Loose coupling, conflict, and resistance: the case of IPR policy conflict in an Israeli university

This paper investigates a conflict that erupted during the years 2003–2005 between faculty and management at an Israeli research university, over the introduction of new intellectual property rights (IPR) regulations. The introduction of new IPR regulations triggered contention and resistance among faculty members and raised debates over questions of academic freedom, labor relations, and the mission of the university, as well as struggles over financial remunerations and overhead expenses. We draw on the analytical perspectives of loose coupling and framing within new institutional theory to explore the processes and outcomes of organizational conflicts within universities and the background and implications of changes in IPR regulations. Our study identifies a repertoire of coupling processes and framing strategies in the context of organizational conflict within a university, and discusses the specific significance of loose coupling in academic settings.