And A Response
Maurice P. Marchant · College & Research Libraries · 1972
wHEN I STARTED DEVELOPING PLANS to study the library as an open system, I found no awareness of the concept in library literature, and my discussion of it with other librarians indicated a general skepticism regarding certain key aspects.But library administration generally was (and is) so obviously in need of revamping that I decided to commit myself to its study and improvement and to use the open system theory for direction.But, of course, one must start such a study by cutting out a manageable area for research.I chose participative management because I recognized in Likert's writings, and the generalized theory drawn from it by Katz and Kahn, answers to behavior under stress which I had observed and experienced in my own library staff prior to beginning my doctoral study. 1 But even participative management was too broad a study for a dissertation, so I limited it more specifically to the area of decision making and determined to be satisfied with manifestations of such generalized effect as a horizontal study might indicate within the parameters between input into the library and its outputs.This meant that no indepth, step-by-step causal ladder would be likely to emerge.But it appeared proper to establish the general relationships initially before filling in the specifics.I established other constraints, such as type and size of library, to try to control some external variables.Yet, despite this, many variables remained