5.4 Qualitative data analysis
5.4.2 Themes and sub-themes
5.4.2.2 Values and attitudes accorded to records
This section presents findings on the question of values and attitudes accorded to records. The Information Culture Assessment Framework states that the core values accorded to records will be reflected in attitudes and behaviours. The section covered the following sub-themes; organisation’s value of records, the support given to
144 records keeping, the position of records management in the organisation, members of staff value records,
records are barriers circumventing records management processes, and records management is everybody’s responsibility
5.4.2.2.1 Organisation’s value of records
The respondents were asked if their organisations value records. All five respondents agreed that their organisations value records. In a follow-up question, the respondents were asked how their organisations demonstrate this value. What emerged from the responses is that their organisations value records because they:
• Employed qualified records staff.
• Segregated records keeping units dedicated to different record types have segregated locations for both paper and electronic records.
• Were prepared to buy into a records management policy and willing to carry out records management procedures.
5.4.2.2.2 Support given to records keeping
Respondents were asked whether management offers support for records keeping. In organisation A, the respondents stated that support is given in the form of providing the necessary technology and resources and having qualified staff. In organisation B, respondents pointed to reported dissatisfaction with the support received for the implementation of electronic records. The respondents indicated that there was a lack of commitment on the part of management. In organisation C, the respondent reported that their investment in records systems reflects the support from management. Some of the respondents’ comments are given below:
Respondent 002: “We support them through resourcing and technology, the technology component we have been using ECM”.
Respondent 004: “The support we get from our management is insufficient for example, our records staff is not enough. Even during the implementation of electronic records, we were not satisfied with the backing we got from management”.
Respondent 005: “We have put in place a system that can manage the records called Hewlett Packard Enterprise Content Management (HPECM )and enterprise content manager”.
5.4.2.2.3 Position of records management in the organisation
145 Respondents were asked if they were satisfied with the position of records management in their organisation and various responses were received. In organisation A, the respondents said that they are satisfied with the position of records management although it is under information management. In organisation B, the respondents were not satisfied with the position of records management. In organisation C, the respondents seemed to be satisfied with the records management position albeit with reservations. Below are excerpts from the interviews:
Respondent 001: “We all have different views on the position of records in the organisation, so people have different views on how it should be structured within the organisation. To me I think it is fine”.
Contrary to respondent 001, respondent 002 (who was in the same organisation) argued that: “The function of records in the organisation is not properly set, in my view, it was set up as a structural requirement, with very little appreciation of the value process, past the structure”.
In a similar vein, respondent 003 stated: “My organisation carried out an assessment to find where to place records. However, the assessment placed records in lower structures of the organisation and we are not happy with the placement”.
However, respondent 005 was more positive: “Yes, it is ok, unlike in the past the highest-ranked person was the records officer. It affected us because we lacked representation in high-level meetings.”
5.4.2.2.4 Members of staff value records
The respondents were asked whether they thought members of staff value records. Three respondents gave similar answers as follows:
Respondent 001: “They [staff] are able to adhere to records procedures and processes; classification and other processes that define how records should be handled. That alone demonstrates that the staff do value records or records”.
Respondent 003: “Yes, they value the records because they are aware of the consequence that without records you suffer setback”.
Respondent 005: “Staff also find value, in records, they continue to create records and file them even though I cannot say that is done 100%”.
5.4.2.2.5 Records are barriers to working efficiently
Respondents were asked if they agreed with the proposition that records are barriers to working efficiently.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, none of the respondents agreed with the statement. Two of the responses given are provided below:
146 Respondent 004 made that point: “If they are a barrier, they can be a barrier for somebody who does not know how to use information well”.
Respondent 002 stated: “Not necessarily, it depends on the requirements they are, if records management is not the process but comes as a support process, they cannot be a barrier because records management is not the end but a means to an end”.
5.4.2.2.6 Circumvention of records management processes
Respondents were asked if they ever had a circumstance where members of staff circumvent the records management unit’s processes. The respondents all agreed that some members of staff do circumvent records management processes. The responses of two of the respondents are provided below:
Respondent 002: “We do have such cases though they are minimal where a person may try to bypass the system.
Even if they do it all catches up with them because we have defined how we should process our records, so if they continue to circumvent, how are they going to submit or access what they are doing? There are such cases but we can deal with them, there are always those that will not conform”.
Just as respondent 002 admitted that employees do circumvent processes, respondent 005 argued that: “It starts at the beginning when the records enter the organisation, we have set procedures that show how mail should be handled when it enters the organisation until the customer gets the response”.
5.4.2.2.7 Records management as everybody’s responsibility
The Information Culture Conceptual Framework indicates that everyone has a role to play in ensuring that records are created and captured in the records keeping system, hence employees must recognise their responsibilities in this regard. Respondents were asked what they thought of the statement “Records management is everybody’s responsibility”. All the respondents affirmed that the statement is true.
The response from respondent 004 reflects what the other four respondents stated: “Yes, its true records units are custodian units the rest are the users and creators”.
In addition, the respondents all agreed that because almost all employees have computers, the records management unit is more of a custodian while the rest of the employees are creators and users of records.