Academic staff perceptions and the identification of critical success factors in a merger of two academic institutions
Date
2010-12
Authors
Stephen, David Ferguson
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this investigation is two-fold: to ascertain the perceptions and
reactions of academic staff to a merger, and its impact on them; and secondly, to
identify factors which are critical to merger success.
Although the two institutions had agreed on some form of closer relationship, the
process was accelerated by a decision by the Department of Education to use
mergers as a means of initiating change in South Africa’s post-school education
system.
Despite many superficial similarities, the two institutions were dissimilar. Only
operational and financial factors were considered. The human factors were
ignored. This was critical as the two institutions were totally different with
regards to organisational culture and academic standards. The resulting clash in
these areas proved to be a major stumbling block to the success of the merger.
Technikon A, regarded as the institution of choice, had been subjected to a
variety of rapid environmental changes in the few years immediately prior to the
merger. These changes had sapped staff morale. In addition, significant
financial mismanagement had almost crippled the institution.
While the staff of neither institution was in favour of the merger, and both staff
associations approached the Department of Education to stop it, the merger went
ahead. However, the staff association of Technikon B publicly and vociferously
opposed the merger, based on their fears that Technikon A’s incompetent
management and weak financial position would impact negatively on them.
Instead of integrating “best practice” systems, the weak Technikon A
management allowed Technikon B to “make the running” and introduce only their
systems into the merger. In effect, this turned the merger into a hostile take-over
and allowed for the total deculturation of Technikon A. The perceptions of a sample of Technikon A academic staff were canvassed,
both pre- and post-merger. The pre-merger predictions were accurate and there
was almost unanimous consent as to the outcomes of the post-merger
environment.
Comparisons were made with other academic mergers in South Africa and
overseas – notably Australia – and parallels drawn with the merger in question.
In all cases, the perceptions of staff were very similar.
From the literature, a list of critical merger success factors was compiled, against
which the present merger was compared. Given that this merger failed to
successfully address almost all of the success criteria, the merger must,
therefore, be regarded as a complete failure.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is tweeledig. Dit behels die bepaling van reaksies en persepsies van akademiese personeel wie ten nouste deur ‘n samesmelting geraak is, asook ‘n studie van die kritiese prosessuele aspekte wat ‘n rol speel en in ag geneem behoort te word ten einde so ‘n instelling suksesvol te laat verloop. Die instellings waarna verwys word, word in hierdie studie aangedui as synde Technikon A en Technikon B. Alhoewel die twee instellings waarna verwys word in hierdie studie aanvanklik ‘n samewerking ooreenkoms wou sluit, is hulle gedwing deur die Departement van Hoër Onderwys om ‘n formele samesmelting te onderneem ter bespoediging van die regering se gestelde transformasie beleid in hoër onderwys. Ten spyte van oppervlakkige ooreenkomste het die twee inrigtings oor baie andersoortige unieke eienskappe beskik. Dit wil voorkom asof operasionele en finansiële faktore hoofsaaklik die hoofoorwegings by die samesmelting was en dat menslike faktore buite rekening gelaat is. Dit wil blyk ‘n kritiese fout te gewees het, omdat die twee instellings verskil het ten opsigte van hul organisasie-kultuur en akademiese standaarde. Technikon A is alreeds voor die formele samesmelting aan struktuur veranderinge onderwerp en was ook geraak deur wanbestuur wat ‘n baie nadelige impak op die moraal van die personeel gelaat het. Die personeel verenigings van beide inrigtings was gekant teen die samesmelting en veral die personeel van Technikon B het hewig beswaar daarteen gemaak. Hierdie teenstand is skynbaar geignoreer en daar is voortgegaan met die proses. Technikon A het ‘n totale dekulturasie proses moes ondergaan en moes aanlyn kom met die bestuur en styl van Technikon B wie se standaarde hulle as minderwaardig beskou het. Ten einde die proses te bestudeer is daar in hierdie navorsing gebruik gemaak van die metode van deelnemende-navorsing tegnieke (“participant observation techniques”). Onderhoude is gevoer met studente en personeel voor en na die proses; dokumente en verslae, asook media berigte is bestudeer en word aangehaal as bewyse. Vergelykings word getref met soortgelyke samesmeltings in Australië wat baie ooreenkomste toon met die in Suid Afrika. Die praktiese studie tesame met die literatuuroorsig dui onomwonde aan dat die samesmelting wat in hiedie studie in oënskou geneem is. gemeet aan die hand van krities belangrike prosessuele faktore, as ‘n mislukking beskou moet word.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is tweeledig. Dit behels die bepaling van reaksies en persepsies van akademiese personeel wie ten nouste deur ‘n samesmelting geraak is, asook ‘n studie van die kritiese prosessuele aspekte wat ‘n rol speel en in ag geneem behoort te word ten einde so ‘n instelling suksesvol te laat verloop. Die instellings waarna verwys word, word in hierdie studie aangedui as synde Technikon A en Technikon B. Alhoewel die twee instellings waarna verwys word in hierdie studie aanvanklik ‘n samewerking ooreenkoms wou sluit, is hulle gedwing deur die Departement van Hoër Onderwys om ‘n formele samesmelting te onderneem ter bespoediging van die regering se gestelde transformasie beleid in hoër onderwys. Ten spyte van oppervlakkige ooreenkomste het die twee inrigtings oor baie andersoortige unieke eienskappe beskik. Dit wil voorkom asof operasionele en finansiële faktore hoofsaaklik die hoofoorwegings by die samesmelting was en dat menslike faktore buite rekening gelaat is. Dit wil blyk ‘n kritiese fout te gewees het, omdat die twee instellings verskil het ten opsigte van hul organisasie-kultuur en akademiese standaarde. Technikon A is alreeds voor die formele samesmelting aan struktuur veranderinge onderwerp en was ook geraak deur wanbestuur wat ‘n baie nadelige impak op die moraal van die personeel gelaat het. Die personeel verenigings van beide inrigtings was gekant teen die samesmelting en veral die personeel van Technikon B het hewig beswaar daarteen gemaak. Hierdie teenstand is skynbaar geignoreer en daar is voortgegaan met die proses. Technikon A het ‘n totale dekulturasie proses moes ondergaan en moes aanlyn kom met die bestuur en styl van Technikon B wie se standaarde hulle as minderwaardig beskou het. Ten einde die proses te bestudeer is daar in hierdie navorsing gebruik gemaak van die metode van deelnemende-navorsing tegnieke (“participant observation techniques”). Onderhoude is gevoer met studente en personeel voor en na die proses; dokumente en verslae, asook media berigte is bestudeer en word aangehaal as bewyse. Vergelykings word getref met soortgelyke samesmeltings in Australië wat baie ooreenkomste toon met die in Suid Afrika. Die praktiese studie tesame met die literatuuroorsig dui onomwonde aan dat die samesmelting wat in hiedie studie in oënskou geneem is. gemeet aan die hand van krities belangrike prosessuele faktore, as ‘n mislukking beskou moet word.
Description
Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
Keywords
Dissertations -- Industrial psychology, Theses -- Industrial psychology, Academic institutions, Merger of -- South Africa, Academic institutions, Merger of -- South Africa -- Employees -- Attitudes