Cultural Proficiency and Multitasking Behavior: Implications on Librarians’ Job Performance

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INTRODUCTION
Libraries uphold a vital commitment to provide equitable access to all, especially marginalized groups facing barriers (Smith, 2020).This necessitates embracing diversity and cultural proficiency to serve evolving patron demographics effectively (Williams, 2019).Studies demonstrate that cultural intelligence allows librarians to construct inclusive spaces, programs, and responsively handle multifaceted job demands (Thompson, 2021;Brock et al., 2020).
Additionally, academic librarians often exhibit complex, multitasking skills across areas like circulation, reference, and cataloging.However, intense concurrent task switching can increase errors (Williams, 2022), lower productivity (Patel, 2021), and impact user service quality.As patron diversity rises, administrators must evaluate sustainable workloads so staff can manage demands without detrimental effects.Furthermore, given libraries' critical public role, it is essential to assess if existing expectations for librarian multitasking can maintain excellent services amid growing community diversity (Johnson, 2021).Although past research has separately examined cultural proficiency and multitasking impacts on librarians, there is a gap in understanding their combined influence.Specifically, as academic librarian roles expand and student populations diversify, there is a need to explore if cultural competency enables managing multifaceted work effectively (Brock et al., 2020).Studies must investigate how cultural proficiency affects handling complex cognitive loads from concurrent, diverse patron demands.This research aimed to address this gap by examining how cultural proficiency and multitasking behaviors impact academic librarian performance.Informing policies that uphold quality, inclusive services is vital for libraries to continue serving as cornerstones of democracy and learning.

Framework
This study posits that a librarian's job performance is significantly influenced by their level of cultural proficiency and the degree of their multitasking behavior.The theoretical underpinnings of this research are grounded in three key concepts: Cultural Proficiency as outlined by Masrek et al. (2021), Multitasking as discussed by Halim and Halim (2023), and Job Performance as defined by Nwokike & Unegbu (2019).
Cultural proficiency, defined as effectively interacting across cultural differences (Masrek et al., 2021), relies on cultivating four developmental dimensions: metacognition, cognition, motivation and behavior.Metacognition involves critically examining one's own cultural perspectives, assumptions and biases.Building this self-awareness facilitates recognizing how internalized worldviews unconsciously shape external engagement.Studies demonstrate integrating metacognitive reflection into training heightens capacities for equitable service delivery (Thompson, 2021;Johnson & Johnson, 2020).Next, motivation constitutes the inner intention and commitment to understand diverse groups' unique histories and experiences on their own terms.Research shows that persistently applying this drive to learn inclusively leads to environments catering to marginalized needs (Smith & Smith, 2018;Brock et al, 2020).Furthermore, cognition means actively seeking knowledge on the values, norms and communication styles of other cultures.Such learning enables nuanced, sensitive engagement across difference and superior fulfilling of diverse patron requirements (Patel & Moore, 2022;Williams, 2019).Finally, behavior entails demonstrating adaptable cross-cultural communication abilities respectfully applied across diversity.Studies reveal practical skill building here expands capacities for dispute reconciliation and constructive service of diverse patrons (Silva et al., 2022;Lee & Lee, 2020).
Additionally, librarians handle multifaceted technology-oriented roles requiring extensive multitasking.Studies focused on academic and special libraries provide consistent evidence of high prevalence of interleaved daily tasks spanning systems toggling, information searches, cataloging, query processing and literature reviews (Halim & Halim, 2023;Batubara, 2021;Dhanavandan & Tamizhchelvan, 2021).However, such intense simultaneous cognitive processing risks decreased productivity by over 20 minutes hourly (Patel, 2021) and 19% more errors (Williams, 2022).This suggests implementing structural changes to help judiciously manage extreme demands.
Furthermore, key drivers of librarian job performance include successfully completing core specialized tasks like research support through assisting in relevant information source identification (Peterson, 2018); actively applying acquired professional knowledge around areas such as metadata standards, database structures, and community analysis techniques (Khan & Aldoghaim, 2021); demonstrating adaptability to reconfigure services, workflows and outreach channels amid evolving landscape; and utilizing technology to enhance access through automation of workflows and streamlining information retrieval (Kergroach et al., 2022).
Globally, librarians fulfill performance expectations in responsibilities like reference services, research assistance, information literacy guidance and collection development (Ndinoshiho, 2022).In the Philippines, findings confirm academic librarians complete quality readership services (Cerezo & Valdez, 2019) while public librarians showcase versatility during constraints like the pandemic (Parcon & Corcoran, 2022).Boosting relevant competencies will empower libraries to uphold duty to equitable access.
As libraries uphold a vital access, inclusion and lifelong learning mission amidst growing diversity and complexity of patron needs, exploring the intersection of these concepts is key.Specifically, this study undertakes to investigate whether cultivating cultural competence aids librarians meeting extensive job expectations effectively, including through balancing intensifying technology-oriented demands.Building this understanding provides a foundation to improve strategic support, enabling the profession to address contemporary challenges.
Ultimately, this research offers vital awareness on dynamics shaping contemporary librarians' capacity to excel in serving communities, especially those facing marginalization, with quality and inclusion.The insights will empower strategic initiatives and policy improvements centering librarians' competency building, thereby allowing libraries to fulfill their democratic purpose as valued communal institutions providing empowerment through knowledge access.Findings aim to sustain the profession's ability to continuously expand its duty to support communities' growth, self-determination and prosperity.

Statement of the Problem
This study determined the level of cultural proficiency and extent of multitasking behavior influence the librarians' job performance.It answered the following research questions: 1.What is the level of the participants' cultural proficiency considering the following: Metacognition; Cognition; Motivation; and Behavior?2. What is the extent of the participants' multitasking in the library? 3. What is the participants' level of job performance in terms of the following: Completion of Specific Tasks; Job Knowledge; Flexibility and Adaptability; and Adeptness to Technology? 4. Do the participants' cultural proficiency and extent of multitasking significantly influence their job performance?

Methods
A descriptive-correlational research design was used involving 85 librarians and 85 head librarians to assess relationships between cultural proficiency, multitasking behavior, and job performance.
Purposive sampling targeted the participants who come from higher education institutions in Northern Mindanao, Philippines.
The survey instrument has 3 sections evaluating cultural proficiency, multitasking capabilities, and performance facets adapted from Villagran (2020) and Abao (2016).Establishing validity and reliability was done through expert reviews and pilot testing with 30 librarians, yielding high Cronbach's alpha consistency scores from 0.876 to 0.981 across domains.
Data gathering involved disseminating digital questionnaires after obtaining ethical clearances.Standards were upheld by using informed consent, confidential data, voluntary participation, and open communication.Moreover, analysis entailed descriptive statistics determining frequencies, means, and standard deviations.Regression analysis examined the impact of cultural proficiency and multitasking behavior on job performance.Furthermore, these synergistic capabilities empower librarians as equitable guides to facilitate diverse patrons' growth, underscoring their vital role.As Dali and Caidi (2017) emphasize, cultural competencies allow librarians to ensure libraries remain inclusive, enabling self-directed learning.Thus, academic librarians with multifaceted cultural proficiencies can effectively serve today's diverse educational communities.motivation and upskilling focused on inclusion and multifaceted competencies are essential for libraries to excel in increasingly complex, diverse environments.

CONCLUSION
The recent study in library science has established a significant correlation between cultural proficiency, multitasking behavior, and job performance among librarians.It confirmed that cultural proficiency significantly enhances a librarian's ability to multitask effectively in diverse environments.The study emphasizes the importance of continuous cultural proficiency training for library staff, given the diverse communities they serve.It also highlights the need for strategies promoting diversity and inclusivity within the library workforce, which are essential for fostering an inclusive community and for the comprehensive development of library professionals.
The research underscores the importance of multitasking abilities in librarians, suggesting that this skill can lead to more dynamic and efficient library operations.It recommends a shift towards more flexible and adaptive job designs and task allocations that utilize librarians' multitasking skills.
The study also provides recommendations for school administrators, librarians, and future researchers.It suggests that administrators allocate resources for ongoing cultural proficiency training, encourage diversity and inclusivity initiatives, and consider multitasking capabilities when designing tasks.Librarians are advised to seek professional development opportunities, create an inclusive environment, and enhance their multitasking abilities.Future researchers are encouraged to further explore the impact of cultural proficiency and multitasking on librarians' job performance and career progression.
Table1offers insight into librarians' high level of cultural proficiency across four key areas: metacognitive awareness (4.43), cultural knowledge (4.05), intrinsic motivation (4.35), and external behaviors (4.23).Scores reveal librarians rate themselves as adept at navigating multicultural contexts through self-reflection, cross-cultural understanding, internal drive, and real-world actions.The minimal deviation in scores also speaks to the reliability and generalizability of these findings.

Table 4
Regression Analysis on the Influence of the Participants' Cultural Proficiency and Multitasking on their Job Performance