Through the Back Door: The role of qualitative surveys in change management

1. Through the Back Door:The role of qualitative surveys in change management Janet Tapper, MLS Western States Chiropractic College April 2007 Oregon Library Association

2. Learning Outcomes • Fresh look at change management • Understand application of a qualitative survey in change process • Best practices for interviewing within the context of a qualitative survey

3. Agenda • The Challenge: Why Change is well…challenging • A Case Study • Lessons Learned • The Value of Qualitative Data • and how to Gather it

4. Lewin’s Change Model Unfreeze Change Refreeze Decrease strength of old values, attitudes, behaviors—disconfirming data Institutionalize and stabilize—reinforce the change through new norms and operating procedures Facilitation and training to minimize resistance

5. All Other Obstacles 14% Employees Resistant to Change 39% Inadequate Budget 14% Management Behaviors Not Supportive 33% Resistance to Change Over 70% of change resistance is human factors

6. Why Do We Dislike Change? • Paired Activity (5 minutes) • Turn to the person next to you and discuss: Why do we dislike change?

7. Why Do We Dislike Change? For Very Good Reasons: We are reluctant to move to an unknown or hazy future We are losing something We have no involvement with our own destiny Change is difficult--people need a good reason to change

8. Novelty Community Values Continuity Transition Appreciative Change Model (Based on the Appreciative Inquiry work of David Cooperrider)

9. Libraries are uniquely poised to be change agents • We are at the vortex of academic values • Libraries often are ahead of the campus technological curve • Often our archives literally hold the institutional memory • Libraries are filled with librarians 

10. Agenda • The Challenge: Why Change is Challenging • A Case Study • Lessons Learned • The Value of Qualitative Data • and how to Gather it

11. Case Study: Western States Chiropractic College • Early Summer 2005: • A handful of faculty members seize an opportunity to apply for an NIH grant. • The grant is awarded and implementation must begin immediately. • Library is brought onto committees for expertise in information literacy.

12. Grant implementation strategic plan • Roadmap consists of four key areas: Curriculum Development Faculty Training Protocol Development Program Evaluation

13. Challenges • Faculty comfortable with status quo • What exactly is the faculty attitudes and parameters of general knowledge regarding evidence-based healthcare resources • Negative Buzz • Needed to gage the comfort the faculty had with using electronic information finding tools • We didn’t really know how far down the evidence-based path the faculty already was • What classroom activities are already in the curriculum that teach evidence-based competencies

14. I volunteered to do a qualitative survey: • Three fundamental purposes: • The NIH grant committee, needed to assess the wide scope of factors • We wanted to develop a broader base of stakeholders in the new curriculum goals. • Opportunity to introduce myself to faculty

15. Process • Setting up the process: • Emails sent to entire faculty asking them to set up appointments with library at their convenience. • Interviews to take no more than 20 minutes. • Each interview would happen in my office. • Interview protocol: • Introduced myself and the purpose of the interviews. • Initially I taped the interviews. • Standardized set of questions. • Left plenty of time for me to answer their questions. • Recorded general impressions of the interview after they left.

16. Analyzing and Releasing the Data Qualitative Survey Data and Results Quantitative Analysis Qualitative analysis Stakeholder interaction Shared vision of Change • Data driven methodology reduces emotional response to change • Community participation creates sense of empowerment to reduce feeling of helplessness • Survey forces community to begin processing in advance of the change • Objective tools established to evaluate impact and success.

17. Agenda • The Challenge: Why Change is Challenging • A Case Study • Lessons Learned • The Value of Qualitative Data • and how to Gather it

18. Lessons Learned : What Worked • Identified areas of concern • Uncovered assumptions • Added a human face to the NIH Grant process • It really was a great opportunity to introduce myself and update faculty on library assets • Data moved discussion forward

19. Lessons Learned: What I’d Do Differently • Would not try to tape any of the sessions • Would do more phone or in person confirmations of appointments • Release results sooner • Line up help sooner than later

20. The Benefits • We were able to answer our questions about: • What is already in the curriculum • Comfort level with WSCC electronic environment • Perceived understanding of EBP practices • Able to look at the data from different perspectives • Training decisions are being informed by the needs of the faculty • Knowing their concerns were being factored allowed faculty to relax and many became enthused stakeholders In a matter of weeks able to get clear description of the Present and an understanding of what the concerns might be about the Future.

21. Current Status • Faculty engaged enhancing skill sets • All faculty have taken a Moodle course on finding healthcare evidence • All faculty are participating in a 10 week program of extensive training on the evaluation of primary studies co-authored by WSCC and OHSU • Generalized belief that EBP supports faculty value of academic excellence and does not diminish chiropractic philosophy.

22. Academic Excellence Sharing survey results Evidence-based curriculum changes Qualitative Survey Faculty Training Where the survey fits in…. • Appreciative Change for WSCC Focus onChiropractic Philosophy and Science

23. Agenda • The Challenge: Why Change is Challenging • A Case Study • Lessons Learned • The Value of Qualitative Data • and how to Gather it

24. Research • Real research is often confusing, messy, intensely frustrating, and fundamentally nonlinear Marshall,C. and Rossman, G. (1989) Designing Qualitative Research. Sage. Newberry Park, California

25. What Kind of Data? • Qualitative! Quantitative!

26. Research Comparison: Quantitative

27. Research Comparison: Qualitative

28. Why Use Qualitative Studies? • Research that cannot be done experimentally • In depth explorations of complexities and processes • Relevant variables have yet to be identified • Where and why policy, folk wisdom and practice do not work • Unknown societies or innovative systems • Informal and unstructured linkages and processes in organizations • Real, as opposed to stated, organizational goals • Marshall,C. and Rossman, G. (1989) Designing Qualitative Research. Sage. Newberry Park, California

29. How to Design the study • Site and sample selection • Researcher’s role management • Data collection technique • Observational • In-depth interviewing-conversation with a purpose • Useful to get large amounts of data quickly • Variety of subjects • Allows for immediate clarification • Must involve personal interaction and requires cooperation • Managing and recording data • Data analysis strategies • Management plan, time line, feasibility analysis

30. Principles for Interviews* • An Interview is an intervention • Be clear about topic and purpose • Design a protocol • Allows comparison of data across subjects • Ensures you’ll cover what you want to cover • Establish Rapport • How will the data will be used • Confidentiality--if it’s true • Offer to report back • Good questions • Open Ended • Contains some element of positive and negative • Always ask “Anything else?” • *Maggie Kolkena, MSOD, Third Thought Consulting

31. More Principles • Presenting the Data • Verbatim- • conversion to measurable results • Themes- • trends that appear • Follow Up • USE the data • Thank the Participants • Report back as agreed • Follow-up creates momentum and next steps

32. Never losing core values Future Getting from here to there Present Qualitative Data Can… Illuminate the change process and create momentum for transition Provides an honest look at the present Creates a desired description of the future

33. Resources • Fetterman, D. (1998). Ethnography, step by step. 2nd ed. Sage Publications. Thousand Oaks. • Hammersly, M. and Atkinson, P. (1995). Ethnography, principles and practice. 2nd ed. Tavistock Publications. London. • Marshall, C. and Rossman, G. (1989). Designing qualitative research. Sage Publications. Thousand Oaks. • Abels, E., Griner, L, and Turqman, M. "If You Build It Will They Come?"Information Outlook 8.10 (2004): 13-17. • Cooperrider, D. (2003). Appreciative Inquiry Handbook: The First in a Series of AI Workbooks for Leaders of Change. • Berrett-Koehler Publishers . New York. • 1998 Benchmarking Report on Best Practices in Managing Change • (1998)Pro Sci Report • www.thirdthought.com • http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu • http://www.change-management.com/