Date of Award
Spring 2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Committee Chair
Dale Lamb
Abstract
This dissertation in practice is an action research study that investigated the perceptions of students within the Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership (DEOL) program under the University College of Education experiences in consultancy organizational partnerships in terms of key benefits, key factors, and barriers/limitations that existed in the partnership. This study provided feedback to the University College of Education that was used to understand candidates’ experiences, it identified continuous improvement and developmental opportunities that will be used to evaluate consultancy organizational partnerships. A qualitative research design was used to collect data from 10 DEOL students via one-on-one interviews. The theoretical framework for this study was the Double Loop Learning Theory, it was used for program evaluation (Argyris, 1976), and data was analyzed using inductive coding which produced emerging themes. The key findings/emerging themes were as follows: knowledge sharing/transfer and networking, trust and transparency, and data access/programmatic alignment. Knowledge sharing/transfer and networking had a positive association and was seen as a benefit with the return on investment with students. Trust and transparency was a key factor gained through consultancy organizational partnerships. Data access and programmatic alignment presented barriers and limitations amongst students and organizations, which created impediments during the partnership. Implications of the study were limited to one rural university and evaluated only one program; due to the sample size, it is non-generalizable. Future studies can evaluate how perceptions change over time or if they remain the same for DEOL students.
Recommended Citation
Parson, Candace S., "Candidates' Perceptions of a University's Consultancy Requirements With For-Profit/Nonprofit Partnering Organizations" (2025). Doctor of Education Dissertations. 230.
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/education-dissertations/230
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