Collegiality refers to cooperative interaction and shared power among colleagues. The document discusses why collegiality is important for organizations, what effects it can have, and how to foster a collegial environment. Specifically, collegiality is a value that represents common ground. It affects decision making processes and can promote academic freedom when present. However, it is not the same as mere congeniality or conformity among colleagues. True collegiality involves leadership, open communication, trust, and collegial decision making for the benefit of the whole organization.

1. Does Collegiality Matter:
For Whom, for What and
How?

2. Definition of Collegiality
 Cooperative interaction among
colleagues
 Shared power and authority among
colleagues
(Source: American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary 2009)

3. Why Collegiality?
 Collegiality is an organizational value and it must
represent common ground. --P. Howze (2003)
 The workplace structure itself can foster collegiality
or its antithesis, competition and turf guarding .
 --List Lister (2003)

4. What does Collegiality do?
 Collegiality can be a code word for favoring
people with backgrounds, interests and
political and social perspectives similar to
one’s own. --J. Alger (2000)
 Power is central to collegiality.
 - S. Rastin (summer 2000)

5. Is Collegiality the same as Congeniality?
*pleasing or liked on account of having qualities or interests that are similar to one’s own: his
need for some congenial company (of a thing) pleasant or agreeable because suited to one’s
taste or inclination: he went back to a climate more congenial to his cold stony soul
Civility,
Homogeneity,
Conformity

7. Boundaries of Collegiality
Collegialit
y
Bureaucrac
y
Congenialit
y
Collegial
Decision
Making
S. Freedman 2009

8. Conditions for Collegial
Environment
Sharing ideals as library
mission
Leadership is essential
Open communication
Trust is a higher order element
of collegiality

9. Characteristics of Collegial
Organizations
 Performance oriented
 Self-controlling and self-directed
 Peer review based
 Public dissemination of collegial
writing
 Apply theory and specialized
knowledge
 Use collegial decision making
 Updated organizational structure

10. How Collegiality and Collegial Decision
Making affect an organization?
 Collegiality affects collegial decision
making in significant ways
◦ academic freedom
◦ Promotion and Tenure review
◦ Governance committee’s decision making
and participation on campus

11. Collegial Decision Making
(From M. Polanyi’s “The Republic of Science” 1969)
 “The process of negotiation and discovery used to
create, refine, and rethink knowledge. Membership
in this republic requires three essential
contributions: professional expertise, trust, and a
disinterested urge to further the work of the whole.
Authority rests neither in the individual nor in a
higher body that organize the work, but in the
members of the group”
 “This is a natural structure for libraries which exist
to enable to the activities of this republic.”

12. Characteristics of Non-Collegial
Organizations
Collegiality is
 treated as a personal trait
 viewed as an agreement
 strongly trends toward conformity,
homogeneity

13. In Summary. . .
 Collegiality plays a vital role in dealing with
effective change in a library
 Collegial decision making allows better
navigation in the interconnected world of
higher education.
 Collegiality invokes the highest ideals and
aspirations of the academic world
 Collegiality is not the same as congeniality
 Fostering collegiality is a leadership priority

14. Thank you!
Questions?