ARL, CNI, SPARC

RLI 286 13 RESEARCH LIBRARY ISSUES: A REPORT FROM ARL, CNI, AND SPARC 2015 Figure 1. Climate for Justice—Data from Focus Groups Figure 2. Climate for Team Work—Data from Focus Groups Figure 3. Climate for Job Satisfaction—Data from Focus Groups

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Research Library Issues, no. 286 (2015): Special Issue on Diversity resources

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RLI 286 13 RESEARCH LIBRARY ISSUES: A REPORT FROM ARL, CNI, AND SPARC 2015 Figure 1. Climate for Justice—Data from Focus Groups Figure 2. Climate for Team Work—Data from Focus Groups Figure 3. Climate for Job Satisfaction—Data from Focus Groups

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RLI 286 12 RESEARCH LIBRARY ISSUES: A REPORT FROM ARL, CNI, AND SPARC 2015 • To what extent do rewards (recognition and appreciation) received adequately reflect level of effort and work? • Understanding the limitations on providing direct salary treatment, what other rewards or recognition should be in place to acknowledge accomplishments or reward above-average effort? Climate for Teamwork—Benefits of Teams and Structural Facilitation of Teamwork—organization’s structure and policies facilitate and encourage teamwork • Considering the climate for teamwork among exempt and non-exempt employees, do you feel there is disparity in the treatment of non-exempt employees compared with exempt employees? • What are the biggest problems with feeling like there is a lack of teamwork among exempt and non- exempt staff? • If you could build a new non-exempt and exempt team concept, what would you put in to make a better one? Climate for Justice—Procedural Justice—fairness of procedures used to determine rewards, performance evaluations, etc. • Do you feel that information that could impact your job is communicated appropriately and shared evenly? • Do you feel that decisions are made with appropriate input from the larger organization? Climate for Job Satisfaction • When you think about job satisfaction, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Focus Group Process and Outcomes Three focus groups were conducted by the Office of Conflict and Peace Studies—each one was themed to capture summary information that pertains to the measure under consideration. As a matter of process, the focus group facilitators highlighted contributions in each meeting in order to document the conversations. These highlights represent the raw data or comments made during the focus groups that then provide issues for further discussion or analysis. Review of this data—presented graphically in the accompanying word clouds that visualize the frequency of the appearance of specific words in the raw data (Figures 1–3)—can be useful in providing context for the team’s recommendations and actions.

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Research Library Issues, no. 286 (2015): Special Issue on Diversity resources

RLI 286 14 RESEARCH LIBRARY ISSUES: A REPORT FROM ARL, CNI, AND SPARC 2015 The focus group facilitators synthesized the raw data into basic recommendations with help from the ClimateQUAL team to understand terminology and context. The team then shared the recommendations with managers and supervisors starting with the Administrative Advisory Group. The AAG (Administrative Advisory Group) is the group made up of assistant/associate deans, department heads, and functional coordinators. The AAG meets once a month, chaired by the dean of the University Libraries. This group was seen as needing to improve communication so that library staff could feel more in touch with decision making and actions impacting the whole of the organization. The feedback recognized the “fear culture” generated in part by larger issues within the campus and economy but challenged the leadership to inform and communicate better. Some summarized desires raised in the focus groups include: • More transparency in decisions related to staffing and workflows, especially between departments • More visibility of AAG with staff by interacting at a level to understand job functions better and to gain perspective on workplace needs • Better recognition of individual efforts, especially when no ability to reward monetarily • Support for staff development opportunities that benefit both the work place and personal enrichment • Two-way communication channels that provide the ability to obtain answers or be informed in a timely way and without retribution • Look at how exempt and non-exempt employees are treated differently and not given the same opportunities • Address concerns about departments working in silos and creating a culture of being inflexible or unresponsive to the needs of other departments Strategic Actions for Improvement The AAG and the UNCG ClimateQUAL team began developing improvement strategies to address the concerns raised in the focus groups. Instituting a Staff Recognition Week One of the major actions taken by the administration was the development of a Staff Recognition Week in which a series of events would take place during a week identified as low impact in order to allow everyone to participate. A revamped Staff Development Committee was charged with soliciting organizational feedback as to staff members’ desires and development needs and with programming the event. The committee solicited staff input through an assessment survey given to the entire staff. Staff Recognition Week has now taken place twice with smaller single-event activities occurring in the intervening periods. Events and activities are classified or respond to specific needs as derived from the ClimateQUAL data-driven focus groups. Examples of these event types are: personal enrichment, job- related skills, health and fitness, teamwork, career enhancement, and communication techniques and

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Research Library Issues, no. 286 (2015): Special Issue on Diversity resources

Research Library Issues, no. 286 (2015): Special Issue on Diversity resources