Professional Identity, Career Mobility, and Change Management Strategies for University Libraries in South West Nigeria
© Author(s), 2026.
Licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Abstract
Change is inevitable in today's dynamic workplace, particularly in librarianship. This article explores change management tactics that support professional identity, career mobility and professional development, helping library professionals remain viable. The researchers examined how embracing change could advance librarians' careers. Additionally, it looked at how South-West Nigerian librarians use new technologies, grow in their careers, and adjust to shifting job responsibilities. The study employed a survey design. A structured and validated questionnaire was used to collect data. The population for the study consisted of 430 academic librarians in universities in South-West, Nigeria. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients for the constructs ranged from 0.78 to 0.87. The response rate was 88.4% and the data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential (simple and multiple regression) statistics at a 5% significance level. The result of this study shows that librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria agreed that change management strategies were carried out in the university libraries. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 was used to analyze the data. The study concluded that careers are all about flexibility, creativity, and willing to make bold professional moves. It was recommended that the management of universities and library administration should ensure that every stakeholder of the institution are engaged in the change justification, expected outcomes, and required actions.
Keywords:
Change Management, Career, Career Mobility, University Librarians, Professional Identity, Professional Development1. Introduction
Much has been written about academic libraries' change management; however; there is a dearth of literature on change management and professional identity of academic librarians in university libraries in Nigeria, Africa, Asia and all over the world generally. Several studies have looked into change management of university library employees in institutions overseas, issues of dissatisfaction with professional development, skill acquisition, funding of the library, infrastructure, and resources are all areas of discourse in this literature. However, several key findings from the literature found that some elements of change management are information technology, librarians' resistance to change, and lack of support for professional development. Due to the impact of the ever-changing ICTs, librarians’ image and professional identity are altering. It has, therefore, become imperative for academic librarians to be consistently proactive, and innovative, and develop themselves to remain relevant on their job (Nagare, 2025).
Furthermore, the majority of the literature on change management comes from research undertaken in the United States, Europe, and Asia that focuses on academic librarians' personality, sex, race, and ethnicity, this study will however focus on majorly on Nigeria and Africa. Yaya (2019) rightly asserts that workplace contentment is as crucial to librarians as it is in other professions. Moreover, the profession is still experiencing discrepancies in the issues of recognition, promotion, standards, and retention of librarians. Hence, at the 14th bi-annual conference and general meeting of the Association of University Librarians of Nigerian Universities (AULNU) at Abuja in 2021, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed) noted that their academic librarians were appointed and promoted in an inconsistent manner in Nigerian Universities (Tolu-Kolawole, 2021). He noted that there were apparent inconsistencies in the requirement of appointment to the University Librarian’s position by different universities, though the responsibilities and duties are statutory.
Due to the change in society as necessitated by the digital age, the role of librarians all over the world has been experiencing hitches in the aspect of librarians’ career structure, career progression, and status. Today, librarians are essential in instructing people on how to critically analyze material, use online databases, and perform efficient research. To assist users in developing information literacy, they create and conduct educational programs, workshops, and one-on-one consultations. Librarians have had to learn new skills to manage digital information, give technical help, and make use of developing technologies. Electronic resources including e-books, e-journals, and online databases are increasingly being acquired, arranged, and curated by librarians. This change necessitates that librarians know digital preservation, license contracts, and metadata management. Overall, the explanation for the change in librarians' professions and jobs is driven by the need to remain relevant and responsive to the shifting information landscape, user expectations, and developing technology. Therefore, librarians need to communicate the significance of libraries and librarians in the present-day library and information science professional spirit. An understanding of how the specialists define their own identity is extremely useful in thinking about the library's role in modern civilization and its ability to be ahead of its time (Lane, 2018; Pierson, Goulding, & Campbell-Meier, 2020).
2. Literature Review
2.1 Changes Management Strategies in Academic Libraries
University libraries must constantly update their services, and strategies to assess their needs and those of their target audiences (Otike, Barat & Kiszl, 2022). Library heads need to address the important questions of why, what, who, when, and how to understand the different types of changes including the planned, unplanned, incremental, marginal, transitional, or transformational. Hence, to avoid setbacks in the growth of the institutions and the get the expected productivity of staff, it is crucial to consider the change management strategies employed by the different university librarians. Public sector library heads emphasize continuing education, training, and development of their staff to produce a positive impact on operations and the overall performance of libraries. Change management strategies in the context of university libraries of the twenty-first century therefore, refers to the systematic approach and processes involved in the planning, implementation, and management of changes within the library's structure, services, and operations (Gunapala et al., 2020; Oketunji, 2017).
Academic libraries need to use technology advancement pertinent to new trends of specific technologies to interact and build alliances across institutions. Numerous researchers and scholars all over the world have investigated change management in academic libraries; however, few studies have investigated change management strategies for enhanced efficient, effective, and profitable services. At its libraries and throughout its campus, Michigan State University (MSU) adopted sustainable reforms. The MSU Libraries' Library Environmental Committee serves as a leader in sustainability at the university and collaborates with several other departments, including MSU Sustainability. The MSU Libraries have carried out and taken the lead on several initiatives, such as staff training seminars, active recycling programs that encourage student participation, energy conservation, and waste reduction. By lowering food waste at landfills thanks to a compost collection program started by the library, Oregon State University Libraries, and Press have tried to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. To prepare students to become aware, well-organized leaders with the capacity to make complicated decisions, the University of Calgary in Canada has introduced sustainable information literacy teaching as a first-year course (Stoeckle & Campbell, 2019). The development of a clear vision based on the demands and input of stakeholders is essential for leadership (Tribelhorn, 2023). Hence, libraries are strategically positioning themselves to be change agents in their environments.
Several libraries in China have prioritized economic and social development while giving little thought to environmental sustainability this has harmed practical long-term solutions and underlined the importance of libraries in Chinese colleges and universities. Arguably, this inequality will harm the neighborhood (Huang et al 2022). In addition, certain Chinese colleges have adopted various smaller projects as well as several larger ones to improve resource conservation and lower energy usage, including sustainable building designs for their libraries. Further study by Huang et al (2022) on the investigation and analysis of the university library organizational climate in China revealed that university librarians in China had low job satisfaction. The management's weaknesses are found primarily in the two areas of climate for management justice and climate for staff support; while the leadership of libraries has started to value climate for innovation, it still lacks effective policies and support systems; the two aspects that perform well are interpersonal harmony and employees' sense of responsibility. However, Zhao, Zhang, and Wang (2019) stated in recent development that the administration of library resources is receiving increasing attention from Chinese governments. China's level of scientific and technological development is likewise progressively rising. With the aid of science and technology, an increasing number of library resources and literature data have realized the production and storage of diversified scientific knowledge.
In developing countries, like Kenya, many academic libraries are facing additional challenges hindering long-term sustainability. These challenges include no commitment from leadership, no established standard practices, policies, or procedures, limited resources, limited skills, and training, no funding, limited collaboration, and antiquated technology, as described for digital collections (Masenya, 2020), but could be applied to all aspects of sustainability. These are dysfunctional systems unable to address inequities effectively in any area of sustainability, ultimately resulting in these academic libraries being unable to support their communities. Typically, these challenges can occur in all academic libraries to different degrees, not just those from impoverished countries. Makanga (2019) observed that the Technical University of Kenya Library management should strategize to meet the expectations of the university community. This study investigated the challenge of how the Technical University of Kenya Library managers embrace change to meet the expectations of the university community.
Appiah, Adams and Adu (2016) observed that most academic libraries in Ghana had problems with the implementation of change initiatives thus many failed at the implementation stage. The resistance of employees, inadequate planning periods, lack of adequate communication, an attempt to change everything at once, and half-hearted management commitment coupled with financial constraints account for the failure of most change initiatives in academic libraries in Ghana. At the Balme Library, the researchers revealed that the most frequent problems that affect change implementation in academic libraries include the absence of a highly visible leader to take ownership of projects, a longer than planned time frame to complete the change process, major unanticipated problems, and ineffective coordination of activities (Dadzie & Mensah, 2022). Furthermore, researchers observed that most academic libraries in Ghana had problems with the implementation of change initiatives, thus many failed at the implementation stage. (Appiah, Adams, & Adu, 2016; Dadzie & Mensah, 2022).
In Nigeria, many researchers observed that maintaining the university's e-library comes at a high expense, doing nothing is riskier. Librarians cannot afford to stay in their current position; they must change with the times or perish. The researchers stated that funding is the biggest issue for libraries. In the face of declining financing, it is not possible to provide enhanced, successful, efficient, and sustainable information services, as well as access to a wide range of knowledge and information sources (Enweani, 2018; Ifijeh & Yusuf 2020; Okere & Olorunfemi, 2018). In the same vein, other studies' findings revealed that institutions had installed the most modern technology in teaching, registration, admissions, and internet access, among other areas, because of technological advancements (Archibong & Ibrahim 2021). In addition, the sudden global epidemic known as COVID-19, which at one point resulted in movement restrictions and a general state of lockdown around the globe quickly enhanced the technology options available to change management strategies to lighten the workload and improve competence in the profession. Change management is the strategy used to go from the current situation to the one that is preferred. The majority of research on library change management strategies in the literature focuses on unfreezing, changing, and refreezing (Hickman, 2017; Pinfield, 2017).
Specifically, the study sought to:
- • find out which change management strategies are carried out in university libraries by university librarians in South-West, Nigeria.
- • ascertain librarians' professional identity in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria;
- • examine the extent of career mobility of librarians in university libraries in the South-West, of Nigeria.
The hypothesis was tested at a 0.05 level of significance in the study:
- • H1. Professional identity (indicators) has no significant influence on change management in the university libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
- • H1. Career mobility (indicators) has no significant influence on change management in the university libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Professional identity is one’s character observed in relation to an occupation and one’s affiliation with it. Professional identity is generated through a person’s values, beliefs, motives, attitudes, and experiences. People describe themselves, in their present or projected professional life through the basis of this identity. It is linked with the accumulation of symbolic resources including status and esteem, mastery, a sense of belonging, and attachment. Professional identity refers to one's sense of self as a member of a profession based on their values, beliefs, roles, and practices (Andrikopoulou, Rowley & Walton, 2022). Professional identity has to do with how individuals and groups perceive the occupations, how they relate and form an alliance in their respective careers, work, or jobs. It affects how individuals or groups are awarded higher degrees, payments, or independence. Hicks (2016) states that while an image or professional image is the way others understand or construe the profession, identity is the depiction or illustration of the self within definite social practices; it reports that it is a demand of "who I am" and "how I should act".
Consequently, different professions amass skills and competence that are specifically appreciated by their associations, institutions, companies, and professional bodies. These competencies enhance their work and determine the professional identity of individuals in the profession. Therefore, professional identity is measured by social comparison, social categorization, and social identity (Trepte & Loy, 2017). People are organized into groups according to social information through a process called social categorization. Social categorization is the classification of other people into distinct categories based on the characteristics deemed relevant by society. Social categories include age group, gender, occupation, and race. Social categorization is crucial as it denotes how persons perceive themselves and how others perceive them (Stolier & Freeman, 2016).
2.2 Career Mobility
Cheery (2020) noted that people usually compare themselves in their social world. Moreover, it is worthy of note that when people are not satisfied with their job status, or when they need to improve, they compare themselves with their contemporaries and consider changing job roles for better work conditions and remuneration, hence they consider career or job mobility. Consequently, career mobility is another factor that influences change management strategies and it has become a significant attribute of many workers' career paths. It involves individuals' movement within or between establishments, institutions, and organizations in the path of their work lives. It refers to employees' movement across levels, grades, and positions in the institutions (Grunau & Pecoraro, 2017). It is an extended period, which fundamentally, integrates all likely activities in an individual's job. Employees rarely work in the same position, institution, or organization for the rest of their careers, according to the concept of career mobility. They may advance their careers by transferring to a different position within their present establishment or changing institution.
Bidwell and Mollick (2015) stated that researchers have created propositions regarding the various internal and external roles that work mobility may perform in occupations using matching perspectives on job mobility. Besides, the research on career mobility is essential, as researchers reflect on exactly how people's vocations develop and progress. Internal mobility implies that individuals move from one job function to another and from one rank to another within an institution or profession. Sicherman and Galor (1990) noted that career mobility progression involves two dimensions; intra-firm mobility and inter-firm mobility. Intra-firm mobility is defined by the employer's decision; it is based on the employee's education, skills, work experience, and abilities, and it has to do with advancement, promotion or demotion on the job. The possibility of promotion is unpredictable in intra-firm mobility since it depends on the policy of the institution or the employers’ decision. By query or downsizing on the jobs, the employer determines when to promote employees who are performing well and when to demote those who are underperforming. Therefore, in such cases, the employers determine the quality and structure of change management strategies in the institutions and ultimately the university libraries.
Conversely, in the case of inter-firm mobility, employees, decide whether to migrate across institutions. It has to do with the employee's best timing and quitting period to optimize their predicted lifetime earnings. Therefore, in inter-firm mobility, workers determine their optimal change by improving themselves through continuing education, training, and professional development (Di Lorenzo & Almeida, 2017). The employees decide on their movement within the workplace for impact, training, and career progression. Lynch, Young, Jowaisas, Boakye-Achampong and Sam (2022) noted that establishments are increasingly prepared to accept candidates who are making career changes in today's ultra-competitive job market. Additionally, for the library profession all over the world, some librarians are employed on a tenure basis, while some are employed on the non-tenure basis, some have academic or faculty status, and some have non-academic work status. Therefore, librarians do not have the same working condition, hence intra-firm career mobility provides the platform for librarians to rotate job roles several times on the job, thereby allowing them to gain mastery of knowledge, expertise, and proficiencies. Librarians’ job rotation is very useful in many job designs; it enables functionality and flexibility of tasks overtime. Job rotation is closely linked with career mobility and also encourages the staff to be satisfied with their jobs (Duffield & Velasquez, 2019; Mahalakshmi & Uthayasuriyan, 2015).
3. Methodology
The study employed survey design, this is because survey allows a questionnaire to be distributed to the target population to obtain comprehensive information about the population's characteristics, attitudes, perceptions, and actions (Christopher & Udoh, 2020). A structured and validated questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential (simple and multiple regression) statistics at a 5% significance level. The study adopted total enumeration. The geographical region chosen for this study is South-West zone. This is because the South-West geopolitical region is considered to have the highest number of public and private universities in Nigeria. The population consists of all 430 librarians working in public and private university libraries in the South-West, Nigeria. The population of librarians in Federal universities was 144, while those in the State University were 106 librarians, and the population of librarians in private universities was 180 making it a total of 430 librarians working in Federal, State, and Private university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. According to the Federal Republic of Nigeria National Universities Commission (NUC), there are 62 universities, 9 are Federal universities, 12 are State universities and 36 are private universities in the South-West, Nigeria. (National Universities Commission NUC, 2023). The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients for the constructs ranged from 0.78 to 0.87.
A total of 380 respondents responded and completed the survey questionnaire and they were analyzable giving a response rate of 88.4%. The results of the analyses are presented in tables 1-5.
3.1 Result Presentation based on the research questions
Research Question 1: What are the change management strategies carried out in the university libraries in South-West, Nigeria?
The librarians’ population of federal, state, and private universities in South-West, Nigeria
Table 2 reveals the demographic information of the respondents. The result shows that out of 380 respondents, 210 (55.3%) respondents were female, and 170 (44.7%) respondents were male. This implies that there was almost an equal representation of the two genders in this study; however, female librarians are more than male librarians. The result shows that 118 (39.2%) respondents were between the age range of 31 and 40 years while only 17 (4.5%) respondents were 61 years and above. The finding shows that the majority of the respondents 112 (29.5%) were Librarian I, while assistant Librarians were next at 22 (5.8%) respondents. The result shows that 125 (32.9%) of the respondents had 21-30 years of work experience while only 10 (2.6%) respondents had 51 years and above work experience. The result shows that 180 (47.4%) respondents had a Master's degree while only 15 (3.9%) respondents had OND.
Frequency Distribution of Demographic Information of Respondents
Table 3 presents the frequency distribution of change management strategies embarked on in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. The result shows that 230 (60.5%) respondents indicated that their university libraries embarked on a change of leadership. The result shows that 195 (51.3%) respondents indicated that their university libraries embarked on a change of the corporate structures. The result shows that 226 (59.5%) respondents indicated that their university libraries embarked on organizational structure change. The result shows that 165 (43.4%) respondents indicated that their university libraries embarked on task change. The result shows that 173 (45.5%) respondents indicated that their university libraries embarked on a change in organizational culture. The result shows that 168 (44.2%) respondents indicated that their university libraries embarked on a change of library practice. The result shows that 183 (48.2%) respondents indicated that their university libraries embarked on a change in the library environment. The result shows that 152 (40.0%) respondents indicated that their university libraries embarked on a change in the learning environment. The result shows that 145 (38.2%) respondents indicated that their university libraries embarked on staff training. The result shows that 162 (42.6%) respondents indicated that their university libraries embarked on capacity development. The result shows that 230 (60.5%) respondents indicated that their university libraries embarked on job rotation.
Change Management Strategies Embarked on in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Table 3.1 reveals the descriptive analysis of change as one of the change management strategies carried out in the university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. The result shows that the Weighted Mean of unfreeze as one of the change management strategies carried out in the university libraries in South-West, Nigeria is x̅ = 3.08. This implies that librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria are aware of unfreeze activities as change management strategies are carried out in the university libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Unfreeze, Change, and Refreeze (indicators) of Change Management Strategies Carried Out in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria
The result also indicated that the Weighted Mean of change as one of the change management strategies carried out in the university libraries in South-West, Nigeria is x̅ = 3.38. This implies that librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria agreed that change is one of the change management strategies carried out in the university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. The descriptive analysis of refreeze reveals change management strategies as one of the carried out in the university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. The result shows that the Weighted Mean of refreeze is one of the change management strategies carried out in the university libraries in South-West, Nigeria at x̅ = 3.43. This implies that librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria agreed that refreezing is one of the change management strategies carried out in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. Therefore; the result of this study shows that librarians in university libraries in South-West Nigeria, agreed that unfreeze, change, and refreeze are change management strategies that were carried out in the university libraries.
Research Question 2: What constitutes the professional identity of librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria?
Table 3.2 shows the results of what constitutes the professional identity of librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. The result revealed that professional identity was considered under three indicators namely social categorization, social identification, and social comparison. The weighted mean for each indicator was used as the benchmark. For social categorization, the weighted mean was x̅ = 3.51, which indicated that the majority of the respondents strongly agreed with the social categorization of their professional identity. Similarly, the weighted mean of the social identification was x̅ = 3.32, which indicated that the majority of the respondents agreed with the social identification of their professional identity. Furthermore, the weighted mean of the social comparison was x̅ = 3.36, which indicated that the majority of the respondents agreed with the social comparison of their professional identity. However, the overall, weighted mean was x̅ = 3.36. This indicated that librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria agreed with what constitutes their professional identity.
Descriptive Analysis of what Constitute Professional Identity of Librarians in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria
Table 3.3 shows the results of the extent of career mobility of librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. The result revealed that career mobility was considered under two indicators namely intra-firm career mobility and inter-firm career mobility. The weighted mean for each indicator was used as the benchmark. For intra-firm career mobility, the weighted mean was x̅ = 3.37, which indicated that there is a high extent of intra-firm career mobility of librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. Similarly, the weighted mean for inter-firm career mobility was x̅ = 3.43, which indicated that there is a high extent of inter-firm career mobility of librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. However, the overall, weighted mean was x̅ = 3.40. This indicated that there is a high extent of career mobility for librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Descriptive Analysis of Extent of Career Mobility of Librarians in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria
Hypothesis One: Professional identity has no significant influence on change management in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Table 3.4a-c: Linear Regression Analysis of the Influence of Professional Identity on Change Management in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Model Summary of the Influence of Professional Identity on Change Management in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Table 3.4 shows that the R-Square is 0.866; this means that 86.6% of the variation of professional identity can be explained by change management in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Table 3.4a shows that the analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the regression yielded an F-value of 820.410 (P = 0.000). This implies that professional identity significantly influences change management in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. The significant value of 0.000 is the calculated value and it is used to compare the t-tabulated value of 0.05 (5% standard value). Since the p-value = 0.000, the null hypothesis is rejected. Therefore, professional identity significantly influences change management in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. However, table 3.4c further shows that all the indicators of professional identity which are: social categorization with (β = 0.283; P < 0.05), social identification with (β = 0. 332; P < 0.05), and social comparison with (β = 0. 499; P < 0.05) had an individual significant influence on change management in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria
Anova Summary of the Influence of Professional Identity on Change Management in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria
Coefficients Summary of the Influence of Professional Identity on Change Management in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria
The result of this study shows that professional identity significantly influences change management in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. The findings of this study agreed with the findings of Sares and Bales (2014) who interviewed 15 American Library Association respondents, four men and eleven women. The researchers developed a grounded theory of librarians' professional identity that described librarians' two theoretical groups and helped model the participants' opinions as first positioning oneself to drive change in an ever-changing professional occupation. Then secondly, explained the early, mid, and late-career concepts of workers, noting that the overall professional identity of workers can help them achieve satisfaction in their careers. The findings of this study also agreed with the findings of Williamson and Lounsbury (2016) who compared the personality traits of 88 librarians on the LIBREF, DIGLIB, and T.L.A. listserv for Tennessee, U.S.A. and reported that professional identity labels them as service-oriented and change-focused.
Hypothesis Two: Career mobility has no significant influence on change management in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Table 3.5a-c: Linear Regression Analysis of the Influence of Career Mobility on Change Management in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Model Summary of the Influence of Career Mobility on Change Management in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Table 3.5a shows that the R-Square of career mobility is 0.702; this means that a 70.2% variation in career mobility can be explained by change management in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. Table 3.5b shows that the analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the regression yielded an F-value of 443.150 (P = 0.000). This implies that career mobility significantly influences change management in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. The significant value of 0.000 is the calculated value and it is used to compare the t-tabulated value of 0.05 (5% standard value). Since the p-value = 0.000, the null hypothesis is rejected. Therefore, career mobility significantly influences change management in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. However, table 3.5c further shows that the two indicators of career mobility which are: intra-firm career mobility with (β = 0.606; P < 0.05) and inter-firm career mobility with (β = 0.283; P < 0.05) had an individual significant influence on change management in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Anova Summary of the Influence of Career Mobility on Change Management in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria
Coefficients Summary of the Influence of Career Mobility on Change Management in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
4. Discussion of the Findings
The study supports Dadzie and Mensah (2022) observation that there is a lack of literature on change management in libraries, particularly in Africa. Most of the other studies on the subject have focused on changes in technology, resources, and services that libraries provide. This study therefore was directed toward improving the change management strategies of university libraries. However, there seems to be a low awareness of the changes to be made in many university libraries and a low awareness of library policies on change management in university libraries. The results presented by Du Plessis and Mabunda (2016) supports the major findings that participants said they adapted to change because of self-motivation and when the new technology showed great benefit to the service they delivered. Adeyoyin, Abayomi, and Bello's (2012) findings further supported the study that organizational structure influences all change management and programs, therefore the changes needs to be contextual and comprehensive. This finding also supports Glusker, Emmelhainz, Estrada, and Dyess (2022) that librarians who see prospects for mobility inside or outside the library profession or for career promotion may be more adaptable because they view change as an opportunity to grow their expertise and experience. In contrast, people with low expectations for their careers could be less amenable to change, particularly if they think it will compromise their stability. However, change management strategies open many doors to those who desire career advancement and personal growth.
The result revealed that professional identity was considered under three indicators namely social categorization, social identification, and social comparison. The result of this study shows that librarians in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria agreed with what constitutes their professional identity. The results further agree with Moonasar (2024) findings which indicated that librarians who strongly identify with their profession may be more inclined to adopt changes that align with their professional values and standards. The findings of this study agreed with the findings of Walters (2016) who reported that active involvement in scholarly productivity, and building professional affinity between librarians and regular faculty might increase their perceived image as faculty. The result suggested that the faculty subculture influences librarians' academic output only when there is no robust librarian subculture with its study standards.
In other words, a change of status will occur by setting university-wide expectations for research, when the institution motivates the librarians. The findings of this study are in line with the findings of Galbraith, Garrison, and Hales' (2016) who conducted a survey research design, and the findings highlighted the differences in opinion between the faculty status of librarians, and the regular faculty, tenure and tenure-track librarians. Academic librarians with faculty status and tenure exhibited positive perceptions, while the non-faculty and tenured-tracked librarians did not. From the findings, it is essential to note that social categorization, social identity, social comparison, and professional recognition, which are the research variables, are essential to academic librarians. It would determine their performance and contribute to their satisfaction with their jobs.
The findings of this study agreed with the findings of Kennedy and Antúnez (2017) that for career-focused librarians,' changing jobs is becoming the norm because job changes include; changes in job responsibilities, leadership changes, or retirement rates, etc. When people make conscious efforts to change jobs (internally or externally), they aim to become satisfied with their career path. Conversely, the finding revealed that undereducated workers might be forced to remain in certain ranks, in the long run, experiencing low-income wages because of their education level, while those who are overeducated by making active movement on their career paths, seek better career prospects and get better remuneration. The findings of this study corroborated Wen and Maani (2019) who reported divergent job mobility theory has an effect on whether workers are skill-matched; therefore, indicating that job mismatch is a cost-effective apprehension rather than a temporary stage.
4.1 Recommendations
The study's findings have an impact on the government, LIS schools, university administrations, professional librarians, and the Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN). Based on the study's findings, the following suggestions were offered to deal with these issues:
1. Make sure that all parties in the university management and library administration involved understand the rationale behind the change, the anticipated results, and the necessary steps. Staff members' comprehension and support of one another are enhanced by this.
2. The Nigerian government and the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) should ensure that there is a uniform standard for all Library and Information Science programs in public and private universities and the salary of university librarians should also be at par with other professionals because many academic librarians disagree that their pay is comparable with other professions. Hence, there seems to be a disparity in the salary and benefits of academic librarians as compared with other professionals.
3. From the findings, academic librarians agreed that there is a shortage of university librarians on the job. Library administrators, lecturers and staff should be supportive of the reform process that will actively involve change in the curriculum of LIS and push the change. They should overcome resistance to change and be a source of inspiration and dedication to the upcoming generation.
4.2 Implication of the study
The implication of the study can be clearly drawn at three levels: theoretical, practical, and policy/professional.
The study contributes to knowledge by empirically confirming that professional identity and career mobility are significant predictors of change management strategies. It extends existing theories on organizational change by integrating identity-based and career-development perspectives within the context of academic librarianship in Nigeria.
The study implies that librarians' professional identities are crucial for successful change management in university libraries. Institutional leadership and both internal and external changes make it difficult for university libraries to implement change management techniques. As a result, University librarians ought to actively promote settings that enhance librarians' sense of professional identity and offer distinct career development options. Librarians are more likely to accept and successfully execute organizational change when they have a good perception of their work and see prospects for advancement. The core of one's professional identity is derived from observable daily behaviours. Professionals evaluate how their circumstances and compared to those of other professions since it is a characteristic of people at work.
Researchers have found throughout time that librarians adjust to change gradually. It was unclear why this was happening. This persists in spite of the emergence of new competitors, the spread of knowledge, and advancements in technology.
The study has important implications for regulatory and professional bodies such as the Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN), LIS training institutions, and university management. These bodies should:
- • Strengthen professional standards in librarianship
- • Promote structured continuous professional development (CPD)
- • Support policies that encourage career progression and mobility
- • Enhance leadership practices that support change readiness
The findings imply that continuous self-development, skill acquisition, and professional reorientation are essential for librarians to remain relevant in a rapidly changing information environment. Strengthening professional identity enhances librarians’ confidence, adaptability, and willingness to adopt new technologies and roles, thereby improving their response to change initiatives. The implication of the study has proven that for professional librarians to enjoy a progressive career path from library schools through to the employment sectors; there is need for them to stay relevant by being an up-to-date employable skilled librarian and develop transferable career skills.
5. Conclusion
The study was directed toward improving the change management strategies of academic libraries, hence it established the indicators of professional identity, career mobility and change management strategies of university librarians in South-West, Nigeria. The result of this study shows that the librarians in university libraries agreed that the indicators of professional identity are social categorization, social identification, and social comparison; while, career mobility was considered under two indicators namely intra-firm career mobility and inter-firm career mobility. Unfreeze, change, and refreeze are indicators of change management strategies that are carried out in the university libraries. The study concluded that professional identity and career mobility influenced the change management strategies of university librarians in South-West, Nigeria. And there is a positive relationship between professional identity, career mobility and the change management strategies of university librarians. The result of this study shows that librarians in university libraries agreed with what constitutes their professional identity, but some other professional lacked the understanding of what constitutes the professional identity of librarians and what librarians’ roles entail, and they did not think librarianship was a legitimate profession. As a result, many young people were hesitant to choose librarianship as a career path. The result of the study further shows that there is a high extent of career mobility for librarians in university libraries, especially inter-firm mobility in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria. The gap for this study provided cases for changes for individuals, especially women who might opt for job rotation, instead of outright migration, which is possibly due to household responsibility. The result of the study also shows that professional identity and career mobility jointly, significantly influence change management strategies in university libraries in South-West, Nigeria.
Statements and Declarations
Author’s Contributions: Conceptualisation: Itsekor Orighomisan Victoria; Prof. Haliso, Yacob, Prof. Unegbu, Vincent; Methodology: Itsekor Orighomisan Victoria, Prof. Haliso, Yacob, Prof. Unegbu Vincent; Data collection: Itsekor Orighomisan Victoria; Analysis: Itsekor Orighomisan Victoria, Prof. Haliso, Yacob, Prof. Unegbu. Original Draft preparation: Itsekor Orighomisan Victoria; Writing- review and editing: Itsekor Orighomisan Victoria, Prof. Haliso, Yacob, Prof. Unegbu Vincent; Supervision: Prof. Haliso, Yacob, and Prof. Unegbu Vincent. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript
Funding: The research received no external funding. All expenses involved in the research and data collection were borne by the authors.
Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on reasonable request from the corresponding author.
Institutional Review Board Statement: The study was conducted in accordance with the relevant ethical guidelines and approved by Babcock University, Health Research and Ethics Committee with number NHREC/24/01/2020.
Informed Consent Statement: An informed consent was obtained from all the study participants.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no competing or conflict of interest. The output of the study is the true state of affairs among the studied participants.
Generative AI Use Statement: Quilbot alone was used to edit, paraphrasing and enhance the text of the research. The authors reviewed and edited all AI-generated content and take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the final manuscript.
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Orighomisan Victoria Itsekor is a professional with a Ph.D., Masters, and Bachelor of Library Science (BLS) in Information Resources Management and Library and Information Science (Education). She had her Mphil and PhD at Babcock University, Masters at University of Ibadan and her Bachelor degree at Delta State University, Abraka. She has built extensive expertise in information resources management, library administration, knowledge management, and organizational development. With over two decades of professional experience, she has contributed to teaching at the elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels, while supporting educational and corporate learning initiatives through leadership, coaching, and digital literacy programs. Her research interests include Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), library services for community development, reading culture, knowledge management, change management, and library administration. She is passionate about leveraging libraries, information systems, and emerging technologies to promote education, research, lifelong learning, and sustainable community development. Dr. Itsekor is a Chartered member of the Librarians' Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN) and belongs to the Nigerian Library Association (NLA).
Professor Yacob Haliso is a distinguished scholar and academic leader with extensive experience in Business Information Management, Information Resources Management, and postgraduate education. He has held several strategic leadership positions at Babcock University, including Head of the Department of Information Resources Management, Vice-Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies, and currently serves as Provost. His research focuses on information management, knowledge management, library and information services, digital information systems, and organizational information practices. He has supervised numerous postgraduate students and made significant contributions to research, curriculum development, and the advancement of Information Resources Management education in Nigeria. Through his teaching, research, mentorship, and academic leadership, Professor Haliso continues to shape scholarship and institutional development within the university and the broader academic community.
Professor Vincent E. Unegbu is a distinguished Professor of Library and Information Science at Babcock University, Nigeria, with over three decades of academic, professional, and administrative experience. He has served in several leadership positions, including University Librarian, Deputy University Librarian, and Head of the Department of Information Resources Management. His expertise spans library and information science, records and archives management, knowledge management, information ethics, and higher education administration. Professor Unegbu has demonstrating an outstanding commitment to postgraduate research and mentorship. He has authored and edited several books, book chapters, and numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, contributing significantly to scholarship in library and information science. He has also participated in and presented papers at many national and international conferences while serving on academic committees, promotion panels, and external assessment boards across Nigerian universities. His research interests include information resources management, knowledge management, records and archives management, library administration, information literacy, health information management, and the application of information systems to organizational development. He remains committed to advancing research, teaching, professional practice, and capacity building in Library and Information Science.