Purpose: To evaluate the performance Excellence of Iran Public Libraries by using the Malcolm Baldrige Model.
Methodology: This is an applied research in terms of the purpose and a quantitative descriptive-survey study in terms of data collection method. The statistical population of the present study includes all the employees (librarians and authorities) of the major public libraries, among whom 210 individuals were selected as sample members using the proportional Stratified Random Sampling method. To evaluate the performance excellence, the Baldrige Excellence Patterns Questionnaire was used for staff and managers (National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2015). Before collecting the data, the validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by using the translation validity and determining the face validity. Despite confirmation of reliability of this tool in various studies, here, Cronbach's alpha test was used for reliability calculation and it was 0.89 and confirmed. Also, to analyze the descriptive information of the study, SPSS 24 and one sample t-test were used.
Findings: From the staff' viewpoint of Iran major public libraries, performance excellence in these libraries was in a relatively favorable position. With respect to the average confidence interval, the probability of observing the value of t greater than 76.89 and less than 12.096 (the confidence interval observed in the sample) was equal to the significant level (sig = 0,000). Since the observed significance level was less than 0.05 and the confidence level was positive, it could be found that the average rating of the major public libraries in the country was more than 500. Among the sub-measures of performance, the highest score was related to the "Results of workplaces and staffing" in the sub-criterion of organizational performance and the lowest score was obtained under the "strategy deployment” in the strategic planning sub-criterion.
Originality/value: In the Present research, the performance of Iran major Public Libraries from the viewpoint of their staff was evaluated by using the Malcolm Baldrige Universal Excellence.