In a 1986 meta-analysis of perceived control by employees, Paul Spector observes that "although enhanced control is often strongly advocated, many have questioned if it is a universal panacea to employee ills," and continues to note that "with increased control comes increased responsibility and often increased workload." Control and agency are central issues in anecdotes about burnout related to micro-managing bosses, demanding service models, or opaque decision-making processes. In fact, job control and burnout are inversely correlated, and job control serves as a predictor of burnout. However, in interviews, librarians themselves note that high levels of control can be daunting and may be related to a lack of guidance and leadership from their supervisors. For library leaders and managers, how can we provide librarians with the necessary individual control to thrive while advancing strategic library and team priorities? How can managers work with their teams and direct reports to consider dimensions of job control and identify opportunities to increase individual job control or to cede control for collective progress? Management styles centered around coaching and mentoring and decision-making processes that are shared and transparent are example avenues for building feelings of agency, control, and self-efficacy within teams.
