Purpose -Seeks to ontinue discussion of the critical role of people in organisational change. Design/methodology/approach -Focuses on the importance of achieving change readiness, ways in which this may be achieved and means to assess organisational readiness for change. Findings -Achieving and sustaining effective organisational change and renewal are an imperative. The people in organisations can be either the key to achieving effective change, or the biggest obstacles to success. Originality/value -Highlights how managers attempting to achieve organisational change will be well served by paying attention to the need to create readiness for change -this at both the individual employee and whole-of-organisation level -and the ways in which this may be achieved.
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the organisational change processes in an academic library in the context of change management theory.Design/methodology/approachThe process of achieving organisational change in La Trobe University Library, a medium‐sized Australian academic library is examined. The focus is the library's experience of effecting wide reaching changes in interconnected areas of organisational structure, client services delivery and the physical service environment and facilities. The drivers for undertaking change in service delivery are outlined and the changes that have been implemented are discussed. The practical experience of achieving change is examined using the framework of key change management theory and expert advice.FindingsLa Trobe University Library has been a leader in innovative service delivery and an early adopter of technologies to improve services; however it had not previously experienced significant organisational change. The library initiated a number of strategies to address resistance to the changes, achieving some success. Workshops for staff to better understand and cope with change were introduced. Extensive consultation and communication with staff was undertaken; finding the balance between perceived inadequate communication with staff and communication overload was a challenge. People are the key factor to success in any organisational change and the library's experiences confirmed the need to attend to the people element in any change process. Planning and leadership were core elements to achieving successful change.Originality/valueThe paper provides a useful comparison between management theory and expert advice on organisational change and the practical experience of a library.
PurposeThis paper's purpose is to examine the nature of resistance to organisational change – why and how it occurs and the importance of effective response.Design/methodology/approachThe paper argues that change resistance may in some circumstances be a hindrance and an obstacle to achieving effective organisational change.FindingsThe paper reveals that, if understood and dealt with effectively, change resistance may also form a constructive part of the process of organisational change management. The importance of a clear understanding of the reasons underlying change resistance and appropriate and effective responses is emphasised.Originality/valueThis paper provides useful information for those wishing to implement organisational change.
Purpose -Which comes first -quality or change? Managing change is inherent in organisational quality enhancement. Managing organisational change and managing organisational quality go hand-in-hand. This paper seeks to look into quality enhancement initiatives to achieve organisational fitness for purpose. Design/methodology/approach -This discussion focuses first on organisational quality -what quality means, why it is important and the means for achieving quality. The focus then shifts to effective management of organisational change including the nature of change and the high failure rate of change initiatives. Many models, approaches and prescriptions for understanding, and effectively managing, change are available. Two are discussed here: Kotter's eight-step model of change and Doppelt's seven-point "wheel of change". Commonalities and differences of the two approaches are examined and pointers to "green" and "red" lights for change managers are highlighted. A large-scale organisational reform program at La Trobe University (Australia) provides a case study of complex change in progress. Kotter and Doppelt's frameworks are used to reflect on aspects of that organisation's experience of working with change.Findings -The discussion concludes by returning to the theme expressed in the title of this paper -quality and change go hand-in-hand. Libraries and librarians operating in an environment of rapid and complex change should add to their managerial "toolkits" an understanding of the intersecting issues of organisational quality and organisational change, and a proactive approach to managing both. Originality/value -Managers and leaders seeking to make change and achieve organisational quality may be well served by keeping these basic green and red lights as markers and check points along the path to reaching change and/or quality objectives. This conference is interested in the challenges and future possibilities faced by academic libraries and librarians. Re-Imagining Libraries a joint project of the National and State Libraries of Australasia (www.nsla.org.au/projects/rls/) envisioned a future which will resonate with many of the themes of this conference, declaring that in collaboration they would: [. . .] become leaders in empowering people to create, discover, use and transform our collections, content and global information resources.The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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