The changing higher education
landscape: Establishing a new
identity during an institutional
incorporation
Eduard Fourie
Department of Psychology
Unisa
‘Unisa and TSA are the two elephants, they
are making the love. . . and VUDEC is the
lawn on which they are making the love’
Human Resource implications
‘People our greatest resource’ seldom
appears to inform merger practices
Little attention:
- reaction of employees
- stress employees experience
Six theoretical approaches
anxiety theory, social identity theory,
acculturation theory, role conflict
theory, job characteristics theory,
and organisational justice theory
(Seo and Hill 2005)
Social identity theory
Social groups form significant part of self-concept
Individual to a greater or lesser extent think, act and
have feelings consistent with group
Institutional identity – particular form of social identity
Associates with membership of a specific institution or
unit
Strong identification with the institution generally
desirable for the well-being of the institution and its
members
a strong workgroup identification in the pre-merger
phase may lead to negative feelings about the merger
Mergers alter employees’ identification
Those from the incorporated institution – may go
through a state of cultural shock (Stahl and
Sitkin 2001)
Dysfunctional culture classes may lead to us and
them dynamics
(Giessner et al. 2006)
Longitudinal study into well-being of
employees
2004 - 2008
Unstructured interviews with 24 participants
Ages of participants between 35 and 60 years
Years of appointment varied from 1 to 18 years
Theoretical sampling – participants from
governance (1), academic (12), administrative
(7) departments, and HR consultants (4)
Individual & focus group interviews
Participation on voluntary basis
Thematic analysis
Inductive approach in identifying themes (Patton
1990)
Aim of analysis to proceed with coding of data
without trying to fit it into pre-existing coding
frames (Braun and Clarke 2006)
Or into my own analytical preconceptions
Acknowledge my own interest and experience
provided ‘fore-having’, fore-sight’ and foreconception’ (Heidegger 1962)
Coded extracts of data – meaningful groups –
potential themes - thematic maps – thematic
network (Attride-Stirling 2001)
Themes
-
-
Various themes came to the
fore and were more evident
during different stages of the
four year incorporation process
Two global themes:
institutional culture
identification with the new
institution
Divided into three levels
Individual
Group
Institutional
VUDEC: Family affair
Unisa: Us & Them
Legacies, traditions
& patterns
Institutional
culture
Communication
Management
Negotiations
Establishing
new position
Support
Identification
with the new
institution
Impact on self
Unfinished business
Current status
Maintaining new
positions
Future prospects
A thematic map of general, basic, and global themes
Institutional culture: Us & Them
Difficult to leave the old and familiar behind
Personal experiences varied drastically
Phasing out of VUDEC’s programmes
Negotiating new positions
Valued new opportunities
Old loyalties remain
Incorporator institution more powerful
Difficult to become part of established work-groups
Constant comparison of the old with the new
Stormy history of VUDEC & transformation in the general higher
education landscape
Speedy transformation on managerial level
Concerns about transformation on middle management and
departmental levels
All role players are effected
Identification with the new institution
Establishing and maintaining positions
Facilitated or hampered by various factors
Academics in better positions
Administrative employees intense uncertainty
Uncertain times, inadequate guidance and communication – not
new to VUDEC employees
Getting use to new ways of functioning and new structures
the whole process was far more smooth than one would have
expected
I’m still testing the waters
Vista is still with us
Acknowledgement that employees of Unisa & TSA are also
influenced
Time will tell whether the new Unisa will continue to be a major role
player in HE in RSA
Concluding remarks
Us & them
Racial and power relations
Sense of continuity
Communication
Accepting the changes
HE landscape & national landscape not
stagnant
Only time will tell whether the divorce from
the old and the re-partnering of the three
institutions will lead to a successful blended family
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Thank you
Eduard Fourie
fourime@unisa.ac.za