A merger of higher education institutions : reflections and experiences of academic staff from Tshwane University of Technology.

Abstract

i ABSTRACT The last few years saw the restructuring of the higher education landscape which took the form of mergers and acquisitions. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of and lessons learnt by staff belonging to a University of Technology which resulted from a merger of three Technikons. Twelve senior academic staff members were interviewed and provided invaluable input to the study. One of the main findings of the research was that the three merging partners and the newly formed institution treated technical issues around the merger with priority, at the expense of staffing or people issues. The research also established the vital importance of strong, visionary leadership on the part of management during mergers.