Management Strategies in the Study of Higher Education Mergers. A Literature Review

In the current international context, in which university mergers have gained high importance not only for higher education institutions, but also for state and governmental policy makers, the need for an analytical approach has become more important than ever. The goal of the present study is to review the existing literature on higher education mergers, analyzing their national system outcomes, the results and lessons from which other countries may benefit, as well as the research methods used to evaluate the success of failure of university mergers. With this study and the ones that follow, we want to build a knowledge base in order to serve other higher education merger initiatives, in a world where this phenomenon will become more and more a necessity. By analyzing the specialized literature on higher education mergers in Europe but also on other continents, with an extend on the first university mergers in Romania, this study represents a synthetic approach of the main theoretical aspects, objectives, process specifications and results analyzed and compared in previous theoretical studies. The paper focusses on international information, such as empirical research, national policies, laws and conceptual frameworks, to highlight most important themes and perspectives in this domain. Following and analyzing the existing research on the subject, this paper aims to contribute in developing a systematic understanding of the reasons, objectives and outcomes mergers in higher education have, considering also their limitations and potential benefits on the entire international higher education paradigm. The conclusions show the gaps in the existing literature and the need for further investigation and analysis, as well as the need of higher education initiatives to adapt to the context, benefiting from the proven results of other similar initiatives.