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strategic internal communication and collaboration, employee morale and satisfaction
increase and a feedback loop fostering two-way, open dialogue and collaboration is
perpetuated by employees, which further ingrains the value of a communicative
culture throughout the organization. In short, when properly applied, teamwork
and intentional collaboration can improve communication and, ultimately, the
organization itself (Nurmi, 1996). Conversely, Brown and Starkey (1994) found
that an organization’s current culture of communication, if biased or poor, can
negatively impact the future success of that organization if that environment of poor
communication persists. When examining the types of collaboration at multiple
levels, Lawson (2004) even went so far as to state that collaboration is “embedded in
how the profession, organization, or government organizes its work, accomplishes
its tasks, and meets its accountabilities” (p. 229), asserting that all organizations
have differing levels of collaboration. The broad range and usage of collaboration
demonstrates the importance of its use to strengthen both communication and the
organization itself because allowing a negative
culture of communication at any level to be
perpetuated will only lead to the demise of
organizational success. ...when properly applied,
Tibbetts and Hector-Mason (2015)
discussed a particularly effective way to teamwork and internal
yield high results when collaborating—in the collaboration can improve
form of a professional learning community
(PLC). However, they asserted that PLCs communication and, ultimately,
are not successful when done with lackluster
participation. Such communities need the organization itself.
enthusiastic participants, and they need to be
created in an open, trusting environment with the
freedom to make mistakes in order to produce
higher levels of efficacy and student growth (2015). Increasing communication
efficacy, particularly via intentional collaboration, can be beneficial to the individual
(both personally and professionally) as well as to the organization itself.

A Leader’s Dynamic Role in Impacting a Program’s Culture
A final prevalent theme throughout the literature was that a leader’s role in
impacting a program’s culture is not only important but is also paramount to making
lasting, cultural change. Green (2009) described a leader’s role in impacting change
to be one of a “designer, teacher, and steward” and asserted that a leader utilizes
these characteristics “to ensure that individuals in the organization understand
current reality, recognize creative tension, and seek the vision that members of the
organization hold” (p. 60). A leader should not be static by any means but should lead
as a transformative agent, constantly seeking new ways to lead, connect, and learn.
More specifically and in relation to communication and collaboration, Muhammad
(2018) asserted that leaders should also be highly skilled in the arts of cooperation,
mediation, inspiration, and patience. Bass and Avolio (1994) spoke to the idea of
a dynamic, transformational leader as they also asserted that “superiors serve as
mentors, coaches, role models and leaders, socializing members into the culture” (p.
118). Furthermore, these skills and attributes must not lay dormant but be actively
practiced both vertically and horizontally. It is all too common that organizations

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