Workplace Culture in Academic Libraries

The Early 21st Century

Kelly Blessinger, Paul Hrycaj

• Publisher: Chandos Publishing
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781843347026
• eBook ISBN: 9781780633688
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Library & Information Science
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Workplace culture refers to conditions that collectively influence the work atmosphere. These can include policies, norms, and unwritten standards for behavior. This book focuses on various aspects of workplace culture in academic libraries from the practitioners' viewpoint, as opposed to that of the theoretician. The book asks the following questions: What conditions contribute to an excellent academic library work environment? What helps to make a particular academic library a great place to work? Articles focus on actual programs while placing the discussion in a scholarly context. The book is structured into 14 chapters, covering various aspects of workplace culture in academic libraries, including: overview of workplace culture, assessment, recruitment, acclimation for new librarians, workforce diversity, physical environment, staff morale, interaction between departments, tenure track/academic culture, mentoring/coaching, generational differences, motivation/incentives, complaints/conflict management, and organizational transparency.- Includes the most current best practices and models in academic libraries- Represents the viewpoints of both the employee and manager- Focuses on the academic library as workplace rather than as a service provider

Part 1

Overview of workplace culture

1

Organizational culture and leadership: exploring perceptions and relationships

Pamela S. Bradigan and Lynda J. Hartel

Abstract:

Organizational culture plays a powerful role in the workplace. What issues are impacting the cultural dynamics of the workplace in today’s academic library? What are the cultural challenges of the workplace facing library leaders? The authors provide definitions of organizational culture, consider the importance of subcultures, review the literature from corporate and academic perspectives, and explore a leader- and employee-driven approach to fostering a high-performing culture. Principles of organizational culture, including values, perceptions, organizational history, and employee leadership and accountability, are discussed. The authors present recommended leadership practices from the perspective of academic librarians actively engaged in rethinking culture to improve performance and outcomes.

Key words

accountability

coaching

collaboration

leadership

Mood Elevator

organizational culture

organizational health

Edgar Schein

Senn Delaney

subcultures

Introduction

Resources on the topic of organizational culture are abundant. As of March 2012, WorldCat revealed more than 11 000 books under the subject heading “corporate culture.” It is hard to find a management resource published in the last 30 years that does not discuss organizational culture. Library management and leadership publications also point to culture as a critical factor in the effectiveness of libraries. As many scholars and business consultants have found, an analysis of organizational culture can be used as a first step toward organizational change and development. The powerful role of culture in the workplace is something all library managers are striving to understand, just as their corporate counterparts are doing. This chapter defines what organizational culture is and how it applies to academic libraries. The many components of organizational culture and the roles of all leaders in developing and influencing culture are also described.

Organizational culture defined

A precise definition of the term “organizational culture” is elusive. Organizational culture has been very broadly applied and studied, across a variety of disciplines, for many years. As Linn states, “while broad studies provide many perspectives on the topic, it also makes agreement on how to define the term difficult.”¹ Several key definitions stand out and are regularly referred to in the literature. One of today’s often-cited definitions of organizational culture, “the way we do things around here,” originated in a 1966 book by long-time business leader Marvin Bower. Bower recognized that successful leaders referred to their corporate philosophy, or culture, as unwritten guidelines on how people should perform and conduct themselves.² In the 1980s and 1990s, a number of prominent books on the topic of organizational culture were published and continue to be heavily referenced today.³ Deal and Kennedy assert that a healthy organizational culture contributes to corporate productivity and success. They were among the first to identify a set of elements that make up an organization’s culture: history, values and beliefs, rituals, stories, heroic figures, and informal network.⁴ Edgar Schein, often referred to as the “father of organizational culture” and routinely cited in current works, provides a framework that supports these earlier notions. At the same time, he argues that culture is the most difficult organizational attribute to explain or change. He suggests that culture goes beyond the espoused values and beliefs to include visible artifacts such as facilities, mission statements, and employee attire. He refers to culture as the deeply embedded, unconscious basic assumptions that are the essence of an organization.⁵ Joann Keyton supports Schein’s notions and adds that organizational culture is not any one artifact or value but rather a complex, dynamic system of multiple artifacts and values.⁶ Current academic scholars, corporate managers, and library leaders alike agree that, no matter how it is defined, organizational culture largely influences the way most employees consistently behave, the decisions they make, and the reaction when change is implemented.⁷ Management consultant Peter Drucker and Ford Motor Company President Mark Fields have both been quoted as saying, “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” In other words, no matter how good a workplace’s strategies are, culture can counteract such strategies.

While all college and university campuses have similar missions, each has its own vision, symbols, and history. Libraries are shaped and influenced by the broader campus culture. Successful academic libraries strive to incorporate and build upon institutional strategies through their services, collections, and collaborations. Library leaders and staff from all departments are encouraged to partner with faculty and staff from across the campus to share their expertise, contribute to changing curricula, expand outreach and engagement programs, and enhance information technology systems and solutions. These changing relationships and networking opportunities lead to possibilities for cultural change.

Unit subcultures

Organizational culture is often considered from the organization-wide perspective. Researchers have found that unique subcultures often exist in departments or units.⁸ However, researchers’ opinions differ as to whether these subcultures provide positive or negative impacts on the overall functioning of the organization. As Cameron and Quinn indicate, difficulties in coordinating and integrating processes or organizational activities are often a result of culture clashes among different subunits.⁹ Boisnier and Chatman, on the other hand, have found that subcultures can provide the flexibility and responsiveness during times of dynamic change that a unitary culture may limit.¹⁰ When contemplating organizational change, it is important for leaders to consider and acknowledge possible subcultural differences.

Subcultures often exist in academic libraries. Staff members may be working to meet the same strategic goals and objectives of the library while simultaneously working in unique subcultures. An assessment of academic library culture may reveal a mix of two or more dominant subcultures. These subcultures, with their own values, history, and perspectives, may have a mix of positive and negative qualities. ¹¹ Some departments, especially those with a small amount of employee turnover, develop deeply held beliefs and behavior norms over time. Members of these departments may see themselves differently and interact in very different ways from employees in blended departments or departments with more frequent staffing or supervisory changes.

In academic libraries, librarians may have faculty status. In these libraries, librarians must personally navigate their way through a complex promotion and tenure process in addition to working to meet organizational goals. As a result, this group can develop its own subculture. In the past, groups serving particular roles and responsibilities, such as information technology, public services, and technical services, developed their own cultural norms and behaviors. Given that many academic libraries now foster collaborative interactions and initiatives internally as well as externally, these traditional library units work more cooperatively and may experience cultural shifts.

Perceptions

Organizational culture has been referred to as the personality of the organization.¹² Just like mixed perceptions about personalities, people in the same organization can have different perceptions of the organizational culture. Employees from the Senn Delaney Leadership Consulting Group, an international firm focused on improving organizational culture and performance, suggest that life events, situations, and people look different to each individual due to selective perception.¹³ Some individuals have had profound, significant life experiences that continue to influence perceptions of current situations. These experiences may have left them fearful, lacking trust, and reluctant to reach out to others or take risks. On the other hand, previous ...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of figures and tables
• About the editors
• About the contributors
• Introduction
• Part 1: Overview of workplace culture
• Part 2: Assessment
• Part 3: Acclimation for new librarians
• Part 4: Workforce diversity
• Part 5: Physical environment
• Part 6: Staff morale/Interpersonal
• Part 7: Interaction between departments
• Part 8: Tenure track/Academic culture
• Part 9: Mentoring/Coaching
• Part 10: Generational differences
• Part 11: Motivation/Incentives
• Part 12: Conflict management
• Part 13: Transparent organization
• References
• Index