EXPLORING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE AND INTOLERANCE TO AMBIGUITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

The current environment of higher education is one of constant change. Individual faculty and staff are under great pressure, and forced to cope and understand through their behavioral lens while navigating change processes. Institutions compete for students, revenue, and are forced to adapt and innovate to improve consumer perception and demand, causing tremendous strain amongst employees. Faculty and staff bear the burden to deliver better production and student outcomes, and they exhibit behaviors of resistance or acceptance of change. The current study utilized a descriptive, non-experimental, correlational design to examine higher education administrators, faculty and staff ratings of their level of tolerance of ambiguity, resistance to change, and level of mindfulness across institutions of higher education. This quantitative study sought to identify the strengths of the relationship between intolerance of ambiguity, resistance to change, and mindfulness. Findings included a significant relationship existing between intolerance to ambiguity and resistance to change.

Keywords: resistance; intolerance of ambiguity; mindfulness; higher education change

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