The management of change in the information age: Approaches of academic library directors in the USA

Abstract

This study examined the approaches that academic library directors use to manage change using Bolman and Deal’s reframing change model as a guide. In addition, a regression analysis was conducted to study the influences of demographics, library characteristics and human capital variables on the approaches used. Data were collected from an online survey and descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the collected data. The findings reveal that the frame-related issues in academic libraries and director managerial actions coincided with and confirmed the Bolman and Deal model. Results demonstrate that directors actually used multiple approaches as well as single and dual approaches to manage change. Demographic variables such as age and library characteristics such as library type and library size were significant predictors of the approaches used, but this study indicates that human capital variables and number of library branches made no difference. The results are helpful to better understand directors’ attitudes and behaviours, and the factors that influence approaches to change management.