Analysis of change management facilitation for library system migration in academic libraries in Kenya: A case of Moi University, Eldoret

Abstract

Implementing organizational change is one of the most fundamental challenges for leaders and other stakeholders responsible for the organization's improvement and sustainability and academic libraries which exist in an unprecedented environment of change, managing change arising chiefly from internal and external technological factors is a major concern. Change management studies often propose the use of managerial practices to facilitate the management of organizational change processes. Despite increased development of change management best practices and empirical evidence showing the success of change initiatives, the literature estimates the failure rates of organizational change initiatives to be high and yet, there is no single-full proof strategy for organizational change management. Hence, more research is needed to model change processes, track the progress of major organizational change efforts, and document their effectiveness. This study set out to examine ways in which academic libraries can ease the transition from one library system to another, with emphasis on change management practices so as to provide insights and recommendations of a change approach that would ensure minimal disruption for all the stakeholders. Four key models including Kurt Lewin’s, McKinsey 7s, Kotter’s theory, and ADKAR change model framed the research. In this case study, a qualitative research design was adopted, and 37 staff were purposively selected from Moi University library to be interviewed. Semi-structured individual interviews were used to collect data and a thematic analysis technique was used in the analysis. The study established that change management in academic libraries is not only peripherally adopted but is also occasioned by failure to understand the dynamics of the intended change initiatives and inadequate dedicated resources and infrastructure for the library system migration. Implementing change more successfully during library system migration requires clear understanding of the triggers of change, resources required to deliver the change, the risks involved, and the people affected, strategies to implement change, and the expected outcomes. Well-defined change management processes and practices determine successful change implementation during a library system migration.