6533b82afe1ef96bd128b6f9

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Designed for Regional Engagement? The Case of Telemark University College

subject

description

Established in 1994 through a forced merger between various multiple regional education providers, Telemark University College (HIT) is one of the largest and most decentralised university colleges in Norway. This chapter investigates to what extent the adopted decentralised, multi-campus model has (a) had an effect on organisational dynamics more generally and (b) more specifically how it enables or constrains HIT’s regional role. In so doing, we cast light on a critical tension resulting from the so-called ambiguity of structure inherent in universities as organisations. Our findings show that HIT’s campuses enjoy considerable degrees of autonomy, have overlapping tasks and seemingly conflicting goals, and are rather loosely coupled. We discuss the implications of these findings for HIT’s regional role and suggest avenues for future research.