Melanie M. Morey and John J. Piderit
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305517
- eISBN:
- 9780199784813
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305515.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Relying on empirical evidence from a national study of senior administrators at Catholic colleges and universities across the United States, this book defines the critical religious identity and ...
More
Relying on empirical evidence from a national study of senior administrators at Catholic colleges and universities across the United States, this book defines the critical religious identity and mission issues facing Catholic colleges and universities as they look to the future. It analyzes and addresses these issues using the rich construct of culture, particularly organizational culture. Adopting cultural concepts of “distinguishability” and “inheritability”, the book provides four different models of how Catholic colleges and universities can operate and successfully compete as religiously distinctive institutions in the higher education market. After specifying the content of the Catholic tradition — intellectual, moral, and social — the book critiques the present performance among institutions in all four models, provides specific policy proposals for attending to religious cultural weakness, and offers principles for effectively leading and managing cultural change. For much of the history of Catholic colleges and universities, nuns, priests, and brothers provided successful Catholic cultural leadership. This book takes a critical look at the way congregations prepared members for knowledgeable, committed, and effective religious cultural leadership, and explains how insights from that model might prove particularly usefully today. The book also explores the cultural collapse of the once highly dynamic Roman Catholic sisterhoods as a cautionary tale about the perils of a cultural change process ineffectively managed.Less
Relying on empirical evidence from a national study of senior administrators at Catholic colleges and universities across the United States, this book defines the critical religious identity and mission issues facing Catholic colleges and universities as they look to the future. It analyzes and addresses these issues using the rich construct of culture, particularly organizational culture. Adopting cultural concepts of “distinguishability” and “inheritability”, the book provides four different models of how Catholic colleges and universities can operate and successfully compete as religiously distinctive institutions in the higher education market. After specifying the content of the Catholic tradition — intellectual, moral, and social — the book critiques the present performance among institutions in all four models, provides specific policy proposals for attending to religious cultural weakness, and offers principles for effectively leading and managing cultural change. For much of the history of Catholic colleges and universities, nuns, priests, and brothers provided successful Catholic cultural leadership. This book takes a critical look at the way congregations prepared members for knowledgeable, committed, and effective religious cultural leadership, and explains how insights from that model might prove particularly usefully today. The book also explores the cultural collapse of the once highly dynamic Roman Catholic sisterhoods as a cautionary tale about the perils of a cultural change process ineffectively managed.
Melanie M. Morey and John J. Piderit
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305517
- eISBN:
- 9780199784813
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305515.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Culture has a significant impact on how organizations understand and live out their institutional mission. This chapter explores how the components of organizational culture in general, and Catholic ...
More
Culture has a significant impact on how organizations understand and live out their institutional mission. This chapter explores how the components of organizational culture in general, and Catholic institutional culture in particular, interact over time in ways that impact two minimum characteristics of any viable culture: distinguishability and inheritability. Distinguishability is shown to require activities or approaches that are central to the life of the university and to Catholic teaching and practice. Cultural change, cultural consistency, and the various ways in which cultures and subcultures interact are discussed. Effective Catholic colleges and universities manage cultural change to enhance, rather than erode Catholic cultural vibrancy.Less
Culture has a significant impact on how organizations understand and live out their institutional mission. This chapter explores how the components of organizational culture in general, and Catholic institutional culture in particular, interact over time in ways that impact two minimum characteristics of any viable culture: distinguishability and inheritability. Distinguishability is shown to require activities or approaches that are central to the life of the university and to Catholic teaching and practice. Cultural change, cultural consistency, and the various ways in which cultures and subcultures interact are discussed. Effective Catholic colleges and universities manage cultural change to enhance, rather than erode Catholic cultural vibrancy.
Melanie M. Morey and John J. Piderit
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305517
- eISBN:
- 9780199784813
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305515.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter discusses the first of the major themes to emerge from research data: how senior administrators understand the Catholic intellectual tradition, and the role it plays in the academic life ...
More
This chapter discusses the first of the major themes to emerge from research data: how senior administrators understand the Catholic intellectual tradition, and the role it plays in the academic life of their institutions across all disciplines. It looks at various issues such as Catholic cultural illiteracy, hiring for mission, and the role of theology and philosophy in the curriculum. Desired characteristics of faculty, be they Catholic or non-Catholic, at Catholic institutions are identified. The heart of a university is academic content and, to be genuinely Catholic, Catholic institutions have to emphasize their academic content in an appropriate way. Philosophy may have been the central content welcomed by students at Catholic institutions in the first half of the 20th century. An important issue is what the modern “Catholic content” ought to be. The major threats to Catholic cultural inheritability and distinguishability in the academic sector are examined. The implications of present practice within all four collegiate models for the vitality of Catholic culture in the academic sector are also explored. Finally, the chapter suggests strategic approaches to enhance distinguishability without posing a market threat to inheritability.Less
This chapter discusses the first of the major themes to emerge from research data: how senior administrators understand the Catholic intellectual tradition, and the role it plays in the academic life of their institutions across all disciplines. It looks at various issues such as Catholic cultural illiteracy, hiring for mission, and the role of theology and philosophy in the curriculum. Desired characteristics of faculty, be they Catholic or non-Catholic, at Catholic institutions are identified. The heart of a university is academic content and, to be genuinely Catholic, Catholic institutions have to emphasize their academic content in an appropriate way. Philosophy may have been the central content welcomed by students at Catholic institutions in the first half of the 20th century. An important issue is what the modern “Catholic content” ought to be. The major threats to Catholic cultural inheritability and distinguishability in the academic sector are examined. The implications of present practice within all four collegiate models for the vitality of Catholic culture in the academic sector are also explored. Finally, the chapter suggests strategic approaches to enhance distinguishability without posing a market threat to inheritability.
