Finding common ground: A theory of community inquiry

Much of current work in information science focuses on collaboration, in areas such as data standards, commons-based peer production, social networks, distributed knowledge creation, community and social informatics, collaborative information seeking, university-community engagement, and information use in work practices. However, the lack of robust theory makes it difficult to compare results, or to examine issues such ??as the relation between individual and collective inquiry. This talk presents a theory of community inquiry. Building upon the work of Peirce and Dewey, as well as that of contemporary scholars, and drawing from the concrete example of a extended collaboration in the Paseo Boricua community, the theory presents a way of describing and understanding collaboration and the ways in which it involves information creation and use.Grant number RE-03-07-0007-07 from the (U.S.) Institute of Museum and Library Servicesunpublishe

The Impact of Telework on Performance: A Social Network Approach

Despite almost thirty years of research in the area of telework, the findings regarding outcomes remain equivocal (Bailey and Kurland, 2002). This research in progress hopes to advance understanding by identifying a key mechanism by which telework affects performance, specifically its influence on the social network properties of cohesion, power and structural holes. With knowledge of how the number, frequency and diversity of relationships influences performance, practitioners and academics can develop processes to improve teleworker social networks. This in turn will enhance the use of social capital and also facilitate shared attitudes and behaviors, which will lead to higher organizational commitment and promotability in a teleworking environment

Different Strokes of Creativity: Personality and Entrepreneurial Intent Among Workers of Telecom Industry in Nigeria

The study examined personality traits as predictors of entrepreneurial intention among managers of telecom industries in Nigeria. Opinions of two hundred and five (205) respondents were randomly sampled across various offices of Globacom Plc in Lagos State, Nigeria. A battery of standardized tests was administered on them using a cross-sectional survey research design. One hypothesis was tested in the study. Results revealed that extraversion (β =0.147, t = 2.582; P < .05), neuroticism (β = -.271, t = 4.358; P< .05), openness to experience (β =.224, t =3.456; P<.05) are significantly independently predicted entrepreneurial intention among managers of telecom industries in Nigeria. It was also found out that extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience significantly and jointly predicted entrepreneurial intention among managers of telecom industries in Nigeria {F (6, 204) = 24.895; P < .05}, R2 = .413. Results were discussed in line with the literature. It was recommended that since this study has established a strong relationship between personality traits and entrepreneurial intentions, telecom industries should as a matter of urgency include personality identification in their training regimen, this will go a long way in bringing fulfillment to managers , and consequently better the lots of their companies

Source and Channel Choices in Business-to-Government Service Interactions:A Vignette Study

To deal with tax matters, businesses have various potential sources (e.g., Tax Office, advisor, industry organization, friends/family) in their environment. Those sources can be coupled with an increasingly wide variety of channels (e.g., telephone, face-to-face, website, e-mail) through which information can be obtained. This has led to an increasingly complex information flow between governments and businesses. This paper provides new directions for public service delivery strategies by studying both source and channel choices of businesses using the vignette method. The findings indicate that source and channel choices are determined in different ways (i.e., positive or negative) by different factors. Furthermore, we found that source and channel choices are interrelated. It is concluded that that sources and channels fulfil different roles for information seekers. It is advisable for government to anticipate these roles in the design of their service delivery strategies

Performing knowledge requirements analysis for public organisations in a Virtual Learning Environment: a social network analysis approach

This paper describes an application of Social Network Analysis methods for identification of knowledge demands in public organisations. Affiliation networks established in a postgraduate programme were analysed. The course was executed in a distance education mode and its students worked on public agencies. Relations established among course participants were mediated through a virtual learning environment using Moodle. Data available in Moodle may be extracted using knowledge discovery in databases techniques. Potential degrees of closeness existing among different organisations and among researched subjects were assessed. This suggests how organisations could cooperate for knowledge management and also how to identify their common interests. The study points out that closeness among organisations and research topics may be assessed through affiliation networks. This opens up opportunities for applying knowledge management between organisations and creating communities of practice. Concepts of knowledge management and social network analysis provide the theoretical and methodological basis

An exploration of concepts of community through a case study of UK university web production

The paper explores the inter-relation and differences between the concepts of occupational community, community of practice, online community and social network. It uses as a case study illustration the domain of UK university web site production and specifically a listserv for those involved in it. Different latent occupational communities are explored, and the potential for the listserv to help realize these as an active sense of community is considered. The listserv is not (for most participants) a tight knit community of practice, indeed it fails many criteria for an online community. It is perhaps best conceived as a loose knit network of practice, valued for information, implicit support and for the maintenance of weak ties. Through the analysis the case for using strict definitions of the theoretical concepts is made

“A lot of people didn't have a chance to support us because we never told them” Stigma management, information poverty and HIV/AIDS information/help networks

Because of fears of stigmatization, people with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) may avoid health care and refuse illness-related information and support. However, HIV/AIDS-related information, especially that which is provided by other people, has also been shown to a vital resource for PHAs and their loved ones. This research examines the role of stigmatization in PHAs' and their friends/family members' efforts to establish personal networks for HIV/AIDS-related information and help ("information/help networks"). To investigate this question, I draw upon Goffman's ( 1963 ) stigma management theory and Chatman's ( 1996 ) theory of information poverty. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 114 PHAs, their friends/family members, health care and service providers in three rural regions of Canada. Results revealed that the majority of PHAs and friends/family members had relatively small networks for HIV/AIDS information/help. For many participants, the challenges of living with HIV/AIDS led to changes in their personal networks, and stigmatization playing a significant part in such changes. Participants developed information/help networks in a manner consistent with stigma management theory in their decisions to disclose selectively to others, to avoid the topic in conversation, to obtain information/help at a distance or to acquire information/help without disclosing their HIV status. However, in contrast to Chatman's theory, participants did not wholly avoid information from interpersonal sources nor believe that no one was available to help them. These findings suggest that information behaviour theory may need to evolve in order to account for the complexity of self-protective behaviour.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78326/1/1450460273_ftp.pd

Communication tools as drivers of employees' knowledge sharing: Evidence from the Czech Republic

For many organizations, knowledge sharing is essential to keep their competitive ability. As characteristics of available communication media might influence knowledge flows in the organization, this study examines if the frequency of some communication media usage and their perceived usefulness relate to the extent of knowledge sharing. The study applied a quantitative research design and used opinion-based questionnaires. In total, 178 participants from the Czech Republic were involved, mainly from manufacturing industry. Significant positive correlations between “how often employees use the defined instruments for gathering and communicating information in work” and “how useful employees find the defined instruments for gathering and communicating information in work” to “the extent of knowledge sharing in the organization” were identified. Additionally, the frequency of the use of communication media predicted the extent of knowledge sharing in the organization. Specifically, the frequency of the use of meetings significantly predicted the extent of knowledge sharing (β =.54, p <.001). Moreover, perceived usefulness of communication media projected the frequency of the use of communication media. The findings confirm that if employees see the offered communication tools as being useful, they are willing to use them more often, and it has a positive effect on the extent of knowledge sharing. Therefore, the design of communication tools should take into account the needs and requirements of the workforce who will use it. Additionally, organizations should organize effective meetings if they want to enhance knowledge sharing in the organization. © Jana Matošková, 202

Proceso de adquisición de datos del sistema de correo electrónico: una aplicación a la modelización de una red social

El correo electrónico se ha convertido en un repositorio rico y amplio de la información acerca de las comunicaciones entre los individuos. Desde el punto de vista empresarial las comunicaciones por correo electrónico son el reflejo de las interacciones entre las personas que componen la organización. En este trabajo ideamos las técnicas y las herramientas para la exploración de datos que permiten extraer del correo electrónico la red social que subyace y la información que pueda ser útil para la toma de decisiones en la empresa. Analizando los datos del correo electrónico del aeropuerto de Muenster y Osnabrueck, se muestra la red social conformada a través de dichas relaciones, las propiedades de la red y su evolución a través del tiempo. Nuestra técnica proporciona una aplicación para inferir a través del correo electrónico las conexiones de la red y su caracterización sugiriendo una nueva vía de exploración de datos para estudiar el comportamiento empresarial.  Electronic mail has become a rich and comprehensive repository of information about communication between individuals. From the business point of view, email communication is a reflection of interaction between the employees of the organization. In this paper we devised the techniques and tools for exploring data, that allow to extract information from email that underlie the social network that may be useful in the company to make a decision. Analyzing data from email communication of the airport Muenster and Osnabrueck shows the properties and the evolution of the network that has been formed by the relation between the employees. Our technique provides an application to infer through email network connections and characterizations, suggesting a new way to explore and study data of business behavior