Understanding Organizational Culture and Group Dynamics

The field of library and information science will benefit from a greater understanding of the function of individuals in relation to organizational culture and group dynamics, including how individual experiences underlie the culture of an organization. Understanding how these factors can shape successful human resources management will help today’s information science and management organizations in their recruitment, development, and retention efforts. It is suggested here that, while MLIS curricula and library organizations have traditionally focused on leadership as a function of management, a reorientation towards development of leadership skills at all levels of the organization will have a positive effect on organizational culture and group dynamics. In development of this concept, this chapter provides an overview of traditional approaches to understanding organizational culture and group dynamics and how these are applied in the information and library science literature and curricula; explores an alternate normative orientation towards the understanding of organizational culture and group dynamics as a function of all individuals in an organization and not just management; identifies ways in which information professionals and organizations can use this knowledge to recruit, develop, and retain employees in the information sciences profession; and explores future research directions in these areas.