Quality management initiatives in Balme Library: possibilities, challenges and constraints for top management commitment

Headnote

Keywords

Total quality management, Management attitudes, Academic libraries, Ghana

Abstract

The study stressed the important role of top management in an organization and examined the possibilities, challenges and constraints posed to librarians in the provision of quality service to the university community in Ghana. Using a case study approach, the study concluded that top management were fairly committed but were too financially handicapped to fulfill all the strategies and policies outlined.

Electronic access

The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-5124.htm

Introduction

In Ghana, Balme Library is the main and largest library. It was established to support teaching, research and learning by providing current resources and quality service to its clientele - that is, students, faculty and the university community. In recent years, the university's student admission has expanded dramatically from 8,495 students in 1996 to over 15,000 students in 2001 (University of Ghana, 2001a, b). The pressure of demand on the library has increased not just because of increasing number of students, but because of the high cost of books which make these beyond the reach of most students. The library has become the primary and sometimes the only source of information for students.

The dilemma of top managers in the library is to find out how best the library's services can be changed to meet the new demands placed on them since it is of central importance to the achievement of the aims and objectives of the University's Vision 2000 plus strategic plan.

Although a number of studies have been undertaken in the Balme Library to ascertain the effectiveness of services provided to customers (Katsekpor, 2000; Agbeh, 1997), no study has examined quality management initiatives with specific reference to the role of top management and their commitment. This study therefore examines the possibilities, challenges and constraints faced by top management in the bid to introduce total quality as a management tool to enhance the services provided to the university community.

Literature review

Quality has been defined as the "totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs" (BSI, 1987).

Quality management is that...