Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Moutaz Abou Robieh

Abstract

Employees can be resistant to work-based change, specifically when the change is due to disruptive or new technology. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of 20 Swiss-based educational employees adapting to online technologies introduced in their workplaces. Disruptive innovation theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 20 purposely selected participants from 3 Swiss-based higher education campuses. The modified Van Kaam method was used to organize and analyze the data. Four themes from participants' responses were identified: educational employees are not resistant to technology-based change, educational employees can move forward and become excited even when frustrated, educational managers should develop commitment and a project-based focus to reduce additional expenditure of time and effort, and continued experience and personal development can enable technology use and reduce resistance. Findings from the study may be used to reduce employees' resistance to technological-based change in higher education. The successful development and use of online education tools by educators provides society with choices, mobility, flexibility, and a personalized approach to learning.

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