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Course Description

INFO 521 is the study of effective and efficient management of libraries and information centres, examining such aspects as organisational theory and design, organisational environments and cultures, organisational communications, group and individual behaviour and motivation, decision-making, planning, leadership, organisational effectiveness and control, and change management.

Introduction to INFO 521

Management is first and foremost about people. Without people, organisations cannot exist: missions, goals, and objectives cannot be achieved, and goods and services cannot be provided. Without people, an organisation cannot be managed. Management cannot be divorced either from its surrounding organisation, or from the human relations found within the organisation.

Management is the process by which goals are achieved, using human, technical, and financial resources embedded in a relevant environmental context. The core functions of management - planning, organising, directing, and controlling - are designed to achieve the goals of the organisation.

In this course, you will be introduced to many different aspects of the study of management -- not only to the history of management, but also to the applications of management theory in present-day organisations. You will be looking at planning, organisational cultures, leadership and decision-making, organisational design, communications, organisational control, and change management. A subsequent elective course in Management of Library Services, INFO 542, looks at collection management in information centres, customer service, marketing, building design considerations, financial management, and human resources management.

The goal of INFO 521 is to introduce you to some of the theoretical concepts underpinning current management practices. Knowledge of the theories is important, for without such knowledge it becomes difficult to recognise the relevant operating environment of the organisation, or to appreciate the organisational skills and techniques required of managers. Even if the theoretical underpinnings may not seem relevant to your work at the moment, at some time in the future it is likely that a fundamental understanding of why things happen the way they do will help you make specific decisions -- perhaps without realising that you have used your knowledge of management theory.

In approaching this course, some of you may be eager to work in a management role, taking responsibility for an area of library service, an independent information service, or acting as a line manager supervising other staff. Others of you may envisage yourselves as practitioners whose primary concern is with the provision of information to customers (whether that's in a corporate or government information centre, a public library, a tertiary library, or as an online provider), and you may feel that the course is not particularly relevant to your chosen career. To the latter group, it is worth saying that there are very few careers in which management plays no part whatsoever. If you wish to work on your own, then some aspects of management become especially important.

In any information centre, management knowledge is of value not only to those who are 'managing' the centre, or even part of the centre, but also to those who are being managed. Such knowledge will:

• increase understanding of why certain events are occurring;
• shed light on why some statistics have to be recorded (and suggest some which need not be kept);
• enable a better, more considered response to requests for assistance, or for the taking on of non-routine tasks;
• enable an individual to participate more effectively in performance appraisals.

There are many more ways in which management knowledge aids individuals working at all levels in libraries and information centres. In summary, management knowledge aids those who manage, and it aids those who are being managed. Furthermore, it feels better as an employee to be well managed; it's good to see skill in action.

If you are not working in a management position at present, many of you are likely to have distinct management roles in the first position that you gain upon completion of your degree. You will be taking on management tasks in an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing environment, in which information professionals must always be prepared to show how vital the information service is to its stakeholders (i.e. groups such as staff, customers, funders, and so on, who can lay part claim to 'owning' the service).

The management theory you learn in this course will assist you when you take on those challenges, perhaps acting in an entrepreneurial way. You should also try to continue your management training after you finish INFO 521 and (if you take it) INFO 542. Many continuing education opportunities are available in management, and you will facilitate your career development and continue to develop your knowledge of management and management skills if you avail yourself of such opportunities.

Learning Objectives

On completion of INFO 521 students should be able to draw on management theory as they engage in specific management tasks in an information service organisation. More specifically, they should be able to:

1. Explain a core set of management concepts and show how these are applied in the organisational context.
2. Explain how research on management practice and theory is applied in the body of management literature and can be applied in practice.
3. Analyse the impact of organisational structure and culture on specific organisations.
4. Identify the key concepts in organisational decision-making and strategic planning, and demonstrate the effective use of these in practice.
5. Explain how change and innovation can be effectively managed in an organisation.
6. Identify the key principles of organisational communication, leadership, and organisational effectiveness and control, and incorporate these in an applied project.

Schedule (TBC)

INFO 521 will be held in the second trimester (July-October) of the 2012 academic year. There will be no sessions for two weeks during the mid-trimester break (27 August-9 September).

• Internal students
  There will be a seminar on Mondays (from 10.30 a.m.-12.20 p.m.) in Rutherford House, RH GO2
• Distance students
  The weekly Internet conference sessions will be held on Mondays from 5.00-6.30 p.m.
• Distance students within Auckland
  Sessions for Auckland students will be delivered by a mixture of audioconferencing (Thursday, 5.00-6.30 p.m.) and face-to-face teaching.

Module	Topic	Text chapters
1	Management basics	1, 2
2	Organisational cultures	3, 5
3	Decision-making	6
4	Strategic planning	7, 8
5	Planning tools	9
6	Organisational structure & design	10
7	Communication	11
8	Change & innovation	13
9	Organisational behaviour	14, 15
10	Motivation	16
11	Leadership	17
12	Organisational effectiveness & control	18, 20

Assessment (taken fron 2011)

This course is internally assessed, with the following assignments to be completed in order to satisfy the mandatory course requirements. Full details, including explanatory notes and criteria, are available under "Assignments" on Blackboard.

Assignments	Date due	Value	Length
1. Report on an interview with an information service manager	see Blackboard	15%	see Blackboard
2. Business case	see Blackboard	45%	see Blackboard
3. Research on library management and its relationship with the management literature	see Blackboard	40%	see Blackboard

Required Text

Robbins, S. P., Bergman, R., Stagg, I. & Coulter, M. (2009). Management (5th ed.). Sydney: Prentice-Hall.

Students should ensure they have access to additional online resources at MyManagement Lab by using a unique code that is found at the front of your textbook. This may not be available if you have purchased a second-hand copy.