Sensemaking and job crafting for the inclusion of refugees in Universities through the EQPR

Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) are increasingly called upon to demonstrate their impact on society in terms of inclusiveness and social sustainability as a priority in pursuing the "Third Mission" (TM). However, little has been studied on how administrative and teaching staff implement such change within the organization to achieve Third Mission goals. This study explores policies and practices supporting the recognition of refugee qualifications for access to higher education in Italy, particularly the European Qualification Passport for Refugees (EQPR), as a tool to pursue the university's Third Mission. Adopting a theoretical approach based on sense-making, the study demonstrates that the individual role of staff in facilitating organizational change depends on an “emergent” approach to organizational change and on internal factors, such as individual perceptions and experiences. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting contradictory aspects of Heis's pursuit of the TM and sheds light on the interplay between different dimensions and grounded sense-making processes.