Evidence based organizational change: people surveys, strategies and structures
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the use of people surveys to enact change in human capital organization and practices in a University library.
Design/methodology/approach
The study covers seven years of people surveys and the consequent interventions applied based on this and other data and evidence at the University of York, UK. The case describes measurement of staff’s lived experience, leading to innovation and intervention in management strategies, structures and policies. The research employs a mixed methodology; the paper draws on quantitative evidence from surveys, qualitative evidence from focus groups and desk research on human capital measurement and emotion in the workplace.
Findings
The paper describes the findings of investigations across seven years, discusses the available methods for people assessment, and the different theoretical foundations of the engagement, climate and excellence surveys used across the period. Strategic and structural interventions are described and their effectiveness discussed.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of research in the field of human capital are discussed, including the participant observation of the library director, together with the potential confounding factors affecting data collected during the period of research.
Social implications
The paper reflects on advances in the understanding and practice of people evaluation in libraries. The development of a people strategy based on evidence, and repetition of surveys to gauge the effectiveness of interventions, with consequent refinement of solutions, appear to have had a real effect on the lived experience, culture and service provided by the case library.
Originality/value
The originality and value of the paper is that it provides a unique long-term case study of people surveys, strategy and structure in an academic research library.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Ian Hall, Jo Black, Katie Burn, and Karen Smith, and to all Information staff at York for providing the opinions on which this paper is based. Thanks to the Association of Research Libraries, Capita, Elementa Leadership and ORC International, for their roles in collecting and analysing the raw data.
Citation
Town, J.S. (2015), "Evidence based organizational change: people surveys, strategies and structures", Library Management, Vol. 36 No. 8/9, pp. 623-643. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-09-2015-0060
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited