Abstract
Purpose. This research study investigated the change beliefs that community college academic counselors, classified staff, department managers, and division administrators held about online academic advising technology. Methodology. Mixed-methods phenomenology research methods were used to investigate employee change beliefs about new technology within a real-world context of a single bounded case study. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were the primary data collection method used. A secondary quantitative component, the Organizational Change Recipients' Beliefs Scale questionnaire, was included to cross-verify the results of the qualitative data analysis. Findings. Nearly every employee, regardless of their classification group, agreed that change was necessary to meet the new state Student Success and Support Program funding requirements and to modernize the college's use of online technologies to provide academic advising services. Early and broad counselor involvement in the research, selection, and planning phases led to increased counselor user group buy-in and support. There was widespread praise for college and district leadership and the strategies leaders used to reduce user anxiety about learning new technologies. Areas where there were strong differences of opinion between academic counselors and the other three employee user groups were expectations about the impact on counselor work practices and the level of employee confidence in the college's ability to maintain the system over the long term. All four employee user groups shared the expectation that when students had access to online academic advising services they would become more involved, engaged, and/or responsible for their own educational success. Conclusions. Based on the research findings and themes post-secondary leaders may want to consider adopting some of the change process principles used at the community college studied. These principles include leaders who value employee feedback and expertise, early and broad user involvement, strategies to reduce user anxiety about new technology, consistent and open communication, and the use of collaborative problem solving strategies. Recommendations. It is recommended that this research study be replicated to document employee change beliefs beyond the early adoption of new information technology phase to find out if the change principles identified in this research study are sustainable.