Organisational identity continuity versus uncertainty: a social identity analysis of merger at a university in Oman

Organisational mergers have profound implications for the organisations involved. Mergers entail identity transformation that the merging bodies must undergo to establish a common post-merger identity. A merger, viewed through the lens of social identity, involves reshaping group prototypes. The extent of this change influences how the merger impacts the organisation as a social entity. Such a reconfiguration could trigger negative effects that result from the salience of the pre-merger identities. These negative effects could be mitigated through maintaining a level of identity continuity that eases the establishment of a post-merger identity. This paper presents a case study of a university merger in Oman to explore the perceived reality of identity continuity as experienced by the participants at an early stage of a merger. The findings suggest that while the merger is seen as an opportunity for promoting the status of the university, staff responses indicate resistance, uncertainty and identity loss. Such effects seem to be more acute with one party that generally perceives the change as an erosion of its pre-merger identity. The study is a significant contribution to the literature of merger in higher education as it presents evidence that crafting a standard-based post-merger identity has the potential to reinforce the sense of identity continuity which in turn boosts organisational identification.