Developing corporate culture in the Indian university libraries: Problems and challenges of change management

Abstract

Purpose

This paper discusses the problems and challenges of change management in the university libraries to facilitate their growth, resources management and service performance similar to the work culture of the corporate sector.

Design/methodology/approach

Discusses the changing face of Indian university libraries. Describes the developing corporate culture in the university libraries and explores the ways the university libraries can manage change. Presents a case study of managing change at the University of Jammu Library.

Findings

This study reveals the complexities of change management in the university libraries and indicates that the university leadership, the library manager, and the professional staff play a key role in affecting change in the university libraries. Highlights that change management and staff development go hand in hand. The paper points to the fact that evaluation and review processes of the universities for accreditation, grading, and certification also help to a great extent to facilitate and manage change. The university libraries may adopt the work culture of the corporate sector for building their collections, managing their finances, training their staff, upgrading their technologies, ameliorating their operations, but for rendering their services they must ensure humanism in practice.

Originality/value

Problem areas identified and strategies tested provide an important input to the university librarians for effectively managing change in the university libraries.

Citation

Malhan, I.V. (2006), "Developing corporate culture in the Indian university libraries: Problems and challenges of change management", Library Management, Vol. 27 No. 6/7, pp. 486-493. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120610702468