1. A study of the relationship between institutional policy, organisational culture and e-learning use in four South African universities
- Author
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Czerniewicz, Laura and Brown, Cheryl
- Subjects
- *
COMPUTER assisted instruction , *EDUCATIONAL technology , *INTERNET in education , *EDUCATIONAL anthropology , *ORGANIZATIONAL sociology - Abstract
This article investigates the relationship between policy (conceptualised as goals, values and resources), organisational culture and e-learning use. Through both qualitative and quantitative research methods, we gathered data about staff and student perspectives from four diverse South African universities representing a selection of ICT in education policy types (Structured and Unstructured) and organisational cultural types of “collegium, bureaucracy, corporate and enterprise” (). While our findings show a clear relationship between policy and use of ICTs for teaching and learning, organisational culture is found crucial to policy mediation and the way that e-learning use is embedded within the organisation. We conclude that although a Structured Corporate institutional type enables the attainment of a “critical mass” within e-learning, Unstructured Collegium institutions are better at fostering innovation. Unstructured Bureaucratic institutions are the least enabling of either top down or bottom up e-learning change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2009
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