Introduction
The case in question is associated with the use of effective leadership to revive D-Q University that has a remarkable history. It opened in the 1970s when the struggle of Native Americans, as well as other minority groups, paved the way for major shifts in the country. The creation of a higher education facility for minority students seemed a natural cause of events, but it was associated with numerous obstacles and challenges. The founders of D-Q were American Indian scholars, David Risling Jr. and Dr. Jack Forbes, who believed that they would establish a multinational college where Indian culture could be promoted. Nevertheless, the founders and the involved stakeholders failed to make their ideas come true, which led to a gradual stagnation of the university. Arthur Apodaca, a lawyer, who took an active part in the development of the educational establishment in the 1970s, decided to reopen it and bring the ideas mentioned above to live. This paper focuses on the central challenges to the revival of the facility, the major issues associated with leadership, as well as the most effective approach to leadership that can help D-Q University achieve its founders’ goals.
Issues Presented in the Case
One of the key issues presented in the case is rather a weak organizational culture. On the one hand, the faculty and administration of the institution have shared values and vision, which is essential for the development of any organization. On the other hand, these people are still individuals who focus on specific short-term benefits. The fact that the faculty remained committed to the goals of their organization rather than focus on their financial wellbeing is rather informative. People’s commitment to the creation of a four-year college for American Indians and other groups can help them reach their aims. However, strong leadership is essential as it is vital to guide people. The university should become a learning organization that is ready to transform constantly to adapt and address emerging challenges.
Another significant challenge is the lack of a specific strategy that would shape the development of D-Q. It is mentioned that the board is working on the curriculum as well as other structural aspects. However, there is no clear strategy for the key features of the curricula, the ethnic composition of university students, or ways to attract young people to obtain higher education in their facility. There are some ideas regarding financial issues. For instance, the facility’s administrators plan to address the state government to allocate the money coming from the Indian gambling industry to D-Q funding. They intend to contribute to the development of the community, but no strategy is available.
Furthermore, although it is not clearly stated in the case, the tension between different ethnic groups is likely to become a serious challenge, just the way it happened in the 1970s. The lack of understanding between Chicano and Indian Americans was one of the reasons behind the degradation of D-Q University that led to the loss of accreditation. Nonetheless, Apodaca seems to pay little attention to this aspect as he does not mention this issue when enumerating the most burning problems to address. At the same time, it is critical to ensure the effective collaboration of different ethnic groups. The development of the corresponding strategy is the key to solving this issue.
Analysis of the Identified Issues
Becoming a learning organization is essential for modern companies and institutions. Learning organizations can address all the challenges of the rapidly evolving human society. Therefore, it is essential to make sure that the organizational culture is characterized by the focus on the principles of learning organizations. It seems that the faculty and administrators are life-long learners who are ready to change constantly. Nevertheless, learning organizations are not the total of learning individuals, so-to-speak. Training should be a common practice, and the primary focus should be on leadership. It is also pivotal to make sure that the training will be guided by the vision as organizations tend to lose their focus on their core values in the process of growth. In many cases, instead of a clear set of values and ideals, employees start to concentrate on some good ideas.
Some people may think that the vision and strategy are closely related concepts or even complete synonyms. Such views may lead to disastrous effects as the strategy is a framework for bringing ideas to life. Strategies are necessary as they help employees remain concentrated and prepared to address various challenges. As far as the educational setting is concerned, the strategy can be associated with human resources management, educational objectives, curricula, funding, and other aspects. The case in question is illustrative in terms of the value of strategic thinking. D-Q University’s founders and people involved in the process of its creation and revival had rather a clear vision, but it was not supported by a clear strategy. Organizations should have specific plans with milestones and goals to accomplish. The concept of mental models is quite relevant when considering the significance of strategic thinking. The members of the group should align their mental models to the existing organizational goals, which can contribute to their high performance and eventual success. In the 1970s and at present, mental models seem to be untuned, which is a considerable threat.
Another identified issue is linked to the concept of mental models as well. Making different minority groups work together is always challenging but possible. Apart from tuning mental models and developing a strong organizational culture, ethnic differences can be addressed through training and proper leadership. Students should share the values concerning ethnic diversity and the focus on Indian culture. D-Q’s administrators should ensure the development of an effective strategy to bring people closer and help them committed to the ideals and values of the facility’s founders.
Approach to Leadership
The most effective approach to leadership that can help revive D-Q is the use of adaptive leadership. It is noteworthy that Apodaca utilizes some elements of this type of leadership. For example, the faculty and administrators are working on challenging unproductive norms. However, Apodaca makes a common mistake and clarifies people’s responsibilities and defines new roles. The need to invite an effective educational administrator is not as burning as it may seem. It can be more effective to bring people together and challenge existing ideas. The discussion of emerging problems, tensions, and trends can be beneficial for D-Q University. The focus on adaptive leadership principles will contribute to the development of a learning organization.
Training is another key to the successful revival of the educational establishment under consideration. Apart from specific training aimed at the development of competencies unique to different roles within the organization, employees should develop the leadership skills necessary to solve the identified issues and problems to emerge. For example, administrators may need to improve their skills in managing the educational process, but they should also become agents of change and team members working together effectively.
Strategic thinking is also a necessity for the leadership of D-Q University. Apodaca and his colleagues should create a clear plan addressing such issues as curriculum, funding, finances, the facility’s promotion (the focus on students and faculty), and diversity. The final area requires specific attention as it is one of the obstacles that can lead to failure. The growing tension in the US society can make different ethnic groups concerned about their interests. However, educational programs and events aimed at bringing different groups closer can help D-Q revive. The facility should actively collaborate with the communities of Indian and Chicano Americans. Immigrants, as well as Caucasian communities, should also be involved. Remarkably, such programs will contribute to the university’s promotion.
Conclusion
Summing up, it is important to state that D-Q’s leaders should utilize the adaptive approach to leadership to ensure its effective rebirth. The facility has many issues to solve including but not confined to financial issues, funding-related problems, ineffective leadership, the lack of strategic thinking, and unresolved tensions between minority groups. To address the mentioned challenges, it can be beneficial to concentrate on training and strategic thinking. Strong leadership and a clear vision will be the major pillars of the success of D-Q University. Finally, making the university a learning organization will be the necessary background for continuous transformations for the facility in question.