Summary
The effective leadership from the position and from the perspective of the figure of "Outsourcer of Resources and Information Services of Libraries" The demystification of the union representatives in the Universities. Autonomy of Senior Management for decision-making in cases of transfers and recycling of positions. Proposals and opportunities for Non-Teaching Personnel from the union sector.
Business process outsourcing
“The outsourcing of a business process consists of the outsourcing of the management of some area or activity of an organization to a specialized provider, based on a multi-year contract. This agreement guarantees a quality of service through service indicators.
This implies a paradigm shift for clients: delegating media management for the benefit of managing service levels.
The evolution of outsourcing business practice has clearly been growing over the last few years, mainly in the field of information systems. However, a new phenomenon emerges in the strategic actions of organizations: the outsourcing of a business process, in which Information Systems are one of the supports, one of the dimensions of the business.
To the traditional reasons that have promoted outsourcing (concentrating on the main business activities and reducing costs and converting fixed costs into variables), others have been added that configure a new scenario of relationships with suppliers; a scenario with greater commitment and creativity:
- The need to create highly dynamic service structures that are adaptable to changing environments in the ways of doing business and providing services The guarantee of availability of resources and specialized technology at predictable costs The improvement of global efficiency and not only of certain chores.
The various studies carried out in this regard reflect that, both in Spain and in the rest of Europe, there is a change in culture with respect to outsourcing processes based, mainly, on the search for a contribution of greater strategic added value in services. " (one)
Definition of Information Systems
“A formal set of processes that, operating on a collection of data structured according to the needs of the company, collect, elaborate and distribute the information (or part of it) necessary for the operations of said company and for the activities of direction and control corresponding (decisions) to carry out their activity according to their business strategy ”(2)
Comprehensive outsourcing
"Although other types of outsourcing focus on some of the areas or functions of a department, comprehensive outsourcing implies transferring the responsibility to execute the management and evolution of the overall service to the outsourcer" (1)
The Outsourcer Figure as a Resource to Exercise Effective Leadership "
How to exercise effective leadership as a contracted external agent, in an Institution and a given Area, where the situation is very special and conflictive, there are movements of personnel, and subsequent recycling of positions. Group dismemberment, self-protection, isolation, work targets?
We begin to think and work from the perspective of the figure of "integral outsourcer" (1) as a tool for leadership self-protection, for the effective achievement of the positioning of a determined Area and the establishment of a new performance of the same.
The position of the “non-teaching” staff unions and union representatives is to come out in defense of the plant staff, and not the contracted staff.
The union management attempts, in many cases, without positive results, to reinsert the people who were removed from their posts.
Why think or position yourself from the Outsourcer of Library Information Resources and Services?
Because it is feasible to genuinely make plant personnel aware that this figure performed, under a person "X", does not put their current category of plant personnel at risk in universities, in this way the objectives are channeled and a better performance of the personnel in charge.
The figure of "Outsourcer" with clear objectives and functions and the establishment of keys such as "Give answers" in a set time, should be mentalized and adopt an attitude perhaps somewhat distant, strictly work to achieve the objectives to which it was hired, in order not to further hurt latent susceptibilities in the work environment. Establish the idea of a team to achieve "X" objectives, and if feasible, reestablish trust in the work environment.
Outline of Some Potable Challenges to Implement in Order to Achieve Effective Leadership Performance in Higher Education Work Environments. Academic Libraries Case.
1) Work in harmony with the personnel in charge (team), without communicational noise due to the union presence.
2) Establish a dialogue of respect with the union sector, with contributions of ideas from the Library Management Area, without any attempt to negotiate, is in most cases the treatment of Senior Management.
3) Establish the objectivity of union members, "prevent" the defense of agents and performance of jobs "Per Se".
4) Ideal Representativeness: The union representatives must be figures or agents with culture, suitable not only in the art of rhetoric, but also in the application of ideas. It would not be convenient for these positions to be represented by conflictive agents, who drag the vulnerable mass of institutions with them, such as those that enter on the recommendation of kinship, others suffering from irreversible diseases, eternal liabilities, etc.).
5) Access to union representation by competition with an ideal profile for said position.
6) Attempt to transform policies, ideas and attitudes exercised by said agents, achieve conciliation and negotiation with Senior Management, without reaching communicational breakdown, this is also applicable to cases such as the figure of Outsourcer (external service contracts to cover certain shortcomings of Human Talent of permanent institutional plant).
On the other hand, figure and functions are not institutionally legislated, frowned upon, and with misinterpretation of their functions and roles by the non-teaching component.
Historical Purpose of Unions
“Unions arose with the historical purpose of defending the rights of workers; Thanks to this, they are not fired at the end of each six-year term, as at the end of Avila Camacho's term, when 60% of the bureaucrats were fired, or as in many municipalities, where staff are still fired at the beginning of each triennium. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, unions have become defenders of public servants who do not work, and fighters for perks who are far from being rights.
These vices have arisen because labor relations in government agencies do not occur as in the private sector. The unions of the first sector, gradually gain power, because the civil servants last little in their positions; there is no continuity between one and the other, and because they do not defend the organization as their own; in such a way that the moment comes when the unions take control of government agencies.
Unions of this nature are transformed into law firms, whose function is to advocate for bad employees and for the fight for benefits that are far from representing a combination of institutional and individual interests. The almost total seizure of power by the unions, returns to the warehouses of beings without moral values (see annex: the price of having a bureaucratic job) ”(3).
Opportunities
In terms of opportunities, the following are raised:
Demystify the figure of union representative (usually they instill fear, psychological pressure through different ways and means)
The achievements and salary benefits are not normally the product of union movements, but of ministerial decisions.
Staff awareness: Does the agent who works conscientiously need union support?
The unions must be entities that favor the worker to balance managerial management and the performance of subordinate agents (no abuse) (*) Union representatives must work on other types of ideas, agreements and benefits with senior management. For example, in addition to the current tourism and health benefits, study grants, quick loans, wardrobe (clothes in good condition, for low-income agents), discounts in different areas to name an example: (construction materials for houses or repair and expansion of the same, other items) all these concerns can be relieved via personal monitoring through: interviews. Surveys, in which the associate channels the real needs, latent in the middle.
The unions should not only be a support in case of trouble of the unionized agent, poor performance or other factors, such as a pass in the Service Commission, transfers from other Regional or Higher Education Institutions and other factors, but of a real need, and not defense, I repeat "Per Se".
It must be a means and not an end to channel different social shortcomings of a given institution.
Proposed Work Strategy
Senior Management must permanently monitor the shortcomings of Human Talent existing in your Institution.
In real situations of change, you can try and adopt the Win / Win or no deal paradigm:
“If these individuals did not come up with a synergistic solution - which everyone agreed on - they could resort to a higher expression of the win / win paradigm: 'win / win or no deal'.
No deal means that if we cannot find a solution that benefits both parties, we will agree to disagree: there is no deal. No expectations have been created, nor have any contracts been established. I do not accept you as an employee, nor are we going to undertake a particular task together, because it is obvious that our values or our goals go in opposite directions. It is much better to understand it from the beginning, and not later, when the expectations created lead to the disappointment of all parties.
When you keep the "no deal" option in mind, you can honestly say, "I'm only interested in a win / win agreement. I want to win and I want you to win. I do not mean to do my bidding if it bothers you, because it will eventually surface later and cause a retreat.
On the one hand, I don't think you're going to feel good if you do your will and I give in. Let's work towards a win / win agreement. Let's really try to force it. But if we can't, let's agree that there will be no deal. That will be preferable to coping with a decision that is not suitable for both of you. Maybe another time we can agree »(4)
In cases of "No deal", Senior Management must have all the institutional support to make the changes it deems necessary, without interference from the Union Sector
The figure of the union representative must be a cultured, suitable person and have agreed to perform their duties by competition.
You must have a conciliatory and not devastating attitude, lacking in good dialogue that breaks communication when a divergent opinion is expressed.
In the event of changes and recycling of eminent positions, the union representative must be informed, and will act based on the circumstances and on the history of the file of the agent in question.
In order not to cause greater harm, when an agent is going to change to another sector, it should be done with help and adequate psychological support, if necessary, in order to be less traumatic the decision made by the Senior Management, with the The objective of being gradually led the agent in question to the process of change and acceptance of the new position to be performed.
Likewise, in this process the union representative must assume a strictly objective, impersonal, collaborative and accompanying role if necessary, in order to relocate said agent in the most suitable position according to their talents and capacities.
On the other hand, Senior Management, with broad powers to make decisions of this type, must carry out the changes and recycling of positions, which it deems appropriate, in a timely manner, "Just in Time". Supported by current institutional legislation for non-teaching staff, permanent staff.
And why this "Just in Time" expression?
The role that the replacement person must occupy is not to repair psychological damage, susceptibilities caused by delays in making decisions for eminent changes to be made in key management and leadership positions.
When I speak of demystifying the figure of "Union Representative", it means that it does not bring with it the "Solution to all the problems that arise from non-teaching personnel in a given university community" This figure is a means and not an end to achieve " x ”benefits over“ x ”real social needs of said community.
As a first measure and in order to achieve future acceptance of new Outsourcer positions, if they were necessary, it would be convenient to legislate said figure within the organic structure of the Universities, with the same attributions as the permanent staff, over the staff to their position, without any incidence of the union representatives on duty. For the performance of functions and tasks, for the time to be agreed, with remunerations equivalent to an “x” category scale according to the functions to be performed.
Among other attributions, the Outsourcer figure must receive reports of procedures in category promotions, move to a permanent staff of charge personnel and all information that is convenient to consult and inform pertinently, in sectoral meetings proposed for this purpose.
On the other hand, I think it is convenient that the union representatives should channel the real needs of the partners, via: informal meetings from where a “Braimstorming” or “Brainstorming” new benefits arise, or carry out monitoring of feasible needs to lead to the practice.
In short, accompany not only doing internal policy, but cover as far as possible the shortcomings of the most needy, as I already expressed in previous paragraphs, not only in the field of health, tourism and recreation, but with innovations such as those mentioned in the description of opportunities (*)
Annex I
The Price of Having a Job Bureaucrat
“The ideal dream of a large part of the population is to have a government job, because they will have job security, flexibility to leave, many days off and a regular salary, and they will also be able to inherit it to their children or their closest relatives.
These supporting documents are true; Few jobs in the private sector will be as benevolent as bureaucrat work, but the cost of this benefit is high for the individual, since from the moment they are hired they risk losing their creative capacity, leaving behind their motivation to work, to get into the boredom of waiting for the clock to turn to check. An employee of this type will hardly develop other qualities and potentially lose himself in the anonymity of a mass of workers who live for a fortnightly paycheck.
The person who becomes bureaucratic is a human being who loses part of the essence of life, because work enhances and covers a human need. Of the twenty-four hours that the day has, the best are allocated.
From the moment you get up, what you do is a function of going to work, after you leave it, what you do is also a function of work; He rests, eats, and prepares to work the next day. Now, it is during the eight hours of work performance that the individual develops her capacity, if she does not, she squanders it and loses the mystique of life itself. When a person becomes bureaucratic, he transmits it to his family environment, because he cannot be an example of work and responsibility. Unfortunately, those who play this work game enter a lethargy that prevents them from seeing the vice they have entered.
A department head will continually face:
1. Impotence. Feeling of guilt towards employees who work because they lack the resources to reward them.
2. Patience. Silent courage before lazy workers because only through persuasion will you be able to direct them, since there will hardly be any possibility to punish them.
3. Impossible to fire. You will never be able to run to an employee even if he is lazy and confrontational. " (5)
Bibliography
1. The New Era of Outsourcing at:
2. Information Systems at:
3. Lau, Jesus. "Personnel Administration in Bureaucratic Organizations: A Subjective Assessment" Presentation for the XXI Mexican Library Science Conference, UNAM, Mexico, DF, from May 2 to 4, 1990.
4. Covey, Stephen. The 7 habits of highly effective people. Habit 4 "Think Win / Win Principles of Interpersonal Leadership"
5. Lau, Jesus. "Personnel Administration in Bureaucratic Organizations: A Subjective Assessment" Presentation for the XXI Mexican Library Science Conference, UNAM, Mexico, DF, from May 2 to 4, 1990.
