Competing values: a mixed methods examination of libraryadministrators'perceptions and behaviors in competitive practices and performance measurement information in generating and reporting strategic value for their organization

Presented to the 9th Northumbria International Conference on Performance Measurement in Libraries and Information Services: Proving Value in Challenging Times

August 2011York, EnglandCompeting values: an examination of library administrators perceptions and behaviors in competitive and performance measurement information use in developing strategic responses and reporting strategic impacts and value for their organization

Presented by Larry Nash White, PhD

Points of contextLibraries tell great stories

Background of problem

Overarching Research Question:

How do head library administrators in North Carolina use competitive and performance information in generating their librarys strategic responses and reporting their strategic value?

Research QuestionCompetitive or not?Competitive info used?PM info used?

The government are extremely fond of amassing great quantities of statistics. They are raised to the nth degree, the cube roots are extracted, and the results are arranged into elaborate and impressive displays. What must be kept in mind, however, is that in every case, the figures are first put down by a village watchman, and he puts down anything he damn well pleases.

Josiah Stamp, English economist and banker (1880 1941)

Research Questions - Context

What competitive perceptions do head library administrators in North Carolina have about themselves, their fellow head library administrators, and their library?

What types of competitive / performance measurement information do head library administrators in North Carolina use to perform administrative functions in their library?

What types of competitive / performance measurement information / data do head library administrators in North Carolina use to address strategic value questions posed by stakeholders?

Research Sub-questions 1-3Michael Porter Thomas Davenport Does counting count?

How do head library administrators in North Carolina allocate resources to perform performance measurement?

How do libraries in North Carolina compete to recruit / retain strategically important staff and administrators?

Research Sub-questions 4-5

The research design is a three stage, mixed methods research design involving:

Stage 1: surveys of academic and public library administrators perceptions and practices in using competitive and performance measurement information to generate strategic value (addressing sub-questions 1 - 5); Stage 2: interviews with key informants (addressing sub-questions 1-4); and

Stage 3: case studies (addressing sub-questions 1 3, 5).

MethodologyResponse rate: 39 % (73/194)15% use Escape question!Al Capone method used

The study population included all of the Head Library Administrators (HLA) of North Carolina:

77 public libraries58 community college libraries59 academic library (private and public funded)194 respondents.

Response Rate by Library type: (37.7% PL, 39.3% AL)

Pub Lib HLA note: All public library directors must have completed a library administration course in their MLS / MLIS professional education in order to be certified: 1) as a public librarian and 2) as a library director in order for their library to receive State Aid.

Participants InformationF/M ratio: 2.5:1 Average respondent age: 54MLS awarded: 1970-2008

Competitive or Not?

Findings: Sub-question 1HLA Exp 19 years (1,39)In-library admin exp. 6+ years (1,39)84% have no prior administrative experience before becoming HLAComp or not?AnswerResponse%Yes4475.86%No1424.14%Total58100.00%

Comp / PM information used to perform administrative functions?

Findings: Sub-question 2

Comp / PM information used to address strategic value questions?

Findings: Sub-question 3

Resources to perform PM?

Findings: Sub-question 4

No strong correlations to experience!Over $2,000,000 in costs!Academic costs pending!

Compete to recruit / retain strategically important staff

Findings: Sub-question 5

Compete to recruit / retain strategically important admin?

Other Findings: Sub-Q 1Few key informants known! No case study volunteers! Libraries feel small!

Competitive PerceptionsQuest161718192021QuestSelf desc comp?Self comp rateOthers desc as compSelf rate comp at workRate other HLA compRate other HLA comp4Gender(0.058)(0.349)0.065 (0.204)(0.150)(0.013)5Age(0.099)0.141 (0.009)0.026 (0.032)0.246 6Library Setting0.096 (0.130)(0.104)0.359 (0.267)(0.152)8Year MLS awarded0.181 (0.142)0.113 (0.014)0.030 (0.099)92nd degree0.006 (0.145)0.050 0.121 (0.122)(0.252)11HLA exp total0.103 (0.010)0.173 0.171 (0.064)0.244 12HLA exp current library (0.269)0.186 (0.205)(0.009)0.027 0.059 13Prev admin exp before MLS Govt0.015 (0.267)0.060 0.050 0.128 (0.515)13Prev admin exp before MLS - For $(0.093)(0.115)(0.027)(0.048)0.139 (0.006)13Prev admin exp before MLS - Non $(0.024)0.108 (0.287)0.151 0.036 (0.169)15Yrs exp before 1st HLA position(0.241)0.118 (0.273)0.046 0.055 (0.092)

No significant correlations to resources; recruitment or retention practices; nor to the types of metrics uses or which admin functions they are used in!

Competitive / PM information collected by your library is used to address which types of accountability / value questions?

Other Findings: Sub-Q 2

Other Findings: Sub-Q 3QuestionInputsOutputsOutcomesRIO, ROA, or CBAValuation of staff experience or knowledgeLearning / educational outcomesQuality measures (i.e. BSC, Baldridge)Efficiency measures (i.e. 6 Sigma, etc.)Effectiveness measuresOther1Assessment181829101618321521312Budgeting192021179834941143Decision making191924101410321361204Decision making - in strategic decisions181928131314331451305Developing new services, programs, or delivery methods181730121915321711346Environmental scanning11111379732914867Fundraising9818998331212918Marketing / Public Relations911239131033106979Organizational learning121019519193313711010Planning programs and services1917271214113313212111Planning - strategic or long range2020301414123414213312Planning -competitive response9818111093211139413Retention of staff and administrators9719922143411910714Staff Development1010218211833106110

Other Findings: Sub-Q 3QuestionInputsOutputsOutcomesRIO, ROA, or CBAValuation of staff experience or knowledgeLearning / educational outcomesQuality measures (i.e. BSC, Baldridge)Efficiency measures (i.e. 6 Sigma, etc.)Effectiveness measuresOtherResponses(10x14x73=10,220 Possible)1,578 Provided =15.4%1Assessment181829101618321521312Budgeting192021179834941143Decision making191924101410321361204Decision making - in strategic decisions181928131314331451305Developing new services, programs, or delivery methods181730121915321711346Environmental scanning11111379732914867Fundraising9818998331212918Marketing / Public Relations911239131033106979Organizational learning121019519193313711010Planning programs and services1917271214113313212111Planning - strategic or long range2020301414123414213312Planning -competitive response9818111093211139413Retention of staff and administrators9719922143411910714Staff Development1010218211833106110

There is a potential negative impact on the library organizations ability to use competitive / PM information to develop strategic responses due if the current internal focus and recruitment over retainment emphasis continues. This will make it difficult for library organizations to keep attract / keep experienced HLA / staff with experience in using competitive / PM information to make strategic decisions in place. Other Findings: Sub-Q 5

How do head library administrators in North Carolina use competitive and performance information in generating their librarys strategic responses and reporting their strategic value?the overall levels of respondent interest, organizational capacity and ability to use competitive / PM information in the areas of developing and reporting strategic impacts / value and addressing stakeholder strategic value questions is sporadic in use; is primarily internally focused; and is more reporting than responsive in nature there is little / no alignment between the competitive / PM information available and how it is used by HLA / libraries in admin functions or to address stakeholders questions regarding strategic value resource allocations (e.g. $/staff/admin time) to support competitive and PM information use activities are perceived as limited yet HLA seem to have high expectations for the results of these activities staff / administrators retention practices focus more on recruitment than retention, inferring there is less experience / ability available within the library organization for use in the competitive / PM information process to generate strategic responses and values.Conclusion: Overarching Question

Results additionally suggest that:

I now have more questions than answersresearch is needed to better document and understand the use, alignment, expertise, and effectiveness of competitive / PM information by HLA in developing strategic responses and reporting strategic impact and values.educational opportunities and resources are needed by North Carolina HLA in order to more effectively develop strategic responses and report strategic impacts and value for their libraries. North Carolina libraries have limited potential in employing organizational intelligence and analytics to convert competitive / PM information into strategic responses or address questions of strategic impacts and values.

ImplicationsResearch!

Education!

Responding will be harder!

This studys conclusions are limited to the academic and public library administrators in North Carolina who are participants and presently serving in HLA positions in their libraries.

Future actions will pursue determining how to better understanding and explain the results of this study. Additional actions will include replication of the study in another state in the coming year to determine validity of findings and reliability of the study instrument; and extended efforts at conducting the key informant interviews and case studies to further examine and understand the problem and HLA information behaviors.

Limitations & Future ActionsNeed replication, larger sample size!

Knowledge / interest needed!

This survey is a hoax!

Youll never have all of the information you need to make a decision. If you did, it would be a foregone conclusion, not a decision.

David Mahoney

Closing Thoughts.

Youll never have all of the information you need to make a decision. If you did, it would be a foregone conclusion, not a decision.

David Mahoney

There was a man who dreamed.

Closing Thoughts.

Contact information for questions, collaborations, or copies of the presentation:

Larry Nash WhiteDepartment of Library and Information StudiesGraduate School of EducationUniversity at Buffalo534 Baldy HallBuffalo, NY 14260-1020

Email:lnwhite@buffalo.edu Office Phone: 716.645.1473Office Fax: 716.645.3775

Questions?