Comments on: “That’s how we do things around here”: Organizational culture (and change) in libraries

By: Change Management « JISC HIKE Project

Change Management « JISC HIKE Project — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:59:06 +0000

[...] culture (and change) in libraries’ In the Library with the Lead Pipe (August 22, 2012) <http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2012/thats-how-we-do-things-around-here/> [accessed 25th October [...]

By: Jason Martin

Jason Martin — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:44:01 +0000

Great question. A lack of focus, direction, and vision causes weak cultures, not the other way around. Of course an organization can have a weak culture for many reasons other than lack of vision, but I think this is a big cause.

By: Katherine Simpson

Katherine Simpson — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:34:15 +0000

The anthropology of the workplace is complex, and culture is only one part of it. I agree that it’s important and often overlooked, and that rituals can sustain and reinforce culture (good and bad), but I’d be wary of missing the forest for the trees. All kinds of things “mold and prescribe members’ actions”, such as economics, individual personalities, and the goals of the organization, both stated and unstated. I wonder – does a weak and unhealthy culture precede lack of organizational focus, or does the lack of organizational focus precede a weak culture?

By: Jason Martin

Jason Martin — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:25:50 +0000

I think things like funding cuts and layoffs are better suited to studies of organizational climate. And who wields the power and authority in an organization? Does a library director limit the cultural expression of those in the organization? Or does the culture limit what the director can and can not do?

By: Paul Lai

Paul Lai — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:28:58 +0000

I think discussions of organizational culture are important, but I also wonder if they don’t sometimes obscure some of the more fundamental issues of workplace politics and the basic conditions of labor (getting all marxist here). I come from a cultural studies background, and there are many camps in that field that try hard to explore the structures of power that enable or inhibit cultural expressions though many people on the outside see cultural studies work as merely frivolous attention to epiphenomena. Can we connect questions of organizational culture, rites and rituals, and institutional change back to some of these other issues—funding cuts, staff layoffs, micromanagement of employees, etc.?

By: Jason Martin

Jason Martin — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 11:36:50 +0000

Although I did not reference Kuh & Whitt in this post, I am very familiar with their work and cited them extensively in my dissertation. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.

By: StevenB

StevenB — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:55:57 +0000

Thought you’d definitely list George Kuh’s classic work in this area, The Invisible Tapestry. Kuh’s work is specific to higher education. Like your essay, he talks about the importance of understanding the culture of the institution, and as a leader, working within the culture to create change that is likely to be accepted and adopted. [Kuh gave examples of institutions where change that defied the culture failed] Shifting to a culture where staff are empowered to share their ideas and work for change would definitely set a tone for managing change. My next “Leading from the Library” column (due out on 8/23) will discuss leading organizational change. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/category/opinion/leading-from-the-library/