Abstract
M.Ed.
The establishment and management of organisational culture can be seen as one of the most important management tasks in general, but also in technical colleges in particular. It is essential that the rector and his management team take note of the existence of college culture and manage it effectively.
The purpose of this study is firstly to examine the nature and essence of college culture. The following conclusions were made from a literature study:
• The rector plays an important roll in the establishment and maintenance of the college culture.
• Due to the fixed structure and multi-ethnic composition of the college, subcultures exist.
• The culture of a college can change, but it is a tiresome, timely and very expensive process.
• In some cases it is not necessary to change the culture totally and a moderate adjustment is sufficient.
The second purpose of the study is to examine how multiculturalism influences the culture of the college.
Here the following findings are of importance:
• The culture of the white staff is dominant at most technical colleges.
• The different ethnical groups form subcultures which should be accommodated in one or another way.
The empirical section as described in chapter four, is designed to determine the staff's experience of the college culture, as well as the rector's involvement in college culture. It consisted of a questionnaire which was completed by 363 lecturers and management staff members. A scientific analysis of the research results provided useful information from which certain conclusions and recommendations were made.
Lastly, guidelines were designed which could be used to develop a strong organisational culture at technical colleges. With sufficient knowledge of the above the rector and management could use college culture as a convenient management instrument.