State Administrators' Perspectives on Environmental Factors Facing Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension is a complex organization with a mission to deliver research from the Land-Grant University to all U.S. communities. This qualitative Grounded Theory study investigated State Extension administrators' perspectives on the environmental factor changes facing the organization and their responses to inform the direction for organization adaptation. Data were collected from seven State Extension Directors and 13 State 4-H Program Leaders from four 1862 Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities administrative regions. The participation of both State Extension Directors and 4-H Program Leaders was to provide two vantage points on the phenomena. Data were analyzed through open coding and axial coding. Findings reveal that Cooperative Extension can remain relevant and meet the needs of individuals and communities, if the organization can adapt in response to the identified environmental factors. Categories of environmental factors that Cooperative Extension is facing include changes in funding, clientele demographics, and community power changes. Organizational adaptation can cause long-term stakeholders to fear loss and act against the organization. This article establishes theory of pushback to Cooperative Extension adaptation called shifting focus friction (SFF). Administrators must be responsive to traditional stakeholder concerns and build a shared understanding of the mission to reduce SFF and facilitate the organization adaptation necessary for survival. [Note: The issue number (1) shown in the header of the PDF is incorrect. The correct issue number is 2.]