DOCUMENT RESUME ED 365 327 IR 054 774 AUTHOR Woodsworth, Anne; Maylone, Theresa TITLE Reinvesting in the Information Job Family: Context, Changes, New Jobs, and Models for Evaluation and Compensation. CAUSE Professional Paper Series, #11. INSTITUTION Association of Coll. and Research Libraries, Chicago, Ill.; CAUSE, Boulder, Colo.; College and Univ. Personnel Association, Washington, D.C. srms AGENCY Apple Computer, Inc., Cupertino, CA.; Council on Library Resources, Inc., Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 93 NOTE 35p. AVAILABLE FROM CAUSE, 4840 Pearl East Circle, Suite 302E, Boulder, CO 80301 ($12 to members of CAUSE, the Association of College and Research Libraries, and the College and University Personnel Association; $24 for others). PUB TYPE Evaluative/Feasibility (142) Reports EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Academic Libraries; Colleges; *Computer Centers; Computer Uses in Education; *Employment Patterns; Futures (of Society); Higher Education; Information Scientists; *Information Technology; *Job Analysis; Job Skills; *Library Services; Models; Occupational Surveys; Technological Advancement; Trend Analysis; Values IDENTIFIERS Exploratory Studies ABSTRACT In spite of growing uses of information technologies, institutional policies for job classification and compensation in the information fields appear not to be keeping pace with changes in job content. The job streams that have been in existence for actua decades have not been adjusted to take into account the significant alterations occurring at working levels on campuses. Drawing on a study conducted from 1990 to 1992, this paper provides some empirical evidence that points toward the need to create one information job family and some models that point in the direction of the future. The exploratory study analyzed 63 jobs in computing centers and libraries at three selected institutions. The notion that a single job family for academic computing and library jobs is emerging was validated through this study. Also apparent wls the need for analytical factors to be selected carefully and adjusted to reflect the values of the institution. Implications of the study are explored. Two appendixes list job evaluation factors and give job descriptions. (Contains 26 references.) (SLD) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 4rT,ptovernen1 prate 0 EducananN Reward. AntI EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION ER CE NTE reoto4nce0 as TOO docunent nas peen 0, 09anqafion eeened nom the Everson oncpnanng rt ,aae 1C ,n,Onae rAdvo, canoes ma, tee" E ,ep,ocluction (waly ,,'" rnl OM( sIa,eC ^ Pants 01 rte. a 000-clans eotese ment do not necessann OFRI 0058110/, 0! POKY Reinvesting in the the association for Information Job Family: managing and using information technology in higher education Context, Changes, New Jobs, and Models for Evaluation and Compensation by Anne Woodsworth and Theresa Maylone Published in cooperation with Association of College & Research Libraries and College and University Personnel Association "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY J. Ryland BEST COPY AVAILABLE TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC1." CAUSE Professional Paper Series, #11 2 SPONSOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT CAUSE appreciates the generous support of APPLE COMPUTER, INC. who funded the publication of this paper (see pages 24-25). Copies of this paper are available to members of CAUSE, ACRL, and CUPA at $12 per copy, to others at $24 per copy. Copyright 0 1993 by CAUSE. MI rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from CAUSE. Printed in the United States of America. CAUSE 4840 Pearl East Circle, Suite 302E Boulder, Colorado 80301 Phone: 303 - 449.4430 Fax: 303-440-0461 E-mail: infoOCAUSE.colorado.eciu 3 1 Reinvesting in the Information Job Family: Context, Changes, New Jobs, and Models for Evaluation and Compensation by Anne Woodsworth and Theresa May lone Table of Contents FOREWORD INTRODUCTION 1 1 THE INFORMATION JOB FAMILY ON CAMPUS 2 3 Stakeholders 3 Development of One Information lob Family 5 An Exploratory Study 5 lob Evaluation Models for the Future 10 3 12 IMPLICATIONS 14 BIBLIOGRAPHY 15 APPENDIX A: JOB EVALUATION FACTORS 16 APPENDIX B: JOB DESCRIPTIONS 24 CORPORATE SPONSOR PROFILE CAUSE Professional Paper Series, #11 4 About the Authors Anne Woodsworth is Dean of the Palmer School of Library and Information Science, which prepares people for positions in the information job family, at Long Island University. Her career in the information field includes being Associate Provost and Director of University Libraries at the University of Pittsburgh and Personnel Director at Toronto Public Library. She has published four books in the past five years, serves on CAUSE'S Current Issues Committee, and frequently speaks on the impact of the information technologies in higher education. She has a BFA from the University of Manitoba, a BLS and MLS, and a PhD in higher education administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Theresa Maylone is Coordinator of the Palmer School of Library and Informa- tion Science program at Long Island University's Westchester Campus, and an active member of the adjunct faculty. As Manager of Information Resources for General Foods Corporation and Kraft General Foods International, she directed projects on the application of information technology to business organization design and development. She has a BA from Syracuse University and an MS from Pratt Institute. Author Acknowledgements The exploratory study which is the centerpiece of this paper could not have been done without a grant from the Council on Library Resources (from 1991-1992). The actual study could not have been executed without the generous time and constructive criticisms of Bill Arms, Tom Michalak, and Joan Mitchell at Carnegie Mellon University; Malcolm Getz and Shirley Hallblade at Vanderbilt University; Paul Gherman, Bob Heterick, and Bill Sanders at Virginia Polytech- nic Institute and State University; and John Wilds at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, Jeffrey Huber (University of Texas at Austin) and Myron Sywak (Long Island University) deserve recognition for their assistance with data collection and data analysis, respectively. 5 FOREWORD Information technologists and librarians, like everyone else on college and university campuses today, can't help but be aware of the changes occurring: accelerating demand for access to information, whether generated on campus or from external sources, from faculty, staff, and students, a need to revisit traditional ways of "doing business" in order to satisfy this demand, and strong synergy between the functions of those who create and support the infrastructure that represents the conduit for the flow of information and those who have always focused on navigation of information pathways to connect seekers of information to the resources they seek. As we explore new alternatives for organizational structure and job definitions, in light of the new ground rules, to best achieve the goals and objectives of our institutions, we are fortunate to have the benefit of the research and analysis of Anne Woodsworth and Theresa Maylone to guide us. These authors are well qualified to address these issues, having had career experiences in both the library and information technology arenasrelatively unique today, but likely to be much more common in the future as the concept of the "information job family" becomes a reality. Jane N. Ryland CAUSE President These are exciting times for libraries and computing centers, as we struggle with the dual-edged sword of increasing forms of information and budgetary constraints. Technology is an important change agent in organizational environments, as we know from our collective experiences in colleges and universities nationwide. The basic foundation of any organization is the personnel. As our employees gain new skills through education and staff development activities, it seems natural to seek ways to compensate them for tneir new levels of knowledge and performance. Library directors, computing directors, and human resources management offices have struggled with these issues, while watching our employees grow in knowledge and skills as information services automate to serve new and traditional information needs of our campus constituency. A continuing concern is how to appropriately classify personnel in this new and changing environment. Anne Woodsworth and Theresa Maylone offer a research-based solution with their concept of an "Information Job Family." As President of the Association of College & Research Libraries, I am pleased that ACRL is participating in the publication of this CAUSE Professional Paper with CUPA. Jacquelyn A. McCoy ACRL President I n the "flatter" organizational management structure of the future, communication and decision-making will be more open, morn outcome oriented, and more flexible. As noted in the Introduction, "Human resources policies are among the strategies that can ensure success for the future." Yet emerging information technologies are capable of changing the very manner in which higher education conducts business. In areas as rapidly changing as information technology and human resources, this study underscores the value of creating dialogues and forging partnerships to benefit the higher education community. The College and University Personnel Association is pleased to participate in this Professional Paper publication in conjunction with CAUSE and the Association of College & Research Libraries. Let the dialogue begin! Richard Creal CUPA Executive Director 6 Introduction /1 INTRODUCTION 1 'Colleges and universities should explore their personnel policies with a view to: (1) increasing incentives for employee initiative, (2) expanding the scope of gener- alized job classifications, and (3) examining biases within existing classification and reward systems." R.N. Katz and R.P. West1 The belief that information technology continues As suggested by Katz and West,2 human resources radically to alter both the form and substance of work policies are among the strategies that can ensure suc- cess in the future. They are not easily addressed, is widely held in colleges and universities as in the world at large. Additionally, there is recognition of the however, particularly since reexamination and removal complementary relationships of often separate infor- of biases entail shaking up traditional job classification structures and ripping apart traditions such as having mation operations such as academic computing, tele- different job "families" for the information workers on communications centers, and libraries. This has led campus, e.g., a job family for library jobs, and another many colleges and universities to question the appro- priateness of their organizational structures, particu- for computing/technology jobs. Such job structures can create an anomaly between job content and the job larly when a significant investment in information systems, resources, and services is anticipated. On classification structure. some campuses, albeit a minority, this has led to the Despite growing confluence in the use of the informa- creation of a chief information officer's (CIO) position, under whose umbrella of responsibility these indi- tion technologies, performance of seemingly compa- rable work, and sometimes strong administrative con- vidual information units may be clustered. nections in such organizations, institutional policies (as reflected in classification and compensation systems) Observation of campuses that have ClOs in place and appear not to be keeping pace with changes in actual are considered to be on the leading edge of the use of job content. The job streams or "families," with their the information technologies can easily lead to conjec- differing evaluation structures, pay scales, and benefit ture about whether or not the nature of the work within individual units might also have changed substantially as a result of (a) all units reporting to a CIO and (b) having gone beyond the automation-of-processes stage 1Richard N. Katz and Richard P. West, Sustaining Excellence in in the use of the technologies. An interested observer the 21st Century: A Vision and Strategies for College and University might find it difficult to distinguish, for example, be- Administration, CAUSE Professional Paper *8 (Boulder, Colo.: tween the roles of some library and computing center CAUSE, 1992), p. 16. staff in the use and application of the information p. 16. technologies on campuses. 7 2/ REINVESTING IN THE INFORMATION JOB FAMILY be the primary basis for job evaluation. Without clarity status that have been in existence for decades have not been adjusted to take into account the significant in the meanings of specialized and professional jargon, the job evaluation system remains biased and compa- alterations occurring at the working levels on campus. rability in classification and compensation cannot be It is relatively easy to deduce such discontinuity; it is more difficult to prove and even tougher to find new ensured. models that redress the problems. This pap ar provides The study validated the notion that a single job family some empirical evidencethat points toward the need to for academic computing and library jobs is emerging in create one information job family and some models the set of jobs examined. Broad generalization to the that point towards the directions needed in the future. entire higher education environment would have re- quired a much larger sample aid a finer analytical From 1990 to 1992 a research project, funded by the measure than that employed in this exploratory study. Council on Library Resources, tested a methodology While further research is indicated and is both worth- that could be used to analyze the presence and degree while and necessary, workable models for human of similarities in job content, particularly of jobs in resources planning and organizational development libraries and in academic computing centers at cam- can best be developed from the integration of the many puses where there had been a high degree of informa- approaches available in a growing body of literature on tion technology integration. It was hypothesized that organizational reengineering. We suggest one such jobs had altered significantly enough to identify a single amalgamated methodology here. new job family out of two or more traditionally separate job categories for library and academic computing/ Also apparent from the study, and consistent with the networking personnel. The study was exploratory and wider considerations of the original research design, identified areas in which further research could con- was the need for analytical factors to be selected tribute to establishing workable models. carefully and to be adjusted so that they adequately express and clearly define an institution's values, goals, A total of sixty-three distinct jobs in computing centers and desired future outcomes. The constituencies of and libraries at three selected institutions were sub- colleges and universities are many. They must reflect a jected to a point-factor analysis in order to determine philosophy that reflectsthe unique, distributed environ- the levels of skills, knowledge, responsibilities, and ment in higher education. All must be acknowledged other compensable factors present within each job. and served, and must bear a relationship to one another The results indicated that a small number of jobs could and to the organization as a whole. Individual factors be considered identical; a large number had knowl- knowledge, skills, responsibilitieschosen by an insti- edge, skills, and competency requirements that were tution to define jobs will become the factors that the similar in part; and another small number contained no institution values. These compensable factors and the similarities. Some new tasks and new jobs were iden- amount of worth placed upon them will reinforce in tified. More importantly, however, thecommon traits practice the espoused values of the institution. There- features or qualitiesof the jobs were distinguished. fore, they are of critical strategic importance in the An unanticipated result of the study was recognition of process of effecting and managing change in times and the need for institutions to develop a commonly under- environments where change may be the only constant. stood language for use in job descriptions, if they are to Information Job FamiiyI3 2 THE INFORMATION JOB FAMILY ON CAMPUS "Most important, the effects of technological change on the skill requirements of work are set in a larger context of market forces, managerial prerogatives an implementing technologies), and organizational cultures, all of which condition the effects of technological change." Kenneth I. Spenner3 rably well at a 1992 conference.4 Among the stake- As a change agent, informatir n technology is almost holders are, of course, those in the immediate aca- without peer. Whether the change itself is evolutionary or revolutionary may be a semantic distinction best demic enclosure, such as students, faculty, and admin- istrators who participate in the entire information chain decided by history. What is indisputable today is that the ,vportunity exists for all information service and from creation to consumption. Other stakeholders exist in the broader higher education environment. Trustees, information systems units to form a partnership and use research and grant-making bodies, the information the technologies to manage the change creatively. Our industry, and society itself are full partners in the study, reported in this paper, focused on academic creation, dissemination, and use of information. Fi- computing services and libraries and how these two nal ly, there are stakeholders whoseresponsibility it is to groups, which have consistently assumed major infor- manage the intersections and communication pro- mation technology roles on campus, might influence both structure and infrastructure on the "transformed" cesses. campus. The other groups of information workers on The communication difficulties inherent in complex campus such as those in administrative computing communities such as academe are caused in part by the centers, network and telecommunications operations, media centers, and even academic units are clearly also affected and need to be part of the partnership efforts. 3Kenneth I. Spenner, "Technological Change, Skill Require- ments, and Education: The Case for Uncertainty," in Richard M. Stakeholders Cyert and David C. Mowery, eds., The Impact of Technological Change on Employment and Economi = Growth (Cambridge, Mass.: Ballinger, 1988), pp. 132. The transformational changes propelled by the infor- mation technologies are sometimes difficult to articu- 4Their papers are included in Information Management and late in terms that conv,y information's preeminence to Organizational Change in Higher Education: The Impact on Aca- the variety of stakeholders in the academic community, demic Libraries, Proceedings of the 1992 Computers in Libraries although Ryland, Penrod, Euster, and Lowry did admi- Conference (Westport, Conn.: Meckler, 1992). 9 4/ REINVESTING IN THE INFORMATION JOB FAMILY forming Higher Education.7 The networked model, nature of information itself. It is elusive to define. Some brought into existence by information technology, is define it by placing it in operational contexts.5 Informa- certainly an expression of the reengineered organiza- tion itself, along with its accompanying technologies, tion. As thoughtfully described by Sproull and Kiesler, crosses administrative and academic boundaries. The an exemplary technology such as elects onic mail can technologies can physically "capture" information in a transform the academic environment as well as the variety of forms, from clay tablets to laser disks. business environment.8 Ancther prominent model is used by Zuboff,5 who coined the word "informated" to To bring order to the management difficulties and to describe organizations that have done more than just define, manage, and convey their information priori- replicate older work processes in an automated envi- ties, some academic institutions have created a posi- ronment, but rather have "transformed" the organiza- tion generically called chief information officer (C10). tion by using the capabilities of information technology The CIO role represents one approach to creating an organizational umbrella for structuring information- to an "informated" stage. related operations. The CIO model has many variations and recent research has found that 90 per cent of Although models such as these hold promise for aca- demic institutions, success will depend upon changes colleges and universities in the United States, as well as not just to the structure but also to the organization's an increasing number of corporations, manage their ambiance and its inherent philosophies and values. functions without a C10.6 Designating responsibility Models cannot be used in one-to-one correlations for existing information systems and services to such a between corporate and academic settings or even lifted person is assumed to ensure a unified structure for from one institution to another. Since they cannot information functions and planning. Implied also are simply be adopted, there must be a process and stance changes tothe institution's infrastructures such as com- of adapting. munication and social organization, e.g., through dif- ferent communication pathways, shared databases, In the academic environment, the two largest units in and networked access to internal and external informa- which technologies have been utilized are the aca- tion. But what about operating functions themselves, demic computing centers and the libraries. Tradition- such as libraries and computing services? How deeply ally they have been defined as separate units, most into the organization does a changed administrative often reporting to different senior officers in the campus structure penetrate? What is the effect on the infrastruc- hierarchy. Even when both are managed by a CIO, they ture? Does leadership for change occur from the bot- tom up as well as the top downor even from the have remained relatively "unintegrated" operationally, and both tend to have deep internal hierarchies. Other middle out? campus units have variously been integrated with academic computing, voice and data telecommunica- There is no dearth of potential models that help to tions, and other units. address these questions. An excellent literature review, which places conceptual change models in an environ- Current technological trends include moving to a cli- mental and social context, is found in Penrod and ent-server environment. This argues for technological Dolence's paper, Reengineering: A Process for Trans- diffusion, decentralization, and ultimately dispersion 5Fritz Mach lup and U. Mansfield, eds., TheStudy of Information: 71ames Penrod and Michael G. Dolence, Reengineering: A Interdisciplinary Messages (New York: Wiley, 1983); and Michael Process for Transforming Higher Eduction, CAUSE Professional Buckland, Information and Information Systems (NewYork: Praeger, Paper #9 (Boulder, Colo.: CAUSE, 1992), pp. 1-11. 1991). 8Lee Sproul! and Sara Kiesler, Connections: New Ways of blames I. Penrod and Michael G. Dolence, "Transformation and Working in the Networked Organization (Cambridge, Mass.: The the Chief Information Officer," in Gary Pitkin, ed., Information MIT Press, 1991). Management and Organizational Change in Higher Education: The Impact on Academic Libraries (Westport, Conn.: Meckler, 1992); 9Shoshanna Zuboff, In the Age of the Smart Machine (New York: and C. Wilder, "No room i t the top: When the CIO becomes Basic Books, 1988). expendable," Computetwo,d, 17 February 1992, pp. 1, 16. 10