65 research outputs found
Knowledge sharing behaviour influences: a case of Library and Information Science faculties in Iran
No full textThe dynamism of a new economy requires information professionals to not only quickly create knowledge but also to acquire and apply knowledge through knowledge sharing. As such, determining factors that may influence knowledge sharing behaviour constitutes an important area of research. This paper aims to determine the factors that influence knowledge sharing amongst Library and Information Science (LIS) faculties, which in this context refers to attitude, intention and intrinsic motivation. Also, the paper identifies the effect of two demographic variables (type of institute and length of teaching experience) on knowledge sharing behaviour. Data were collected through survey questionnaire returned by 93 full-time LIS teaching staff in governmental and private universities (Islamic Azad universities) in Iran. Results showed that among demographic variables a significant difference was found between knowledge sharing behaviour of LIS educators with different teaching experiences (.027) but observed no significant difference between knowledge sharing behaviour of LIS faculties working in governmental universities and those working in Islamic Azad universities. The researchers also found a significant relationship (0.000) between attitude of educators toward knowledge sharing and their intention to share knowledge. Results showed that intention and intrinsic motivation influence knowledge sharing behaviour of the LIS educators sampled
Quality assessment of academic library performance: the case of an Iranian academic library
No full textThe present research aims to assess the performance of libraries at the Islamic Azad University, Sciences and Research Branch (IAUSRB) through gap analysis. To do this, a researcher-developed questionnaire which is based on available standards and quality assessment tools including ACRL standards, LibQUAL and ISO 11620, and some criteria included in the related literature was designed and distributed among users of IAUSRB libraries. Five service quality categories, were included in the questionnaire: Environment, equipment and physical facilities, Public services, Non-book materials, Staff (librarians and their co-workers), and Information literacy and user education. Based on research findings, the most expected library services prioritized by users are operation time (mean = 4.2300), staff (mean = 4.1461), and circulation (mean = 4.1208), while the least expected library services which are of lower importance from users perspective are press (mean = 3.9734) and audiovisual materials (mean = 3.8796). The findings also indicate that services offered by the libraries surveyed had a relatively quality performance and average success (perceived quality is 2.9635?50%). In other words, such a finding emphasizes an average performance of IAUSRB libraries. In addition, confirming five research hypotheses concerning gap analysis, there was a significant difference between expected quality of five service categories and their perceived quality based on users viewpoint. It was also realized that the categories with better performance or perceived quality from users perspective are staff" (mean = 3.2240), information literacy and user education (mean = 2.9998), and environment, equipment and physical facilities (mean = 2.9871), and the two libraries Theology and Philosophy (mean = 2.2639) and Medical Engineering (mean = 2.4507) have offered poor services than the other IAUSRB libraries
Local Model of Crisis Management in Libraries of Iran’s Research Centers (mixed research)
Full text linkAbstract
Present research aims to provide a local model of crisis management in libraries of Iran’s research centers. Research method is mixed of grounded theory and survey analytics. Research population (qualitative section) is composed of crisis management specialists and managers of research centers who was selected by an objective method, and quantitative section composes of 144 managers of research centers and libraries. Semi-structured interview and questionnaire were used. Principle areas of crisis management include: values (moral, religious and social values); human force (using experienced forces) and techniques (correct budgeting, increased skills, information process improvement, improvement of IT infrastructures and preventing crisis). Model of crisis management is composed of 3 factors which the average score of statistical population is 149, 70 and 49 for intra-organizational management, extra organizational operation environment, and extra-organizational respectively. In first model75% of changes in extra-organizational crisis management are covered by indexes of intra-organizational crisis management, in second model about -81% of changes in crisis management of extra-organizational operation environment are covered by intra-organizational indexes. It is recommended managers of libraries to include principles of local crisis management in their regulations and to prevent and control natural and organizational crises, and to motivate their employees in order to perform it
Analysis of LIS Research Articles 1997-2007: Critical Thinking, Gender, and Education
Full text linkThis article reports on research into the quality of critical thinking factors in research articles of Iranian researchers in library and information science (LIS) over a period of 10 years (1997-2007). The research method includes content analysis, a checklist built on Facion\u27s critical thinking factors, and the international test of Paul and Elder. The collected data are analyzed by using descriptive, analytical, and deductive methods. The research population includes 138 research articles examined based on systematic stratified random sampling selected out of 521 articles. The findings indicate that the presence of critical thinking factors in researched articles was higher than average (mean=2.97) and there was a significant difference between authors\u27 gender and these factors in favor of females (mean for females=80.29 ; mean for males=62.57). There was not significant difference between authors\u27 education level and these elements
Environmental Scanning in Acquisition and Use of Information by the Managers of Private Publishers in Tehran City
No full textThe purpose of this study was the investigation of managers of private publishers of Tehran (MPPT) in using at information source to acquire information about their organization's external environment and to use it on decision-making. Research methods were analytical survey and statistic population 260 managers for research was selected by random sampling methods from Morgan table. Questionnaires were used as an instrument for data collecting and sent to publishers by email. In this study, environmental scanning, information source, information source accessibility selected as dependent variable, and measured with MPPT as independent variable. Binomial test and Pearson correlation analysis test were used for analyzing questions and hypothesis. The investigation results showed that findings from research questions results indicated significant relationship among independent variables (MPPT) with the dependent variables- environmental scanning, information sources, source accessibility of information. In the external environment, the sectors of economic, customers and competitors were the most important environmental sectors, and information sources were also available under subordinate staff, internal memoranda, circulars were most important source of information and television and radio, government publications and periodicals periodic rate also have been used less. There was relationship between the source accessibility of information and the frequency of its use in environmental scanning statistically significant between levels of less than (P) based on Pearson’s correlation analysis
Studies of emotional aspects of information search and retrieval on the Web: textresearch and scientific mapping
No full textThe present study was conducted to analyze the process of researches on the subject of emotional aspects in the field of information retrieval and mapping this field topic.From the methodological perspective, the present study is Descriptive survey and the type of study was practical.For this purpose, 371 related articles were extracted from Web of Science and the scientific map fields subject of these articles was traced by using ucinet software and combination of package it "netdraw". In this section, by using of matrix cotopics in the field subject cateorgy articles was extracted and applied.The analysis of findings showed that the most prolific author in this field was BELKIN, NJ in the field of library and information studies from America's with 19 scientific production.The most production resources were published in the JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE and then,INFORMATION PROCESSING & MANAGEMENT. The most products has been published in paper format (64.7 percent), with two authors, in English language in 2011,2009 and 2014. Most scientific production has been Performed by using experimental methods(97/26percent) with observation tools (63.46 percent).Review of studies on the emotional aspects of information retrieval based on the aims of the study into two groups, "based on user studies" and "content-based studies" showed that, User-based studies(54.49 percent) had the highest frequency of studies. adult age groups in most of these research have been studied.Children and patients also investigated in these research.In Content-based research, results showed that information systems analysis were the most content analyzed in the research. Emotional aspects of information retrieval in 60 Subject area has been published in the Web of Science.The most Articles in this field has been published in computer science, information systems, information and library science, and artificial intelligence
Academic Libraries\u27 External Environment and Environmental Scanning by Managers of Central Libraries of Islamic Azad Universities of Iran
Full text linkIntroduction
Academic libraries such as other libraries and information centers and organizations operate within the context of two environments- internal and external. Both of these environments are interconnected. Whilst, internal context of library consists organizational structure and functions and the way they are configured in pursuit of specified organizational objectives; each library operates in complex and changing external environments, which frequently produces new challenges which must be controlled to ensure the library’s future survival and success. Their impact is a two-way process. Changes in the external environment affect the organization’s internal environment, whilst decisions made at managerial level will impact upon both the external and internal environment (Bryson, 1990).
Finally, one of the major and important tasks of a manager is the environmental scanning to acquire information and use it to determine the role of the library in its environment, its influence and image, and the services it provides.
The external environment of an organization may be viewed as a source of information, resources, or variation (Choo, 1993b)پايان. External environment is not a collection of other systems and organizations, but it is an active environment. Changes, events and trends in the environment continually create signals and messages. Organizations detect or receive these cues and use the information to adapt to new condition. Dill views the environment as a source of information, and suggests that the best way for analyzing the environment is to treat the environment as information which becomes available to the organization, or the organization may get access via search activity (Dill, 1962). Because information allows management to improve its strategic planning, tactical implementation of program and it’s monitoring and control; in messy environments, having access to timely and relevant information can give a firm competitive advantage. Information perspective indicates that, when managers suppose that.the environment is unpredictable, they feel uncertainty, and this situation occurs, when they feel that they have no information for accurate decision-making (Hatch, 2006); (Dill, 1962).
Another perspective views the environment as a source of resources upon which the organization is dependent. Munificence, or scarcity of resources; Concentration, or the extent to which power and authority in the environment is widely dispersed; and interconnectedness, the number and pattern of linkage among organizations in the environment, are three structural characteristics of the environment that affect resource dependence (Choo, 1993b)پايان. To survive, organizations require resources. Typically, acquiring resources means that the organization must interact with others who control those resources (Pfeffer and Salancik, 1978).
The third perspectives based on ecological view in organization studies, developed principally by Hannan and Freeman, and Aldrich. This point of view tries to explain why certain forms (or species) of organizations survive and thrive, while others languish and perish by using evolutionary biology rules (Hannan and Freeman, 1977), (Hannan and Freeman, 1989), (Aldrich, 1979).
A firm’s competitive position, financial success, and even survival depend on its ability to scan, understand and adapt to environmental conditions (Ebrahimi, 2000). In many of related studies, the External environment serves as a great source of strategic information (Daft et al., 1988), (Duncan, 1972), (Lawrence and Lorsch, 1967) and (Tung, 1979). In order to success in formulating the strategy for future, managers and decision-makers need to collect, interpret and utilize information from the external environment. A manager does this importance by environmental scanning. Environmental scanning is the activity of gaining information about events and relationships in the organization’s environment, the knowledge of which would assist management in planning future courses of action (Choo, 1993a); and has been the subject of extensive research such as Aguilar, 1967; Collins, 1968; Fahey and King,1977; Culnan, 1983; Daft et al., 1988; Choo, 1993a; Sawyerr, 1993; Kumar & Yauger, 1994; Litschert, 1994; Yasai-Ardekani & Nystrom, 1996; Boyd & Fulk,1996; Elenkov, 1997; Martinsons,1988, 1997; Ebrahimi, 1997. (Ebrahimi, 2000).
This article reports on how managers of academic libraries of Islamic Azad University (IAU) perceive environmental sectors as important, variable and complex; and how they scan environment. We examine how their perceptions of environmental uncertainty and perceived strategic uncertainty affect amount of scanning activity
Synergy in the Iranian Innovation Systems at Regional and National Levels In the Triple-Helix Context
Full text linkThe synergies for the Iranian regional and national innovation systems among the geographical, technological and organizational distributions of firms were measured. Among the data of 87934 active industrial firms (December 2015), merely 46150 firms could be classified using NACE codes into high-tech, medium-tech and knowledge intensive sectors which in turn geographically divided into five regions. Accordingly, both the T0 and ΔTGTO of Iran at the national level had negative signs (-480.6 and -5.14 mbits, respectively), however all the ΔTGTOs in each separate region was highly positive denoting that national agglomeration significantly adds to the synergy in the system and a highly integrated national innovation system was proposed in Iran. Regions 1 (including Tehran as the capital) as well as region 4 (including Khuzestan which contains enormous oil and gas resources and industries) caused less disturbance to the national synergy compared with the other three regions (ΔTGTOs= +18.1 and +22.2 mbits, respectively). The decomposition of sectorial technologies showed that in contrast to many other countries, especially for west European countries, high-tech manufacturing and knowledge intensive services were the main drives of knowledge-based configuration in the regional economy of Iran, while medium-tech manufacturing tend to uncouple the economy from the regional configuratio
Identifying information indicators of natural urban hazards in Iran
Full text linkObjective: The present study was conducted to identify the indicators of the urban natural hazards information model based on meta-combination analysis in order to create a model.
Methodology: In the first stage, the meta-combined method was used. Out of 337 documents related to the research topic, 140 documents were analyzed. To examine and modify the components obtained during the trans-combination of qualitative method (with Delphi approach) which has been done by using a survey of experts with a questionnaire. Thus, the method of the present study is a mixture of polynomials
Findings: The research was reviewed in three parts (informants with 50 indicators, tools and media with 66 indicators, content of information messages with 78 indicators), local government organizations using civil society and the private sector in implementing policies They play an effective role. A large number of different information tools have not been seen as appropriate for the time of crisis and after the crisis, and determining the standard and appropriate information messages to the community has an effective role in informing about risks.
Originality: This study has for the first time examined the identification of natural hazard information indicators in Iran. In addition, by defining the characteristics of informants, tools, and media, the content of the information message in three crisis situations such as the information roadmap By determining the share of informants and appropriate tools and the content of the standard message, provides the most effective way of reporting risks to officials in three crisis situation
Dimensions and Components of Knowledge Auditing in Iranian University Libraries
Full text linkPurpose: This study aimed to identify the dimensions and indicators of knowledge auditing in academic libraries.Methods: The present study was applied in terms of purpose and was performed by the Delphi method and qualitative approach. Participants in the present study included professors and experts in knowledge management and information science. By purposive sampling method at first, two or three experts in knowledge management and information science were identified and introduced by other people based on the snowball method and a sample size of twenty people was selected. In this study, Kendall and binomial tests have been used to analyze the data obtained from the first and second rounds of Delphi.Findings: Fourteen factors were identified as factors involved in influencing knowledge audit based on the research findings in knowledge audit, which are: organizational perspective and goals of data analysis and knowledge information, measurement of explicit and implicit knowledge, drawing Knowledge flow map, identifying strategic elements of the organization, analyzing the gap between existing and desirable knowledge, preparing the organization, identifying the knowledge audit process, forming a knowledge audit working group, analyzing knowledge flow, identifying valuable assets of the organization, evaluating information, measuring current knowledge health And analysis of knowledge application. Findings showed that the priority index in conducting research, educational, executive projects, etc., had the highest average (4.01), and the index of knowledge resources had the lowest average (1.25). Also, the value of the Kendall coefficient for all factors considered except the factors of vision and organizational goals and identification of strategic elements of the organization is more than 0.7 or very close to it, which indicates the consensus of experts.The level of significance for the Kendall coordination coefficient in most factors is more than 5%, which means there is a significant agreement between experts.Conclusions: The results showed the use of knowledge audit components to identify better the needs of creating, organizing, sharing and using knowledge in organizations. The overall results of the research in the field of validation by experts showed that all components of knowledge auditing have been approved and none of the components have been rejected
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