Feelings over facts – a university merger brings organisational identity to the forefront

Abstract

This article presents a qualitative case study based on an analysis of the outcomes and meanings attributed by university academics to an institutional merger, from the perspective of organisational identity. The change process may have broadened the ‘us and them’ gap that exists between those responsible for university leadership and the university’s academic staff. The integration process between campuses of the university in question is not yet complete, but scholars seem to want to consolidate and build a joint identity at the university which at the moment seems relatively superficial. The empirical material reported in this article shows how slow and difficult it is to introduce major changes at the practical level, and that psychological realities at the departmental and organisational levels tend to be different.

Keywords:

• Finland
• mergers
• organisational change
• organisational identity
• University of Eastern Finland