Challenges of adapting to organizational culture: Internationalization through inclusive leadership and mutuality

Abstract

Many universities in Japan have expanded their international faculty as part of their internationalization efforts. However, little is known about how the reform-driven expansion has influenced organizational culture and leadership practices. The present narrative case study aims to offer insights into international faculty members' personal accounts of their adaptation challenges and proposes ways to enhance their integration. Narrative interviews were held with eight international English teachers from a non-English department of a Japanese university. The interview questions were informed by Burke and Litwin’s (1992) Casual Model of Organizational Performance and Change (see Fig. 1). Creswell and Creswell's (2013) six-step method was used for the qualitative data analysis. The findings suggested the hierarchical organizational culture remained uninfluenced despite the faculty expansion. This was attributed to uncertainty avoidance to maintain harmony and ensure a smooth operation. Therefore, leadership practices were also focused on standardization of teaching and course design through micromanagement practices. The participant accounts indicated that exclusive leadership along with the existing hierarchy resulted in isolation. However, the feeling of isolation was perceived both positively and negatively. Finally, through the participants' self-reflection, lack of linguistic and intercultural competency appeared to be a hindrance to their integration. Thus, it may be necessary to focus on inclusive leadership and intercultural competence building to accomplish mutuality for the successful integration of international faculty members and create new avenues for the leadership to harness diversity.