Date of Award

Fall 2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Joshua D. Henson

Second Advisor

Dr. Debra Dean

Third Advisor

Dr. Jennifer L. Carter

Abstract

This study addressed a critical gap in the literature by investigating the relationship between organizational culture and mission drift within Christian higher education. While mission drift has been widely discussed in popular press, limited academic research has explored the factors influencing it, particularly organizational culture. Utilizing the Denison Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS) and the Mission Drift Survey, this study evaluated how culture influences mission clarity and safeguards against mission drift in a Christian university. Findings reveal that consistency and mission from the DOCS are strong predictors of mission clarity, with both showing statistical significance (p < .001). In addition, the DOCS elements predicted safeguards against mission drift through consistency and mission at the significance level of p < .05. The study’s results highlight the importance of consistency and mission in combating mission drift, offering Christian higher education institutions practical insights for reinforcing their foundational goals. Additionally, the research contributed to validating the Mission Drift Survey in an academic context, broadening its potential application beyond business and into higher education sectors. This topic is growing, and further research is needed to expand on these findings and explore additional organizational cultural factors.

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