THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE DURING THE REORGANIZATION (THE CASE OF THE MERGER OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS)

Abstract

The optimization of the network of higher education institutions by merging several institutions is an integral part of the reform of Lithuanian higher education. In response to increasing national and international competition, higher education institutions create strategic partnerships, alliances, and sometimes participate in large-scale mergers.

The organizational culture of the merged higher educational institutions inevitably undergoes certain transformations. The effectiveness of the activities of reorganized institutions often falls, tensions arise between the attitudes and traditions established in those institutions, different systems of values and beliefs, i.e. between different organizational cultures. The reorganization process often becomes protracted: it is not enough to reorganize the organizational structure, develop a new strategy for the organization and set long-term goals and objectives. Previous studies have shown that even long after the merger has taken place, the integration of employees remains a difficult task.

Organizational cultures prevailing in merging organizations can due to the similarity or difference of values, beliefs and principles that prevailed in these organizations, harmoniously merge or experience a clash that may affect the effectiveness of the activities of organizations, which depends on the successful integration of people. The question, which is relevant to the reality of Lithuanian higher education, is how to purposefully influence the organizational culture of a higher education institution during the reorganization?

The research aims to assess the changes in the culture of a higher educational institution that occurred in the 10 years after the merger of two institutions. The research is carried out by treating the subcultures of the faculties as separate cultures in order to find out the values prevailing in the faculties and recognized by the academic community, which would allow to compare the values that unite and divide the faculties and prepare actions for the improvement of the culture of the higher education institution.

An analysis of theoretical literature was carried out, a quantitative research method – a written survey. When creating a research instrument, the methodology of the instrument of university cultural research by Jucevičienė, et al (2002) is followed, adapting it to the study of the culture of a particular higher education institution.

Taking into account the research results, it is recommended to: continue the actions of symbolic management, forming the external elements of organizational culture: ceremonies, rituals, symbols, stories, and etc.; continue the history of higher education, emphasizing the factors inherent in higher education; to promote a sense of employee membership through the transfer of norms and values and adherence to them; in order to cultivate a sense of pride in one's institution, to increase its notoriety externally; strengthen the participation of employees in integration processes. At the faculties, the organizational culture is seen as a moderately strong subculture of the main organizational culture. The general philosophy of the organization, the norms of its activities are recognized, although the value base of the faculties is not identical to the values of the culture of the main organization.

As a result of the organizational culture research of a higher educational institution, improvement actions were identified. It is proposed: to formulate a general concept of the culture of the organization; review the existing values of the organization and carry out their correction; to develop measures for the organizational culture improvement and to implement them.