Under construction: Identity and isomorphism in the merger of a library and information science school and an education school

Utilizing organizational theory in understanding the progress of the constr uction of a new departmental identity in a former library and information s cience school that was merged with an education school is the focus of this qualitative study. There are conflicting literatures regarding how and to what extent organizations change when they are under pressure, the extent t o which organizational identity is consciously constructed, and whether tha t identity is contextual or consistent. This study finds that, in this situ ation, members of the former library and information science school faced p ressure both to become more like education and to stay closely connected to their disciplinary field. The new departmental identity they constructed r esonated with the salient issues of the audience they were addressing; the identity was contextual. Yet because they always presented the same identit y to a specific group, their identity was also consistent. These results ar e significant to scholars studying organizational theory and identity, espe cially institutional theorists and scholars studying isomorphism, as well a s to scholars studying library and information science schools.