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RESEARCH PRODUCT

The Anatomy of a Merger Process in the Greater Oslo Region

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This chapter provides an analysis of the merger of the two Norwegian university colleges of Oslo and Akershus, which led to the establishment of the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences in 2011. It is designed as a contribution to the understanding of mergers – as we are learning from experience. The data collected is based on document analysis and semi-structured interviews (conducted during the spring of 2014) with key internal and external people involved with the merger process. Three aspects are analysed in detail: (a) the background to and motivation behind the merger; (b) the relationship between actors belonging to the two organisations; and (c) communication processes and the role played by the central leadership structures. Conceptually, the chapter makes a distinction between conceiving of organisations as either instruments or institutions, and discusses three main perspectives associated with these ideas. We conclude by outlining the key lessons learnt, and pinpointing possible implications for future research inquiries.