Predicting the integration effects of university mergers based on simulation modelling

The article identifies possible consequences and integration effects of university mergers based on the simulation modeling the process of university entrants' choice of educational institution. The preferences and priorities of applicants' choice are based on the survey of schoolchildren of grades 10-11 in all municipalities of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Based on the retrospective data of universities for 2017-2020, the authors conducted component and cluster analysis, the results of which formed the basis for estimating the ranking of universities and forecasting the ranking of the universities to be merged. Based on the simulation model calibrated on the regional data, computational experiments and scenarios of impact on the behaviour of university entrants were conducted in order to regulate their behaviour, in particular the possible reduction of educational migration in the region.

Serving Higher Purposes: University Mergers in Post-Apartheid South Africa

"Universities of the 21st century and beyond must be about teaching, learning, research excellence, creativity and innovation as much as they must be about enabling the destiny of students, communities and nations to realize their potential. UJ succeeded in her vision and responsibilities to transform the divisions, prejudices and limitations that often restrain the advancement of society. The story of UJ’s transition to an inclusive, diverse, dynamic, bold and purposeful institution of learning demands to be read by everyone, South African, African and beyond. It is a story of how to be an object rather than the subject of history, while dynamically shaping our shared futures, laying a solid foundation for future generations to be advocates and architects for social change and cohesion. It is a story of courageous and visionary leadership. The book offers our nation profound lessons in leadership that should enrich all our efforts to transform institutions in a sustainable way, to play a meaningful role in building ONE NATION. - DR WENDY LUHABE, Economic Activist, Social Entrepreneur, First Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg "

Status, stress and fit: comparing the faculty stress impact of university consolidations

PurposeInstitutions of higher education face challenges of fiscal responsibility and their value proposition for students and other stakeholders they serve. Strategies used in business sectors, such as merger and acquisition, are being increasingly adopted by higher education governing boards, especially for public institutions and systems. The purpose of this paper is to guide policy decisions related to university mergers.Design/methodology/approachThis paper focuses on the interplay between the pre-merger status of the institution, the individual faculty member's sense of belonging, and their commitment to the organization on levels of job-related stress, which has well-established negative impacts on individual and organizational performance. Using survey data collected at the same time post-merger from two different universities within the same state system, we explore regression models to identify similarities and differences between the faculty responses in terms of the impact of the merger on faculty stress.FindingsDifferences are found between the two universities in terms of faculty stress with faculty of one low status institution pre-merger having significantly higher stress post-merger. A case is presented for differences in stress based on a part on differences in how the mergers were managed at the system and university levels.Practical implicationsThis research is instructive for higher education policy makers and university administrators as the institution of higher education continues this type of transformation.Originality/valueThis paper examines the impact of mergers on a university's single-most important asset, faculty. Comparative and timely faculty survey results from two related universities early post-merger provide valuable insights for leaders in higher education.

University Mergers

The purpose of this chapter is to examine university mergers, their motives, problems, and challenges that emerge during process implementation, as well as their effects. Research results show that rarely there is one motive for merging institutions of higher education, but there are, most often, multiple motives. Furthermore, results of the analysis indicate that the efficiency of university mergers is different and that more successful mergers among institutions of different sizes, as well as among complementary institutions. Additionally, research results demonstrate that the most important challenge related to the implementation of university mergers refers to the conservatism of traditional academic cultures and the existence of strong employee resistance toward change. Finally, results of this study show that the key factors of the success of university mergers are successful management of human resources, leadership quality, communication on important aspects of changes, achieving cultural compliance of integrated institutions.

Mergers in higher education institutions: a proposal of a novel conceptual model

PurposeThe macroeconomic changes as well as the challenges facing universities nowadays result in the transfer and adaptation of various concepts and organizational methods from enterprises to universities. One of such solutions is mergers. Even though there are a very large number of practical examples of university mergers in the world, at the same time there is a shortage of frameworks that would help manage mergers. The purpose of this paper is to present key areas of focus in HEIs’ consolidation processes and the creation of the conceptual model of the universities’ mergers.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper synthesis, the inductive approach for model development and case study description were used. The analysis and findings were based on the systematic literature review taken out from management and public policy areas. The new public management and public value governance approaches as well as strategic and process theories of mergers were applied. The descriptive approach to management was used as well.FindingsFormulation of a Conceptual Model of Universities’ Mergers and ten principles of effective management of universities’ mergers that cover the entire process, from planning, through implementation, to integration.Research limitations/implicationsThere is a need to verify the proposed inductive model of universities’ mergers through further qualitative and mixed-methods research studies.Practical implicationsThe paper offers a significant opportunity for practical application of the presented content, because it indicates how the know-how from one (business) sector can be valuable for the future of another sector (the over-fragmented sector of higher education).Originality/valueThis study presents the key areas of focus in HEIs’ consolidation processes and proposes a novel Conceptual Model of Universities’ Mergers. It concludes with the principles of effective management of universities’ mergers.

Price Effects of Nonprofit College and University Mergers

Nonprofit colleges and universities have merged across the United States citing economies of scale and scope. Yet whether these mergers raise prices has not been empirically assessed. Using a retrospective merger evaluation approach, I estimate that the average merger between 2000 and 2015 increased tuition and fees by 5% to 7% relative to nonmerging institutions in the same state and sector (public or nonprofit). Effects on net prices are estimated imprecisely, but the results are suggestive that nonprofit colleges use mergers to increase price discrimination.

University Mergers in Lithuania: A Media Discourse Analysis

University mergers could be perceived as a political process – at least during the first stages of the process, which contain discussions about common visions, goals, and measures. Therefore, a university merger could be analyzed using the methods of political discourse analysis, which allows to understand how public discourses about merging universities have been constructed, legitimized, and institutionalized.It is important to understand the process of university mergers as a political phenomenon that is constructed by stakeholders using public discourses. Public discourses, reflected in the media, form the society’s opinion about a university merger and have influence on policy decisions and the implementation process of these decisions. In this context, the purpose of this article is to analyze the written content related to university merger issues published in online media during the course of three years (2016–2018). Quantitative content analysis was made using software Hamlet II 3.0. Some trends of public discourse related to university mergers have been detected. It is noticed that a university merger is primarily related to the improvement of higher education quality and the needs of business and the state in public discourse. However, the declared political goal of seeking competitiveness and quality of research is not developed and reflected in the media. This shows a certain fragmentation of ideas in the process of merging universities, because the society, the academic community, and the government agree (as reflected in the documents (2017)) that only a unity of research and studies could assure the highest quality university education and international recognition.Also, differences between business and university mergers have been noticed. More rational arguments are used to justify business mergers than social and cultural ones (Vaara, Tienari 2002) when compared to university mergers. Stakeholders usually use a combination of social and rational arguments in public discourse to justify university mergers.