Not your final destination: A grounded theory study on adjustment among Filipino librarians who experienced job rotation

Abstract

The impact of job rotation in the overall performance of an organization has been well documented in the literature. Despite a considerable number of studies on job rotation, only a handful are carried out in the context of librarianship. Further, the dynamics of job rotation as experienced by librarians in the Philippines remains a research blank spot. Cognizant of the dearth in literature, this grounded theory inquiry purports to shed light on the process of adjustment of a select group of Filipino librarians who experience job rotation within their organization. A total of 15 participants from Luzon were purposively selected and interviewed. Field texts were read, reread and constantly compared via open, axial and selective coding process. Interestingly, a novel and distinct process surfaced how a select group of Filipino librarians experience job rotation. The emerged Puzon and de Guzman BELT Theory of Adjustment process by which Filipino librarians adjust after being transferred to another post is typified by four distinct phases of: bemusing, establishing, leveraging, and transforming. This theory offers a number of implications on personal development, departmental initiatives, and institutional assistance and support relative to the phenomenon under study.