Incremental and Radical Innovations in Research Libraries

In an empirical analysis, this study examined the effects of ambidexterity, organizational structure, and leadership on innovation in research libraries. There is much published literature suggesting the research library must change, quickly and dramatically. These changes will likely take the form of new services, new products and new administrative practices – all of which are potential innovations. Much of the research literature on organizational innovation focuses on the for-profit sector of the economy. Based on organizational learning theories, institutional theory, and the diffusion of innovations, this study developed a comprehensive framework for studying innovation in institutional, nonprofit organizations and, more specifically, the research library. As such, this framework addresses the complex organizational path that an idea will take from inception to realization as a high quality library service. The study sample consisted of 50 libraries that were members of the Association of Research Libraries. In the resulting analysis, it was found that five factors had a significant impact on the innovation performance of the library - behavioral integration, decision awareness, structural differentiation, organizational ambidexterity, and size of the organization