Abstract
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) merger is typical of the transformation in South African Higher Education. This merger does not conform to the “norm”, as it is ideologically motivated and thus the ideal base to study individual experiences of large scale change. Following a qualitative, grounded theory approach, 40 academic employees from UJ were interviewed. Findings indicate that academic staff relay their experiences and perceptions of the merger in three discernable time frames, each with its own dynamic. Collectively, these time-frames constitute the Reflective Experience of Mergers (REM) theory, which examines how merger experiences of academic staff shape their perceptions of and attitudes towards the merger over time. The REM- theory reiterates the temporal nature of change, its effect on the emotional and psychological wellbeing of individuals, and the role of leadership during a merger.
Highlights
Over the past two decades mergers have become a regular occurrence on managerial agendas as a strategic option (Papadakis, 2005; Panchal & Cartwright, 2001)
This work was aimed at exploring the merger experiences of academic staff during the University of Johannesburg (UJ) merger; attempting to develop a framework of how individuals experience large-scale change, such as a merger
These three time perspectives associated with the themes identified, represent different moments in the UJ merger, as experienced by academic staff of the University
Summary
Over the past two decades mergers have become a regular occurrence on managerial agendas as a strategic option (Papadakis, 2005; Panchal & Cartwright, 2001). The September 2000 Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development survey on the people implications of corporate combinations (CIPD, 2000), cites evidence to suggest that HR-related issues receive much attention during the merger planning and merger negotiation phase, but the importance of HR issues seems to dwindle during and after the merger process This is, in part, due to the fact that most companies fully explore the legal and financial aspects of the merger, but often fail to consider thoroughly how the new organisation will be operated and managed after the deal. This paper attempts to shed light on the new phenomenon of an ideologically motivated merger, and attempts to integrate the lessons learnt from the study of ideological mergers, with merger literature in general, and in so doing, deepen our understanding of the complexities of mergers in general; in terms of the experiences of those involved and affected by a merger
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