Marianne Gretz, Peter Stadler, Ernst Mernke and Martin Thomas
For some months the central library of Boehringer Mannheim GmbH, a research‐based pharmaceutical company in Germany, has been disseminating tables of contents in electronic form…
Abstract
For some months the central library of Boehringer Mannheim GmbH, a research‐based pharmaceutical company in Germany, has been disseminating tables of contents in electronic form. These electronic tables of contents are generated from the current scientific journal literature. At present the library supplies contents pages of roughly 440 journals to 240 internal clients. This service has been designed as a means of rapid distribution of individually tailored information from the topical scientific literature. The tables of contents are delivered to the clients' electronic mailboxes via the electronic mail system. We describe the situation before the introduction of this service, the motives for switching to this service, and the librarian and technical work necessary in the preliminary stages. Moreover, the paper shows the realisation of the project, the problems occurring during the phase of introduction and the acceptance by the users.
Marianne Gretz, Peter Stadler and Martin Thomas
The official pharmacopoeias in the central library of Boehringer Mannheim, a research‐based German pharmaceutical company, are taken as an example to demonstrate the switch from…
Abstract
The official pharmacopoeias in the central library of Boehringer Mannheim, a research‐based German pharmaceutical company, are taken as an example to demonstrate the switch from printed versions to electronic media. Preparatory work, practical procedure and results of this action are shown. Motives for the switch, economic questions and the consequences for all persons involved are described.
Marianne Gravesteijn and Celeste P.M. Wilderom
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how a newly constructed organization behavioral lens for participative action research (PAR) may aid a public-sector organization in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how a newly constructed organization behavioral lens for participative action research (PAR) may aid a public-sector organization in successfully digitalizing its internal shared services. In addition, the intervention is aimed at fostering a continuously improving type of learning culture on the workfloor of a new service unit.
Design/methodology/approach
In a large Dutch municipality, the installation of a new digitalized process of offering internal services was studied. A PAR method, the so-called Fourth Generation Evaluation, was used on seven internal actor groups. This method enables various intra-organizational actors to reflect collectively on the ongoing change progress. Their explicit views on the change were communicated to all actors and the change agents.
Findings
The study describes the attempt of establishing a continuously improving learning culture during an internal digitalization process: substantial participation of the non-managerial employees was enabled. The paper highlights the practical value of the internal digitalization approach used, and concludes with four change process lessons learnt for those wanting to initiate a continuously improving culture on the workfloor.
Research limitations/implications
Even though the findings are based on one case, they may be of interest to other public/private organizations aiming to establish a continuously improving culture within workfloor units that interact, on a daily basis, with (internal) customers.
Originality/value
The paper offers a theoretical framework and a matching practical approach to the process of creating an internal shared service unit that aims to evolve further into a customer-oriented, continuously improving culture.