Critical Review (IML656) _ Library succession planning process in Vietnam_ALYA MAHIROH (2016598155)

FACULTY OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
BACHELOR OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT (HONS) LIBRARY SCIENCE

SUBJECT:
PLANNING AND DESIGN OF LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION CENTERS (IML 656)

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT:
CRITICAL REVIEW

PREPARED BY:
ALYA MAHIROH BINTI MOHD SHUKRI

(2016598155)

CLASS:
IM244 6A

PREPARED FOR:
SIR MOHD ZAIHAN BIN HUSSIN

SUBMISSION DATE:
OCTOBER 1, 2019

A Critical Review of Huynh, T. (2016), "Library succession planning process in Vietnam",
New Library World, Vol. 117 No. 11/12, pp. 756-767. https://doi-
org.ezaccess.library.uitm.edu.my/10.1108/NLW-08-2016-0059

Succession planning is a process of identifying and preparing individuals for managerial positions
in an organization. Succession planning is defined as a process of developing talent to meet the
needs of the organization now and in the future (Rothwell, 2010). Moreover, succession planning
not only provides the successors with opportunities to prepare for future managerial positions, but
also assists organizations to evaluate their talent pools and motivate staff to perform their tasks
well (Galbraith et al., 2012). Succession planning is both an essential impacting factor on
maintaining the workforce and requires consideration of who the leaders of the next generation
will be. This research paper aims to design a model of succession planning process for public
and academic libraries in Vietnam. The result or finding for the library succession planning
process is with 6 (six) steps was established. This study are helps to fill the gap that succession
planning in Vietnamese libraries has been done without a specific path. Library leaders in each
organization conducted it differently between public and academic libraries because the
government has only issued general guides for all industries of the nation. (Huynh, 2016)

Based on Huynh, T. (2016) study, the structure that researcher use is from the original research
paper and it is a primarily paper without depends on the other researcher papers. However, the
researcher used many steps and solutions suggested by other researcher as references in this
researcher paper. Any of sections particularly effective with six (6) steps was established as a
result. Researcher stated that Vietnam is challenged by many problems, some of which are
related to workforce and leadership. In terms of its workforce, Vietnam is one of four countries in
the East Asian Pacific region which has an aging labor force (Packard and Nguyen, 2014). From
this statement that researcher include as introduction in this study can we as readers may be
thinks and can make first assumptions that people in Vietnam still in the same level as the odd
school or to be exactly, they are mind is still in old level. So that the researcher must ‘brainwash’
them especially people that contribute with the libraries itself in the real life to knower the
succession planning about library as another country’s especially in another East Asian Pacific.
The librarians must attend the training or programmes based on the library succession planning
as well if they want to make the library more efficient in a long term.

This study assisted in filling gap because no official model for a succession planning process for
libraries in Vietnam that had been available. So that researcher come out with many succession
planning from other country’s that published in journal, research paper and the other people

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studies. This research paper showed that literature review from many people from others country
had being the researcher reference. The one of the researchers referred is nine key features of
these processes are presented chronologically within each category. There is both variations and
consistency among the processes. The four key common stages of the process like all
perspectives, are indicated such need identification; candidate evaluation and selection which are
training or improving the candidates and succession planning assessment. However, this stage
is great various including current association evaluation, set of working responsibilities, supporting
and preparing or improving participates. All the literature review that researcher has been refer
mostly is not suitable at all with planning libraries in Vietnam concepts.

Next, methodology that researcher used in this study is qualitative and quantitative. The
researcher used both methods with two phases which is through online survey for the first phases
and in- depth interview for second phases. First phases (online survey) the participations are
included library staffs who have been worked in library (at least one years) without based on age,
nationality or gender. This is because the libraries with one-year experience be able to explain
their experienced and give the idea to be a better succession planning for library also, the
participant in these phases are 172 respondents and 20 staff employed. Meanwhile, for the
second phases which is through in-depth interview that participants are volunteered to contribute
in this study. There are 23 seniors’ managers and Board of Directors member from ten (10)
libraries were invited by researcher for individual interviews. The interview also selected with the
same online survey phases which is they must have one years of experienced in managerial
position. These phases, information’s from candidates or participations will hired as pseudonym’s
were used for both personal and institutional names. From this explanation, the researcher
conscious about information from the participants and the researcher very focus on this study with
used multi-method case study approached to get a better result for library succession planning in
Vietnam. Through this method, as reader we can make assumptions that planning will success
without looking the results. Researchers doing the good article because researcher putting the
important information to readers to get more information about this research. The explanation
about methodology parts make readers easily get information without reads the all article.

Last but not least, researcher put the finding and discussion as result with explaining about the
result one by one with fully information. For research findings, the researcher followed two
different succession planning models which are bottom-up and top-down. The research finding
result is the participants from responding academic libraries reported a bottom-up model in their
libraries. The result for the planning succession of library is using the research that concurs with

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the studies by Nixon (2008), Stueart and Sullivan (2010) and Rothwell (2010). This study displays
a combination of the elements in previous studies. Researcher also explained that the new
knowledge in this research is the presence of political authority in selecting the potential
candidates for library leaders. There 6 steps that libraries can follow which is identify potential
leaders (step 1), assessment (step 2), authority approval (step 3), training (step 4), review (step
5) and for the last step is selection. The researcher also explained the 6 phases steps is for a
practical that contribution to library leaders in leadership development. Researcher also stated
that the planning for library is not make effected if the political context to plays the role. This
statement makes strongly to other libraries in Vietnam to contribute if not involved with political
context.
Finally, for the summary regarding this research paper is the researcher very given the effort to
make sure that planning succession very well and make interview with the librarian and staff in all
libraries at Vietnam. The succession planning is going followed by the researcher want. The
researcher makes many research before this planning successes. Researcher using many
research papers as references and found one of the case study or research paper that suitable
with the criteria that all libraries leaders want. The result may help library leaders know what
should be considered in succession planning and the researcher also given suggestion how it
may be conducted in their organization to save time and their effort. This research paper makes
more information about succession library will be doing in a good way if know the way to
completed. This research paper will be as reference to librarians, leaders of libraries, student that
studies about library, lecturer and other researchers.

REFERENCE
A Critical Review of Huynh, T. (2016), "Library succession planning process in Vietnam", New

Library World, Vol. 117 No. 11/12, pp. 756-767,
https://doiorg.ezaccess.library.uitm.edu.my/10.1108/NLW-08-2016-0059

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