Petros A. Kostagiolas

Intangible assets for academic libraries: Definitions, categorization and an exploration of management issues

Purpose – The aim of the paper is explore issues related to the intangible assets in libraries and provide first results regarding their identification, categorization, valuation and reporting.Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature for the intangible assets in academic libraries is provided and a number of important approaches related to the management of intangible assets are discussed.Findings – Library and information services include both tangible and intangible assets. In the economic reality of the twenty‐first century, the intangible assets critically contribute, in combination with the tangible assets, to the overall value and performance of academic libraries. Specific management actions and activities related to intangible assets are required.Research limitations/implications – This paper contributes to the discussion of the significance of intangible assets and some initial results are exhibited. The intention of this work however is to stimulate further research on the manage...

Music, musicians and information seeking behaviour

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine information seeking behaviour targeted to music information seeking by amateur musicians, accompanied with empirical evidence from a survey on a community concert band. While several studies in the literature have examined information seeking in the context of hedonic motives (e.g. entertainment oriented), music information can also be used for utilitarian purposes by providing amateur musicians the necessary tools to improve their skill and become better in their practice. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature on music information seeking and an empirical study on members of an amateur concert band are presented. The theoretical construct of the survey is informed by Wilsons’ macro model of information seeking behaviour. This is employed in order to understand information motives and needs, as well as obstacles in information seeking of musicians. Findings – Musicians seek information not only for entertainment but for educational purpo...

Conflict management and job satisfaction in paediatric hospitals in Greece

AIM To assess the major causes of conflict and to identify choices of strategy in handling conflicts. BACKGROUND Conflict is inherent to hospitals as in all complex organizations, and health personnel deal with internal and external conflicts daily. METHODS The sample consisted of 286 participants. A five-part questionnaire, specific for conflicts in hospitals, was administered to health personnel. RESULTS Of the participants 37% were physicians and 63% were nurses and nursing assistants. As far as choice of strategy in conflict management is concerned, avoidance was found to be the most frequent mode chosen while accommodation was the least frequent mode. Organizational problems were the main issue creating conflicts since 52% of nurses and 45% of physicians agreed that receiving direction from more than one manager may lead to conflicts (P=0.02). Educational differences and communication gaps were reported as another cause of conflicts, with nurses supporting this statement more than the other groups (P=0.006). CONCLUSION To become effective in conflict management nurses and physicians must understand causes and strategies in handling conflicts. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT Major changes are needed regarding human resource management, work incentives and dynamics of teamwork in order to improve working conditions in Greek public hospitals.

Issues and perceptions for ISO 9000 implementation in Greek academic libraries

Purpose – Quality has been defined in many different ways and it forms a complex and subjective concept, incorporating at any given time the true (expressed and implied) needs of all those involved. A possible approach in the context of library and information services is the implementation of a well‐known quality management system such as the ISO 9001:2000. This paper aims to investigate and empirically assess the current issues and the perceptions for quality management systems implementation in Greek academic libraries.Design/methodology/approach – An empirical qualitative survey based on the development of a questionnaire for semi‐structured interviews with the directors of Greek academic libraries. The study was conducted during the third quarter of 2007 in regard to the effects of quality management system implementation.Findings – The comparisons between approaches to, and perceptions of, quality management need to be balanced. An interest for ISO 9000:2000/ISO 9001:2000 has been observed in academ...

Music information seeking behaviour as motivator for musical creativity: conceptual analysis and literature review.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the connection between musicians’ information seeking behaviour and the creative process in music, providing a framework for understanding the role of information needs satisfaction in musical creativity. A number of studies in information science literature have been carried out attempting to model cognitive, affective, behavioural and contextual factors associated with music information seeking behaviour. However, only few studies have addressed the relationship between information seeking behaviour and musical creative activities such as composition, performance and improvisation, listening and analysis. Design/methodology/approach – The focus of this paper is to provide a framework for the study of information seeking behaviour for the purposes of satisfying musical creativity information needs, combining the theoretical basis of an established model of information behaviour developed by Wilson and the theoretical perspectives of a music creative t...

Strategic planning and management for the public libraries: The case of Greek central public libraries

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is twofold: to provide an overview of the present situation at the Greek central public libraries and to identify strategic development areas in regard to education and training, social and economic development, e‐government, reading policy, cultural cohesion and identity.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted in January and February 2008 through extensive semi‐structured interviews with all the 29 Greek central public libraries.Findings – The paper finds that a formal strategic plan is becoming necessary for the Greek central public libraries in order to understand themselves, redefine their policies and priorities, and further consider the needs and expectations of their users and of the society as a whole.Practical implications – This paper contributes to the discussion on the development of strategic planning aimed at the central public libraries in Greece and may assist in providing evidence for strategic planning in a national and/or in an institution...

A library management response model against the economic crisis

Purpose – Libraries in Greece are mostly financed by public sources, with private funding covering only a very small proportion of their budget. The deteriorating, slowly growing economic environment in Greece places additional pressure on the already understaffed and underfinanced public libraries. This paper aims at demonstrating that the tough economic conditions may provide a setting for innovation and quality enhancement which may lead in turn to a corresponding growth in the library sector.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative analysis is conducted in order to identify the potential of a novel management response model as a pathway for library survival within the fierce economic crisis.Findings – Specific suggestions are made for the management of public libraries, future policies and trends in the lines of learning/education/training services; social/economic development services; electronic government and citizen participation in public affairs services; cultural identity and social cohesion...

Examining Patterns of Information Behavior Among Healthcare Professionals: A Case Study on Health Psychologists

Psychologists are an understudied population in terms of information needs and information seeking behavior. This article provides theoretical analysis accompanied with some empirical evidence drawn from a nationwide survey of psychologists working in the Greek National Healthcare System (GNHS). The empirical study was conducted during the spring of 2011, through a specially designed questionnaire distributed to all psychologists within GNHS. Psychologists seek information for patient consultation purposes and for knowledge updating; they prefer using their personal library, internet search engines, and their colleagues as information sources, while the main obstacles they face include the lack of hospital libraries. This research identified the need to more strongly link hospital library services to health psychologists on the grounds of their information needs and behaviors.

Disaster management approaches for academic libraries: an issue not to be neglected in Greece

Purpose – Although issues on disaster prevention have extensively been studied in the literature and have been embedded in everyday library practices all over the world, the vast majority of Greek libraries have not developed any specific measures. This paper seeks to review several disaster management approaches for academic libraries and to make suggestions for Greek academic libraries by analyzing the results of a nationwide survey.Design/methodology/approach – The literature regarding disaster management approaches for academic libraries is reviewed and accompanied by a survey conducted in July 2010 in order to study the level of risk and disaster preparedness in Greek academic libraries.Findings – In Greece, disaster management within academic libraries seems to be dealt with inefficiently, if not completely neglected. The fearsome economic crisis is further degrading the level of disaster preparedness due to a number of side effects, including the lack of personnel and equipment maintenance activiti...

Responding to Crises with Alliances: Evidence from an Academic Library Survey in Greece

The global recession which began in 2008 affected the entire world including the European economy, with some countries being influenced more than others. At the end of 2012 the Greek economy was encountering a fourth consecutive year of deep recession while pressures to cut expenses in all sectors were still growing and making headline news. Academic libraries, which are dependent upon state funding, were experiencing the consequences of constant and deep budget cutbacks during that period. After a review the literature on the impact of the economic crisis on academic libraries in Greece, as well as at the international level, this chapter describes the results of a survey of Greek higher education academic libraries about the consequences of the devastatingly harsh economic environment in which they currently, and probably will continue to, exist. A survey was conducted online with 25 out of the 37 academic library directors in Greece. After analyzing the survey results, the authors describe strategies to sustain services and resources and propose strategies to adjust to a new fiscal reality. These strategies include synergies and alliances that academic libraries can achieve with various agencies within their educational institutions and/or externally. While the results are limited to a small number of academic libraries in one European country, all types of libraries can utilize the strategies outlined in this chapter.