Cultural implications of organizational change in dining services

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine organizational change related to the structure and delivery of dining services at a public research flagship higher education institution. Dining services provide vital facilities that play an important role in meeting higher education institutional goals. Understanding the cultural implications of organizational change is important for institutions developing strategies for change in higher education. A case study design using interviews was employed at a single institution. Kezar and Eckel's (2002) Five Core Change Strategies provides the framework for using a cultural lens to provide thick and rich descriptions of organizational change in dining services. The research questions include the following: 1. How do dining services change to meet the needs of institutional growth? 2. What is the relationship between dining services and cultural change in a university? 3. How do the employees of dining service perceive their influence on the student experience? The research findings provided insight concerning the cultural implications of organizational change in dining services at the observed public research flagship institution.