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Title Perceptions of leadership in the public library: a transnational study
Author(s) Mullins, John
Publication date 2004-06
Original citation Mullins, J. 2004. Perceptions of leadership in the public library: a
transnational study. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.
Type of publication Doctoral thesis
Link to publisher's http://library.ucc.ie/record=b1362005~S0
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subscription.
Rights © 2004, John Mullins
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Item downloaded http://hdl.handle.net/10468/801
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Perceptions of Leadership in the Public Library:
A Transnational Study

John Mullins, Dip. in Librarianship, BA, MComm

A thesis submitted for a degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
from the National University of Ireland
Cork

Department of Management and Marketing
Faculty of Commerce
National University of Ireland
Cork

Head of Department: Prof. Sebastian Green
Research Supervisor: Dr James S. Walsh

June 2004
The author hereby declares that,
except where duly acknowledged,
this thesis is entirely his own work
and has not been submitted for any
degree in the National University of
Ireland, or in any other University
CONTENTS
Page
Table of Contents i
List of Tables x
List of Figures xi
Dedication xii
Acknowledgements xiii
Summary xiv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1:0 Introduction 1
1:1 Rationale for the Study 2
1:1 .1 Paucity of Empirical Research on Public Library Leadership 4
1:1 .2 Lack of Research by Practising Librarians 8
1:2 Importance of Leadership in Librarianship 9
1:3 Centrality of Librarianship to Society 11
1:4 Research Focus and Theoretical Contributions of the Study 14

Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2:0 Introduction: Scope of Literature Review in This Study 17
2A:1 What is Leadership? 18
2A:1 .1 Leadership: An Overview 21
2A:2 Leadership and Cultural Contexts 23
2A:3 Leadership and Followers/Followership 24
2A:4 Requisites for Leaders/Leadership 28
2A:5 Leadership and Organizational Culture 29
2A:6 Importance of Leadership for Organizational Outcomes 31
2A:7 Background to Leadership Studies 32
2A:7 .1 Rationalism 34
2A:7 .2 Scientific Management Movement 35
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Page
2A:7 .3 Human Relations Movement 36
2A:8 Theories of Leadership 37
2A:8 .1 Trait theory 37
2A:8 .2 Style/Behavioural/Attitudinal Approach to Leadership 40
2A:8 .3 Ohio State Studies 42
2A:8 .4 The University of Michigan Leadership Studies 44
2A:8 .5 The Leadership Grid 46
2A:8 .6 Situational/Contingency Approaches to Leadership 50
2A:8 .6.1 ‘Situational’/‘Contingency’ Taxonomic Anomalies 51
2A:8 .7 Tannenbaum & Schmidt Continuum of Leadership Behaviour 53
2A:8 .8 Fiedler’s Contingency Theory of Leadership 55
2A:8 .9 Path–Goal Theory of Leadership 60
2A:8 .10 Vroom–Yetton–Jago Contingency/Participatory Theory 65
2A:8 .11 Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory 68
2A:8 .12 The Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) Model 73
2A:8 .13 Life Cycle Model 73
2A:8 .14 Contingency Theories of Leadership 74
2A:8 .15 Transformational Leadership 74
2A:8 .15.1 Current Topicality of Transformational Leadership 76
2A:8 .15.2 Transformational Leadership and the Transcending of Self-interest 79
2A:8 .15.3 Concepts Related to the Transformational–Transactional Paradigm 79
2A:8 .15.4 Effects of Personal Development on Transformational/
Transactional Leadership 81
2A:8 .15.5 Measurement of Transformational Leadership and Transactional
Leadership 83
2A:8 .15.6 Why Does Transformational Leadership Work? 86
2A:9 Intervening Mechanisms in Leadership 87
2A:1 0 E-Leadership and Recent Reciprocal Developments in Leadership
and Advanced Information Technology 91
2A:1 0.1 Leadership and Adaptation to New Technology 93
2A:1 0.2 Technology’s Effect on Leadership 93
2A:1 1 Quest for the Best Style of Leadership 95
2A:1 2 Obstacles to Reaching Leadership Positions 97
2A:1 3 Leadership Vs. Management 98
2A:1 3.1 Leadership and Management Functions Overlapping 104
2A:1 4 Leadership Vs. Headship 105
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2A:1 5 Can Leadership be Learned? 106
2A:1 6 Cultivating New Leaders 109
2B:1 Public Leadership 112
2B:2 Change in the Public Management Sector 114
2B:3 Public Sector Leadership Compared with Private Sector
Leadership 115
2B:4 Reforming Public Governance 118
2B:5 Improving Capabilities of the Public Sector 121
2B:6 Leadership in the Public Sector: A Summary 124
2C:1 Leadership in Librarianship: Introduction 125
2C:2 Need for Further Research on Leadership in Librarianship 127
2C:3 The Role of the Public Library 128
2C:4 Library Leaders: Ideal Traits and Behaviours 130
2C:4 .1 Trait 1: Vision 133
2C:4 .2 Trait 2: A Commitment to Public Libraries and a Sense of Mission
Towards Customers and Society 134
2C:4 .3 Trait 3: Courage and Risk-taking 136
2C:4 .4 Trait 4: Openness towards and Empowerment of Colleagues 139
2C:4 .5 Trait 5: People-centred Leadership 142
2C:4 .6 Trait 6: Trust 144
2C:4 .7 Trait 7: Positive Personal Principles/Values 145
2C:4 .8 Trait 8: Political Skills 147
2C:4 .9 Trait 9: Professional Networking 149
2C:4 .10 Trait 10: Marketing Skills 151
2C:4 .11 Trait 11: Embracing Change and Creativity 154
2C:4 .12 Trait 12: Realism 156
2C:4 .13 Trait 13: Self-awareness 158
2C:4 .14 Traits of Library Leaders: Summary 159
2C:5 The Role of Vision and Planning in Library Leadership 161
2C:6 Social Architecture 163
2C:7 Listening Skills 164
2C:8 The Leader as a Vulnerable Person 165
2C:9 Ambiguity and Confusion as an Aspect of Leadership 166
2C:1 0 Leadership at All Levels of Librarianship 167
2C:1 1 Followership in the Public Library Service 168
2C:1 2 Performance Measurement 169
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2C:1 3 Developing New Library Leaders 171
2C:1 3.1 Library Leadership Development Programmes 172
2C:1 3.2 Sceptical Views of Library Leadership Development Programmes 173
2C:1 4 Library Leadership and Technological Change 174
2C:1 5 Fiscal Leadership in Public Libraries 176
2C:1 6 The Future of Public Libraries 178
2C:1 7 Concluding Comments 178

CHAPTER 3
3:0 Introduction 181
3:1 Qualitative Evaluation Methods 182
3:2 The Long Interview 188
3:3 The Interview Guide 190
3:4 The Interview Pool 192
3:5 The Sample 193
3:6 Gaining Access 199
3:7 Arranging Dates 199
3:8 Interview Arrangements: Timing, Location and Length 200
3:9 Interview Procedure 201
3:1 0 The Degree of Structure 202
3:1 1 Tape-recording Interviews 203
3:1 2 The Interviewer–Respondent Relationship 204
3:1 3 Maintaining Control of the Interview 205
3:1 4 Interviewer Bias 206
3:1 5 The Period After the Interview and Transcribing the Interview 207
3:1 6 Organizing Qualitative Data for Analysis 208
3:1 7 Grounded Theory 209
3:1 8 The Importance of Coding Data for Analysis 212
3:1 9 Analysis of Data for this Study 215
3:2 0 Concluding Comments 217

iv
Chapter 4: FINDINGS
4:0 Introduction 218
4:0 .1 Categorization of Main Findings 220
4:1 Overview on Leadership, and Leader–Follower Relationships 221
4:1 .1 Leadership Fundamentals 221
4:1 .2 Leadership and Management 222
4:1 .3 Leadership and Followership 225
4:1 .4 Team Leadership: Sharing Authority with Followers 227
4:2 Central Role of the Leader 229
4:2 .1 The Leader as Determinant of Organizational Success 229
4:2 .1.1 The Leader as Participant in Organizational Success 232
4:2 .2 The Leader as Determinant of Organizational Culture 233
4:2 .2.1 The Leader as Participant in Organizational Culture 238
4:3 Qualities or Traits of Leaders 241
4:3 .1 Vision, the Primary Quality of a Public Library Leader 241
4:3 .2 Other Desired Qualities of Public Library Leaders 245
4:3 .3 Negative Traits/Practices of a Bad Public Library Leader 254
4:4 Career Narratives of Interviewed Library Leaders 257
4:4 .1 How Participants Chose a Career in Librarianship 257
4:4 .2 Mentoring Received by Participating Library Leaders 259
4:4 .2.1 The Counter Influence of Negative Mentors on Participants 261
4:4 .3 Participants’ Personal Styles of Leadership 262
4:4 .4 Significant Career Contributions by Participating Leaders 268
4:4 .5 Why Participants Continue in Their Careers 270
4:5 Leadership and Communication 274
4:5 .1 Organizational Communication: An Overview 275
4:5 .1.1 Leader and Communication with Front-line Staff 279
4:5 .2 Leaders and Formal Staff Meetings with Staff 282
4:5 .3 Use of News Media by Leaders 286
4:5 .3.1 Leaders’ Views on Staff Dealing with News Media 289
4:5 .4 Leaders and Networking 291
4:5 .5 Leadership and Politics 295
4:5 .6 Socializing with Internal Colleagues 297
4:5 .6.1 Leaders Socializing and Internal Hierarchy 301
4:5 .7 Risk of Leader Isolation and the Curtailing of Feedback 303
4:5 .8 Information Technology and Leadership 306
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4:5 .9 Storytelling as Part of Leadership Communication 309
4:5 .10 Figurehead and Spokesperson Roles in Leadership 310
4:6 The Leader’s Role as Teacher, Role Model, and Nurturer of New
Leaders 312
4:6 .1 The Leader as Teacher/Mentor 312
4:6 .2 The Leader as Role Model 315
4:6 .2.1 Role Modelling Modifying Leader’s Own Behaviour 316
4:6 .3 Nurturing New Leaders 318
4:7 People-centred Leadership 322
4:7 .1 Trust 325
4:7 .2 Integrity and Leadership 328
4:7 .3 Leaders’ Attitudes to In-house Challenges 330
4:7 .4 Leaders as Emotional/Psychological Supporters of Staff 334
4:7 .5 Humour and Happiness as Catalysts for Better Work Outcomes 339
4:8 Difficulties Associated with Leading 341
4:8 .1 Paucity Of Leadership in Many Libraries 341
4:8 .2 Difficulties for Leaders 344
4:8 .2.1 Onus on Library Leaders to Work Long Hours 344
4:8 .2.2 Leader as Vulnerable 346
4:8 .2.3 Negative Stereotyping Limiting Career Prospects Outside
Librarianship 349
4:8 .2.4 Negative or Toxic Leadership 350
4:8 .2.5 Miscellaneous Difficulties for Library Leaders 352
4:8 .3 Gender and Leaders: Difficulties and Related Issues 355
4:8 .3.1 Gender-based Difficulties for Leader–Follower Relationships 359
4:9 Leaders’ Perspectives on Current and Future Library Service 361
4:9 .1 Library Leaders’ Priorities for Public Library Services 361
4:9 .2 Social/Community Role of Library Leaders 367
4:9 .3 Constraints on Service 370
4:9 .4 Leaders’ Medium-term (five-year) Vision for Library Service 377
4:9 .5 Leaders’ Speculations on the Future of Library Services 383
4:1 0 Concluding Comments 391

vi
Chapter 5: ANALYSIS OF DATA
5:0 Introduction 393
5:1 Overview on Leadership, and Leader–Follower Relationships 393
5:1 .1 Leadership Fundamentals 394
5:1 .2 Leadership and Management 395
5:1 .3 Leadership and Followership 396
5:1 .4 Team Leadership: Sharing Authority with Followers 398
5:2 Central Role of the Leader 399
5:2 .1 The Leader as Determinant of Organizational Success 399
5:2 .1.1 The Leader as Participant in Organizational Success 401
5:2 .2 The Leader as Determinant of Organizational Culture 401
5:2 .2.1 The Leader as Participant in Organizational Culture 403
5:3 Qualities or Traits of Leaders 405
5:3 .1 Vision, the Primary Quality of a Public Library Leader 406
5:3 .2 Other Desired Qualities of Public Library Leaders 408
5:3 .3 Negative Traits/Practices of a Bad Public Library Leader 413
5:4 Career Narratives of Interviewed Library Leaders 415
5:4 .1 How Participants Chose a Career in Librarianship 415
5:4 .2 Mentoring Received by Participating Library Leaders 416
5:4 .2.1 The Counter Influence of Negative Mentors on Participants 418
5:4 .3 Participants’ Personal Styles of Leadership 419
5:4 .4 Significant Career Contributions by Participating Leaders 421
5:4 .5 Why Participants Continue in Their Careers 422
5:5 Leadership and Communication 425
5:5 .1 Organizational Communication: An Overview 425
5:5 .1.1 Leader and Communication with Front-line Staff 428
5:5 .2 Leaders and Formal Staff Meetings with Staff 429
5:5 .3 Use of News Media by Leaders 430
5:5 .3.1 Leaders’ Views on Staff Dealing with News Media 432
5:5 .4 Leaders and Networking 433
5:5 .5 Leadership and Politics 435
5:5 .6 Socializing with Internal Colleagues 436
5:5 .6.1 Leaders Socializing and Internal Hierarchy 439
5:5 .7 Risk of Leader Isolation and the Curtailing of Feedback 439
5:5 .8 Information Technology and Leadership 442
5:5 .9 Storytelling as Part of Leadership Communication 443
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