Organizational culture -- three-founding units in a uni-campus system: The case of Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan

• Main Author: Capistrano, Madeleine G., F.I.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2002
• Subjects: Corporate culture; Universities and colleges > Taiwan; School management and organization; Educational Leadership
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/923
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study describes, compares and analyzes the organizational culture of Fu Jen Catholic University (FJCU) in Taipei, Taiwan. The study used the descriptive/comparative research method. Documentary analysis, questionnaire and interview techniques were utilized. For documentary analysis it took into account both the intangible elements consisting of the school's vision-mission, beliefs and values and the intangible elements composed of conceptual/verbal, visual/material and behavioral manifestations put forward by Beare, Caldwell and Millikan (1989). Survey questionnaire adopted the tool developed by Harris (1989) and the Four-culture model by Harrison (1993). The research respondents (administrators, faculty, non-teaching staff, students and alumni) were taken from the three separate management units using proportional random sampling. Findings from the analysis of FJCU documents revealed that there is only one vision-mission, beliefs and consequently the same values for the entire University. The survey of perceptions regarding the extent of agreement by the FJCU population with the intangible and tangible manifestations of its organizational culture yielded different degrees of perceptions among the student and non-student populations in its Colleges. The Society of Jesus College for instance, showed stronger degree of awareness among the three Colleges in terms of FJCU's intangible elements such as vision-mission, beliefs and values. With reference to the Four-culture model developed by Harrison, and based on the total respondent groups made up of students and non-student group (faculty, non-teaching staff and alumni), three founding units respondents consider Power-oriented as the most dominant existing culture of FJCU and Role-oriented culture as the least dominant. However, as to the most preferred culture, Role-oriented is the most dominant, and the least preferred by all respondents is the Power-oriented culture. Despite the agreement among respondents of the three founding units, a need is seen to instill a stronger spirit of loyalty and sense of belonging to all the members of the University and for the University to improve its educational processes for survival and growth. It is also recommended that studies and training related to the cultural dynamics in institutions be encouraged in order to help the members realize the value that goes with the understanding and appreciation of the effects of excellent culture in the performance of institutions.