Technical Identity in a MergerProcess—Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Abstract

University mergers are sites of self-reflection where the identities of the institutions in question are juxtaposed and challenged. We examine the organisational identity of a Finnish single-faculty technical university in the context of a merger process with a comprehensive multi-disciplinary university and a university of applied sciences. Through interview data, we shed light on the self-conception of the technical university compared with the other higher education institutions. According to our analysis, the identity of the technical university is constructed and represented in relation to the aspects of society and entrepreneurialism, academic discipline and, particularly, the technical disciplines, engineering identity and organisational form and function. These aspects are compared with the aspects associated with the two other institutions involved in the merger. The self-representation of the technical university depends on whether it is compared with the research-oriented comprehensive university or with the practically oriented university of applied sciences. Although there are shared aspects of organisational identity, the identity of the technical university seems unique, and neither of the other institutions have a similar identity or offer the possibility of shared identity formation.

Exploring the outcomes of a university merger

“…The most recent merger occurred in 2019 and created Tampere University, a consolidation of the University of Tampere and Tampere University of Technology. The two universities had a history of collaboration, and the merger was seen as an opportunity to create a more comprehensive university with a broader range of academic offerings and research capabilities [6].…”

“…One of the main goals of the merger was to enhance research capabilities and increase funding opportunities [6]. The new university has a strong focus on multidisciplinary research, with a particular emphasis on sustainable development and digitalization.…”