Change management in library environments: A comparative study of private and public university libraries in Ghana

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine change management in public and private university libraries in Ghana, identify possible problems in order to make recommendations to enhance future change assignments. The study adopted the survey approach as the research design. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse data obtained from the questionnaires to obtain frequencies and percentages. Data obtained from the interviews of the heads of the various university libraries were analyzed using content analysis. The study revealed that majority of the respondents from the public and private university libraries were aware of ongoing changes in the libraries. Changes in technology were the most prevalent type of change initiative embarked upon by academic libraries. Also, the library staff did not show any serious sign of resistance to change projects embarked upon in the library. In view of these findings, it was recommended that academic libraries should have change management policies and staff should be involved in the discussions and decision making processes in relation to change management. The comparative nature of the study provided insights into the similarities and differences that exist in change management in public and private Universities in Ghana. It is evident from the literature that very few studies have been conducted comparing the change management procedures applied in public and private academic libraries in Ghana.

Keywords: Change Management, Academic, Libraries, Resistance, Library, Environments