Applying and assessing a contingency model for online learning policy implementation in higher education

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the policy implementation process, and to the development of tools that link theory with policy implementation practice. To this end, the study raised the hypothesis that a policy implementation problem arises because of a lack of fit between the context in which the policy takes place and the policy. The thesis further proposed that this gap and the policy instruments to mitigate the gap could be determined through the use of a contingency model developed and tested in this study.; This contingency model contends that policy implementation (in this case online learning policy) is affected by the degree of fit between two variables: the organizational structure and the policy. The closer the fit between the two variables the less likely that implementation problems will arise.; To test the hypothesis, the proposed contingency model was applied in the implementation of online learning policy in a case study involving five higher education institutions in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The findings from the case study supported the hypothesis and validated this contingency model by demonstrating a relationship between the organizational structure and the policy, and a relationship between policy implementation problems, and the gap between the context and the policy.; The findings from this study contribute to the body of policy implementation research that is exploring the link between policy and context, and between policy and practice. It contributes to policy implementation theory, through showing a correlation between the organizational structure and the policy, and policy implementation problems; and by providing a practical tool that decision makers can use to link policy implementation theory and practice. The study also contributes to the distance education literature by providing detailed insights into the online learning implementation process in the university-college sector. It demonstrates that online learning policy implementation is dependent on the institutional contexts, thereby supporting the hypothesis.; Keywords. policy implementation, contingency model, contingency theory, distance education, online learning, higher education, university college, organizational structure, policy ambiguity, organizational theory, organizational model, political process, case study.