CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN THE LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT FOR ORGANIZATIONAL RENEWAL

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1        Background Information    

 The library can be likened to a living organism that grows and dies Ranganathan  (1931) outlined the five laws of library  science of which the fifth stated that, “the  library is a growing organism.” This law  focuses on the need for internal change. He  argued that libraries must accommodate  growth in staff, physical collection and  patron use. This involves growth in the  physical building, reading areas and services  among others which calls for change as the  library grows. Change is an inevitable  concept in human and organizational life  which cannot be overemphasized due to  man’s insatiable nature as well as the  dynamics of the social world. The dynamics  of the social world such as the characteristics  of products and services which come to bear  on its ability to satisfy stated or implied user  needs through improvements in technology,  services and patrons demands create  opportunities for change. Change is  commonplace in organizations and the  library cannot be exempted.  Change management is any action or  process taken to smoothly transition an  individual or group from the current state to  a future desired state of being (Varkey &  Antonio, 2010). The concept of change  management in libraries cannot be  overemphasized as the monumental libraries  of the past where materials were chained to  tables have given way to the open access  libraries of our time. In striving for  competitive edge in the global marketplace,  libraries may change strategy and processes,

undergo mergers and acquisitions,  restructure or downsize, or implement new  technologies all of which bring about  changes in organizations (Bordia, Lloyd,  Restubog, Jimmieson, and Bernd, 2011).  Laudon and Laudon (2005) posit that the  introduction or alteration of an information  system has a powerful behaviourial and  organizational impact as it transforms how  individuals and groups perform and interact. Organizational change may be seen  differently by each organizational member.    For some people, change in their  organization might present the prospect of  facing new challenges, of gaining promotion  and of furthering their career. For others, it  might present a reduction in responsibility, a  loss of status or even an enforced career  break. Whatever the perception of  organizational change, it means entering new  territories and “playing the game by new  rules’’ (Gillian, 2000).  Bordia et. al, (2004) indicate that these  changes have profound implications for  employees as they have to cope with  uncertainty and stress associated with the  changing work context and increased work  demands. According to Kotter (1995)  employees are very vital for the successful  implementation of any change program as  they may resist the change initiative.  Resistance to change has long been  recognized as a critical factor that can  influence the success or otherwise of an organizational change effort. A study by

Maurer (1996) indicated that one-half to  two-thirds of all major corporate change  efforts fail and resistance is the “littlerecognized but critical contributor” to this  failure. Zaltman and Duncan (1977) define  resistance as any conduct that serves to  maintain the status quo in the face of  pressure to alter the status quo. Schein  (1988) indicates that resistance to change is  an ever-present organizational phenomenon which must be overcome for the smooth  implementation of change.                                   

1.2        Problem Statement  

 The dynamic and turbulent nature of the  environment in which libraries operate,  coupled with the changing demands of  patrons creates an atmosphere of continuous  change in libraries. This change must be  effectively managed in order to derive its full  benefits. Varkey (2010) indicates that the   inevitability of change premises that as soon  as one becomes familiar with something, it is  already time to enhance it. Technological  advancements as well as social and financial  imperatives have dramatically accelerated  the speed of change in information provision  and for that matter services provided in the  libraries. Change management is a systematic approach to dealing with the transition or transformation of an organization's goals, processes or technologies. The purpose of change management is to implement strategies for effecting change, controlling change and helping people to adapt to change. However this is not so in many organizations. All these and more will be discussed in the study.

1.3        Research Objectives  

The primary objective of the study is as follows

i.         To  examine the types of change management   initiatives embarked on in library in other for the renewal of an organization

ii.       To    examine the challenges facing  library staff with respect to changes in an organization

iii.    To find out if the library environment promote the renewal of an organization

iv.    To find out how to improve library environment in other for the aiding of organizational renewal.                              

1.4       Hypothesis   

The following hypothesis have been formulated for the study

H01:  library environment cannot be improved  in other for the aiding of organizational renewal.

H02:   library environment does not  promote the renewal of an organization                                                              

1.5        Significance of the Study  

The significance of this study cannot be underestimated as:

l  This study will examine change management in the library environment for organizational renewal

l  The findings of this research work will undoubtedly provide the much needed information to government organizations, public and private libraries, companies and academia.

1.6        Scope of the Study     

This study will examine change management in the library environment for organizational renewal. Hence will be delimited to Abisagbo legal services, Akure south local government Ondo state.

1.7     Limitations of the study

This study was constrained by a number of factors which are as follows:

 just like any other research, ranging from unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, inability to get data

Financial constraint , was faced by  the researcher ,in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires

Time factor: time factor pose another constraint since having to shuttle between writing of the research and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the researcher

 1.8    Operational definition of terms

Change management:  a systematic approach to dealing with the transition or transformation of an organization's goals, processes or technologies

Library :  a collection of materials, books or media that are easily accessible for use 

Organization:  an organized group of people with a particular purpose, such as a business or government department.