Higher education system governance: an exploratory study of presidential decision making in the kentucky community and technical college system

Phase Two

The purpose of the second phase of research was exploratory in nature and aimed to understand how the KCTCS president and college presidents share decisions for the system and colleges. As previously indicated, preliminary survey data from the first phase of the study were used to identify areas where decision making seemed to be shared between the system president and college presidents, as well as areas where the location of decision making appeared to be dispersed based on preliminary analysis. The interview protocol was developed to more closely explore shared academic, administrative, or personnel decision making involving the KCTCS president and college presidents. Additionally, the interview protocol addressed external influences on decision making and the roles of the KCTCS Board of Regents and boards of directors in relation to this decision making.

Qualitative data were collected through interviews with presidents consenting to participate in this phase, as well as documents gathered by the researcher that were relevant to presidential decision making. Because participants could elect to participate in all, part, or none of the study, the sample used for conducting interviews was not identical to the sample of participants that completed the survey. The researcher made this design decision in order to maximize the total sample size for the study. Then, interviews were transcribed and coded by the researcher using pseudonyms to protect the anonymity of participants. Documents were collected during interview data collection and transcription, and were critically reviewed to assess their authenticity and accuracy. The
process of interview analysis and document collection and analysis was an iterative process. As such, the researcher turned to documents to help answer questions and provide clarification for issues and examples provided in the interview data. In this way, qualitative transcription of interviews and documents converged such that documents helped develop and confirm coding and emerging themes. Following qualitative data analysis of interview transcripts and documents, quantitative data were reintroduced and both quantitative and qualitative data were mixed for the identification of emerging patterns and themes, explanatory interpretations, and the development of theory. Figure

1. 
   on the next page summarizes the points of data collection and analysis.
   

Transcribe and code documents

Transcribe and code interview

Conduct interviews and collect documents

Conduct preliminary quantitative data analysis

Administer modified survey




Analyze quantitative data







Analyze qualitative data





Mix quantitative and qualitative data





Interpret data by applying theory to arrive at



Figure 3.1. Data collection and analysis procedures used in the study.