Organizational Cultures of Libraries as a Strategic Resource

Michelle Lynn Kaarst‐Brown · Scott Nicholson · Gisela M. von Dran · Jeffrey M. Stanton

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Management and Organizational Practices Library Science and Information Organizational Management and Innovation

Abstract

Theorists have suggested that organizational culture is a strategic resource that has value in ensuring the continuing existence and success of organizations (Michalisin, Smith, & Kline, 1997; Barney, 1986, 1991; Hult, Ketchen, & Nichols, 2002; Gordon, 1985). This assertion is supported by various studies that have linked organizational culture to broad strategic outcomes such as an organization’s ability to manage knowledge (Davenport, Long, & Beers, 1998; Storck & Hill, 2000), innovation capability (Hauser, 1998), and strategic management of information technology (Kaarst-Brown & Robey, 1999; Reich & Benbasat, 2000; Schein, 1985). Based on this research, we suggest that there are characteristics of organizational cultures in information-based organizations that lead to increased collaboration, collegiality, and organizational effectiveness. The present article explores these characteristics and examines whether organizational culture can be leveraged as a strategic asset to attract staff, create favorable assessments by administrators and funders, and cast library institutions in a positive light for independent media and accreditation bodies. We believe that identification of those characteristics of organizational cultures that are uniquely relevant to the growth and success of libraries can provide current and future library leaders with guidance, models, and intellectual resources to enhance personal and organizational success. To begin, we provide an overview of the concept of organizational culture, before exploring in more detail the competing values framework (CVF) as a lens though which to view library cultures. We then apply the key characteristics of the CVF to four prototypical library settings, before presenting our conclusions.

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2014Construcción de un instrumento para medir el clima organizacional en función del modelo de los valores en competencia 2014Ipsative measurement and the analysis of organizational values: an alternative approach for data analysis 2004Organizational Development, Leadership, Change, and the Future of Libraries 2006“That’s the Way We Do Things Around Here”: An Overview of Organizational Culture 2019Organizational culture now and going forward

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