ERIC Number: ED642046
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 119
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-7806-1978-9
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Organizational Structure, Strategy, and Coupling of Enrollment Management Divisions
Kelley Adams Lips
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Georgia
Enrollment Management has been adopted by institutions of higher education as a strategy for managing enrollment to meet institutional goals, and it increasingly manifests as an administrative division that supports students. Many models of Enrollment Management exists, with the Divisional model being the most centralized; however, even within a singular model, institutions have created varying organizational structures and compositions of administrative functions or units. Enrollment management provides a common purpose and strategy that integrates individual units that have significant impact on student enrollment--including student choice and the student experience. Units associated with these functions often include a combination of marketing, admissions, financial aid, registrar, institutional research, bursar, student orientation, retention and advising and career services. This study aims to understand how institutional goals and environmental factors contribute to the organizational structure of Enrollment Management, as well as how the composition promotes integration between individual subunits. A comparative case study was employed to understand factors that impact decisions pertaining to the structure and composition of the Enrollment Management Divisions at two mid-sized, private institutions. Semi-structured interviews with the Chief Enrollment Officer, as well as Directors of the individual units were questioned on institutional priorities, enrollment goals, and scope of operation. Results were analyzed with qualitative software using both inductive and deductive coding to identify themes that answered the research questions. The findings suggest that organizational structure can be heavily influenced by the experience and skill level of individuals, both within the structure, as well as the institutional leaders outside the structure with direct oversight. In addition, the centrality of revenue on decision-making, the culture of the institution, and the desire to enhance legitimacy through market-position all shaped the composition and structure of the Enrollment Management Divisions investigated. The results contribute to the literature that structure should follow strategy, as well as be reflective of the institutional culture, however, it also suggests that the degree of structural coupling could impact integration of subunits and ultimately the overall effectiveness of the Division. This information provides an additional framework of coupling as consideration for institutional leaders and practitioners of enrollment management. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Enrollment Management, College Enrollment, Organizational Objectives, College Administration, Administrative Organization, Organizational Culture, Reputation, Income, Private Colleges, Educational Strategies, Educational Environment
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Related Records: EJ1409726
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A