The importance of'goodness of fit' between organizational culture and climate in the management of change: a case study in the development of online learning

The National Education Association in the USA in a recently released report entitled 'Quality on the line' (National Education Association, 2000) identified twenty-four quality measures as being essential to ensuring excellence in Internet-based learning. While establishing best practice benchmarks for the provision of quality online distance education, the report does not fully address important policy issues in relation to the role of technology in the selection of appropriate teaching and learning strategies. Furthermore, it does not address the important question of the management of organizational change in today's higher education environment. This paper explores the nexus between organizational culture and organizational climate in the management of change process by presenting a case study of an Australian regional university currently undertaking the development of online courses