Change, boundaries, skills and people value:

a provocationStephen Town

Director of InformationUniversity of York

The changing boundaries …

• Content and access changing since 1964• Networks (1969-)• Devices (1981-)• “Without walls” (1990s)• The walls come back … (2000s)

Recent additions to the portfolio

• Open access publishing management• Research data management• Digital archiving (multimedia)• Widening participation outreach• The University Art collection• Digital signage

Some conclusions …• “Needs are endless…” (Thorhauge,

2010)• (IT) Skills debate a constant for at least twenty

years, but libraries have (more than) survived• “Organizational level thinking is crucial”

(Mengel et al, 2010)• Boundaries are as much of imagination as

real?

How we build Library Value?• Library relational capital– within and beyond the University

• Library tangible & intangible capital– including Human capital development

• Library virtue– contribution to transcendent outcomes

• Library momentum– quality maturity and pace of change

The Royal Bank of Scotland’s human capital model

Kostagiolas, 2010

• One organised library’s response to the question of people measurement:– Attainment of core competencies– On the job competency development– Leadership performance– Staff satisfaction– Skills deployment

• Based on data from a benchmarked staff climate survey

A people proposition based on …

• What our people should know• What our people should be• What difference our people make

Improving the diagram ..Knowledge

• Information science– Interaction with users

• Information management– Life cycle management– Distribution

• Relevant management theory and methods

Skills

• Organisational skills

and in some cases

• Technology and other specialisms

People being …

• Values driven• Curious• Changeable• Connected• Making it up for themselves …

Engagement measurement (Morgan, C-A.)

“Engagement is a combination of commitment to the organization and its values, plus a willingness to help out colleagues (organizational citizenship)”

“… beyond job satisfaction, and is not simply motivation.”

York ClimateQUAL Results vs UK and US Mean

Climate for Continual LearningClimate for Customer ServiceClimate for Deep Diversity, Standardization of Procedures

Climate for Deep Diversity, Valuing Diversity

Climate for Racial Diversity

Climate for Gender Diversity

Climate for Diversity of Ranks

Climate for Sexual Orientation Diversity

Co-worker Support for Innovation

Distributive Justice

Procedureal Justice

Interpersonal JusticeInformational JusticeClimate for Psychological SafetyClimate for Teamwork, Benefit of Teams

Climate for Teamwork, Structural Facilitation of Teamwork

Job Satisfaction

Leader-Member Relationship Quality

Authentic Leadership

Organizational Citizenship Behaviors

Organizational Commitment

Organizational Withdrawal

Team Psychological Empowerment

Task Engagement

Interpersonal ConflictTask Conflict

0

5

10

York UK Mean US Mean

A Framework? (Phipps, Franklin & Sharma, 2010)

“the … intent of measuring whether articulated organizational values were achieved”“A systems approach”

• Leadership & team decision making• Performance Management system• Hiring, merit and promotion• Communication system• Learning, training, innovation approaches

Penna’s hierarchy of engagement (2007)

A Human Capital approachEnablers (4 ‘C’s)– Capacity

• Minus confounders– Absence, turnover

– Capability• Raw & growth• Critical mass

– Climate of Affect• Engagement• Empowerment

– Culture of momentum• Programme capability• Maturity

Outcome proofs– Market fit

• Sustainability• Market related impact

– Strategic fit (over time)• Quality & Improvement• New product development

– Contribution to• Productivity• Creativity

– Competitive impact• Service development• Reputational investment

Conclusions and questions

• Can we leave skills to the market?• Some key transferable skills should be more

strongly assessed at professional entry point?• Skills are only (a small) part of solving

boundary and change problems• The current model ignores the most significant

skills for organisational success