivity reporting tool (i.e. Watermark's Faculty Success), 2) the nature of activities reported (particularly alignment with institutional goals), and 3) demographic representation within the program. Quantitative analysis of engagement metrics and reported activities were used to evaluate the program's influence on faculty behavior. Results indicated that ECFS participants were more likely to use the Faculty Success productivity reporting tool than their non-participating peers, suggesting increased alignment with institutional expectations of transparency and accountability. Furthermore, ECFS participants reported a higher number of activities that reflected MSU's strategic priorities, including student success, community engagement, and inclusive excellence. Demographic analysis showed broad participation across faculty types and identities, indicating the program's accessibility and institutional reach, but also differentiation between the proportion of various group types participation. The findings suggest that the ECFS program promoted behavioral changes in faculty that lead to better alignment with MSU's cultural and strategic objectives. However, the effect sizes of those changes were small as was the number of faculty impacted. The study concludes that intentional culture-focused faculty development initiatives like ECFS can potentially serve as effective mechanisms for institutional change and differentiation. The results have implications for higher education leaders seeking to shape organizational culture in ways that support strategic goals and institutional identity.