Workplace assimilation and conflict in professional service organisations: the case of university libraries

Abstract

To date, only limited attention has been given in the literature to how, in a context of work intensification, many professional service organisations have engaged in a delegation of tasks to non-professional, subordinate groups. While some studies have reported this process, little is known more generally about its wider impact. A particular concern is the extent to which delegation, as well as being a necessary response to budgetary constraint, has also become a source of conflict and tension within public organisations. Focusing on the illustrative case of university librarians, this article seeks to address these issues. Using qualitative data collected from four institutions, the article reveals how, in recent years, there has been a trend towards delegation of routine professional operations. However, while this has facilitated the extension of professional services at limited cost, it has also led to rising conflict between professional and non-professional staffs within the hierarchy. Such conflict is found not only to have some negative implications for the way services are managed, but in the long term, could also pose a limited threat to the power and status of dominant professional groups.