DOI:10.6245/JLIS.2016.421/704
圖書館學與資訊科學 42（1）：91 – 94（民一○五年四月） 91
Developing a Model of Factors Influencing
Professional Workers’ Information Behaviors
Nicholas L. J. Silburn
Adjunct Faculty, Henley Business School, University of Reading, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 3AU, UK
E-mail: [email protected]
Background
Existing empirical and theoretical research (e.g., Byström and Järvelin (1995); Foster (2004); Ingwersen and Järvelin (2005); Leckie et al (1996); and Wilson (1997)) suggests that an individual’s information behaviors can be affected by cognitive and environmental factors. Anecdotal and research evidence suggests that individuals and organizations do not value their information assets, and therefore do not exhibit behaviors that appropriately reflect the value of workplace information. There are also apparent gaps in the literature, particularly around a lack of appropriate models of information behavior associated with professionals in the workplace and information being seen as valuable (useful, important, of worth and of benefit) by the organization. The increasing legal and regulatory environment, the expansion of information management standards and the increasing pervasiveness of computer technology add to the mix of how workplace information behaviors might be supported, encouraged or hindered.
Aim
This research sets out to develop a socio-technical model of factors influencing professional workers’ information behaviors within the context of seeing information as a valuable organizational asset.
Method
An extensive literature review (Silburn, 2013) identified a number of key conceptual models from information behavior, information systems, library and information science, and value of information literature. These models provided a set of core information behaviors (such as information seeking, retrieval, use and sharing) and potential influencing factors (for example
92 Journal of Library and Information Science 42（1）：91 – 94（April, 2016）
computer technology, the information behaviors of others, personal values and beliefs, and job design). The review found that there was no apparent literature that combined these information behaviors and the influences upon them, into a single workplace-related model. The output from the literature review was a conceptual model supported by a set of propositions.
Primary research was carried out in two parts within the context of a pragmatist philosophical position. An initial phase, using semi-structured in-depth interviews, looked at professionals’ interpretations of the value of information and some of the information behaviors that might be associated with valuing information. From this, a slightly revised version of the conceptual model was produced. The second phase of research was carried out using the revised model and combined semi-structured in-depth interviews with repertory grid work. Textual, graphical and numerical data were analyzed using repertory grid cluster analysis (Jankowicz, 2004; Shaw, 1980), and thematic coding (Miles & Huberman, 1994).
Results
The research, documented in Silburn (2013), found a consistent approach to defining the value of information – valuable information was seen as being useful, important, of some worth, and of benefit. Seven behaviors, including information seeking, information sharing, and managing information, were identified as being relevant to showing that information is valuable. Some twenty influencing factors were identified. Evidence from the interviews supported factors identified in the research literature, and identified new factors, such as the degree of information literacy and the quality of technology. A life-cycle relationship was identified between some of the behaviors, whilst others were identified as information governance behaviors that supported the life-cycle behaviors. Some factors were found to have relationships with other factors, as well as with the behaviors.
An academic model was developed from the findings, based on inductive model building principles (Carlile & Christensen, 2005; Dubin, 1969), for further research. A simplified version of the academic model is shown in the figure below:
圖書館學與資訊科學 42（1）：91 – 94（民一○五年四月） 93 Figure 1: Simplified Model of Factors Affecting Information Behaviors within the Context
of Valuing Workplace Information. Adapted from Silburn (2013).
Conclusions
Several conclusions were drawn from this research. Firstly, the information behaviors of professional workers are influenced, in various ways, by a variety of people, organizational, technology and environmental factors. Secondly, the degree to which behaviors are influenced, and whether the influence is positive or negative in nature, is determined by several inductively derived quality- and literacy-related factors. Thirdly, the biggest influences on information behavior centered on personal values and beliefs, the technology in the organization, and the needs of information stakeholders.
References
Byström, K., & Järvelin, K. (1995). Task complexity affects information seeking and use. Information Processing & Management, 31(2), 191-213.
Carlile, P. R., & Christensen, C. M. (2005). The cycles of theory building in management research. Retrieved from http://www.innosight.com/documents/Theory Building.pdf
Dubin, R. (1969). Theory Building (1st ed.). New York, NY: The Free Press.
Foster, A. (2004). A nonlinear model of information-seeking behavior. Journal of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, 55(3), 228-237.
94 Journal of Library and Information Science 42（1）：91 – 94（April, 2016）
Ingwersen, P., & Järvelin, K. (2005). The Turn: Integration of Information Seeking and Retrieval in Context: Vol. 18. Dordrecht, Holanda: Springer.
Jankowicz, D. (2004). The easy guide to repertory grids (1st ed. Vol. 1). Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Leckie, G. J., Pettigrew, K. E., & Sylvain, C. (1996). Modeling the information seeking of professionals: A general model derived from research on engineers, health care professionals, and lawyers. Library Quarterly, 66(2), 161-193.
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.
Shaw, M. L. G. (1980). On becoming a personal scientist (1st ed. Vol. 1). London: Academic Press.
Silburn, N. L. J. (2013). A model of factors affecting professional workers information behaviours within the context of valuing organisational information (Doctoral dissertation). University of Reading, Reading. Wilson, T. D. (1997). Information behaviour: An interdisciplinary perspective. Information Processing &
