Employee, department, and organizational impact of the Purdue University Libraries staff development program: A mixed methods research approach

Kathleen M Kielar, Purdue University

Abstract

As libraries continue to evolve to meet growing patron expectations, employees are challenged with ways to search for information, engage students through technology, and manage libraries. This mixed methods research study investigated the individual, departmental, and organizational impacts of an internally administered staff development program within the Purdue University Libraries system designed to assist employees in meeting many of these skills challenges. Data collected through focus groups, anonymous surveys, employee interviews, and organizational archival information spanned a ten month period. Of the 185 employees within the organization, 91 individuals participated in at least one data collection phase of the study. Results of the study revealed that the staff development program had significantly impacted individual employees and the organization as a whole. Limited results were discovered at the departmental level, which was interpreted as a result of a concentrated organizational effort to increase a system-wide perspective among staff. Further, an exploration of the factors beyond training programs and their effectiveness that seemed to contribute in substantive ways to the impact of training was conducted. An individual's motivation to learn and improve oneself despite age, employee classification, or educational status was a significant finding throughout each data collection phase. Finally, information was obtained on barriers of transferability of training to the workplace, as well as the identification of new training courses. Barriers uncovered included communication practices between supervisors, employees, departments/units, and the physically separated nature of the Purdue Libraries system. New programs identified were a need for supervisory training, interpersonal skills, team building, conflict management and customer service skills. Beyond these descriptive results, the study found that training played a significant, if not the only consistent, link in the tangled weave of individual, departmental/unit, organizational, and team performance. It is this crucial finding demonstrates that training serves a crucial role within the organization.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Kamberelis, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Curriculum development|Continuing education

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