Exploring Change and Innovation by ICT Teaching Staff in the New Zealand Polytechnic Sector

Papers presented at the 2003 conference of HERDSA (Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia) proposed guidelines for change and innovation in higher education. This paper empirically studied these guidelines in the ICT environment of an institution. We explored change and innovation outputs by ICT staff at ITPs (Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics), aspects of the environment in which ICT staff work and the leadership of that environment. It appears that the particular environment does not emphasize change and innovation that one would typically expect of the ICT environments. Staff perceptions indicate that change and innovation are not highly emphasized and visibly lead by management. We advise on ways that leadership could create this environment. Empirically study of the organization for change and innovation by ICT staff will require further development of instruments that considers the observations made in this project.