bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Relationship and role transformations in social media environments
Authors: Hall Hazel 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThis paper seeks to challenge how librarians conceive a number of relationships – between themselves, social media tools, and end‐users, and to argue that this determines the boundaries of service innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops themes and ideas derived from research projects on deployment of social media by library and information professionals completed within the Centre for Social Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University.FindingsLibrarians currently demonstrate more sophisticated use of social media for personal professional purposes than for services delivery; a number of challenges currently limit the extent to which librarians are able to exploit social media to full advantage; fuller exploitation of social media is possible when librarians transfer the good practice exhibited in personal professional use to applications for services delivery; service innovations are considered before tools; and end users are treated as collaborating clients rather than consuming customers.Originality/valueThe paper is of interest to those keen to take advantage of the opportunities offered by social media that extend beyond replicating existing service delivery.
Blurring the boundaries between our physical and electronic libraries
Authors: Walsh Andrew 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to consider the use of technologies including GPS, QR codes and RFID tags to personalize the learning environments in academic libraries.Design/methodology/approachIt reports on the use of QR codes at the University of Huddersfield, including information on how the QR codes have been received by users. It also outlines other technologies used elsewhere and reported in the professional literature.FindingsThe paper finds that, although location‐aware technologies are being used, for most libraries they are impractical. Instead, one could use QR codes (which have significant barriers to their use) or preferably RFID tags (already widely used for other purposes) to create smarter libraries.Practical implicationsLibraries are increasingly using RFID tags in their stock, occasionally as part of library or campus smart cards as well. When considering how to use, or justify the cost of, RFID tags in libraries, one should also consider the potential additional benefits outlined in this article.Originality/valueWhile most of the technologies described have been used in experimental ways within libraries, no one has yet used RFID tags for much more than stock circulation and control. This is the first paper to suggest using them to access the wealth of data in order to personalize the learning environments of our libraries.
Application of information and communication technologies in special libraries in Kuwait
Authors: Al‐Ansari Husain 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThe study is designed to explore the application of information technology in various operations and services in special libraries in Kuwait.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through a questionnaire accompanied by interviews with head librarians in 25 special libraries in Kuwait.FindingsThis study provides baseline data on the current status of the application of information and communication technology (ICT). The majority of the libraries are partially automated. The library catalogue was found to be the most popular area for automation. More than one fourth of the libraries are still using manual systems in their library operations and services. Lack of adequate personnel, ICT training programs, and low priority of libraries within their organization are major obstacles for ICT application in special libraries.Practical implicationsThis paper will have implications for the development of special libraries in Kuwait. It also indicates existing obstacles, difficulties, suggestion and recommendations for further development.Originality/valueIt is the first study of the status of ICT applications in special libraries in Kuwait. Its findings should help researchers and decision makers to improve the current information infrastructure
An investigation‐based learning model for using digital libraries to support mobile learning activities
Authors: Shih Ju‐Ling , Hwang Gwo‐Jen , Chu Yu‐Chung , Chuang Chien‐Wen 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThis study proposes a mobile learning model that employs digital libraries to support investigative learning activities. A student‐centered mobile learning activity with self‐guided exploration for physical ecology observation has been conducted to demonstrate the benefits of using digital libraries to support investigation‐based ecology learning activities.Design/methodology/approachAn investigation‐based mobile learning model is proposed and an experiment is designed to show the effectiveness of the learning model, in which the students are asked to answer a series of questions by observing the real‐world learning objects and searching for supplemental materials from a digital library.FindingsThe instructional experiment conducted in an elementary school with 64 sixth grade students shows that the innovative approach is able to improve the learning achievement, learning effectiveness, as well as the learning attitudes of the students.Practical implicationsThe findings of this paper imply that the use of the investigative learning model will significantly promote the utilization rate of digital libraries.Originality/valueAn investigative model for using digital libraries to support mobile learning is proposed in this paper. It provides good guidance to teachers for designing learning activities with digital libraries, and a good way for students to learn, utilizing the materials in digital libraries.
Bridging digital divide in Bangladesh: study on community information centers
Authors: Islam Anwarul , Tsuji Keita 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss different attempts that have been made to bridge the digital divide in Bangladesh, with special focus on the Community Information Centers (CICs), which are playing a unique and innovative role in reducing the digital gap.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a case study and is based on a survey method for collecting information through telephone (outbound call center). Besides these, internet, personal visits (as a project member) and other secondary sources such as research reports, Grameenphone internal reports, articles are used.FindingsThis paper highlights the existing initiatives which are bridging the break to build digital Bangladesh and focuses on how CIC is bridging the divide.Research limitations/implicationsThis study will usher a new era for its internal values and the findings can be used by the advisory committees. The outcome of this study may, however, empower policy makers to make a decision and it is suggested that discussion and further writings are needed to bridge the digital divide in Bangladesh.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the very few studies which focus on the prospects of Community Information Centers in Bangladesh, particularly breaking the digital discrimination between rural and urban areas.
Measuring the usability of academic digital libraries
Authors: Joo Soohyung , Yeon Lee Jee 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThis study aims to develop a measurement instrument, which involves four usability dimensions of efficiency, effectiveness, satisfaction, and learnability, as a way of assessing the usability of academic digital libraries.Design/methodology/approachTo generate measurement items, previous research related to usability frameworks, usability guidelines, and empirical usability tests was reviewed. The measurement instrument was then verified in terms of reliability and validity, empirically using data from 230 actual users of an academic digital library. To ensure the reliability of the instrument, internal consistency of measurements, measurement item reliability, and construct reliability were examined. Construct validity, which consists of convergent validity and discriminant validity, was also examined on the basis of confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe usability evaluation instrument suggested in this study comprises four dimensions: efficiency, effectiveness, satisfaction, and learnability, and three to four items were identified to measure each dimension.Originality/valueTo date, while many of the usability studies have relied on either experimental methods or inspection methods, few studies have been conducted to identify evaluation measures that can assess the usability of a digital library from a survey method. This study is one of a few studies to develop a measurement instrument tailored to academic digital library environments.
A study of integrated KM in IT support services companies
Authors: Bairi Jayachandra , Murali Manohar B. , Kundu Kumar 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate a good knowledge management (KM) framework for IT services companies to provide an integrated approach to IT services for efficient knowledge management.Design/methodology/approachThe framework is evaluated at three Indian IT organizations providing global IT services with successful KM programs dedicated to services. Expert interviews were conducted with senior management involved in the KM programs. Information collected was used for studying the KM framework implemented by each organization for services and then content analyzed and evaluated.FindingsThe paper provides evidence of various strategic, technological critical factors influencing the success of KM programs in IT services companies. Organizations with successful KM programs typically adapt attrition control measures, rewards and recognitions. Application of key enabler tools of KM help in robust knowledge management, reducing cost to client, helping companies to excel better.Research limitations/implicationsInterviews are limited to three large companies in the Bangalore region. Future in‐depth studies across regions, with a mix of medium/large organizations would benefit from a larger and more diverse sample.Practical implicationsIt is suggested that IT services organizations develop specific capabilities to create knowledge management system (KMS) for productivity benefits and increased profitability. To provide clear benchmarks for developing these capabilities, mainly from the outsourcing point of view, a KM framework for IT services is provided.Originality/valueIntegrated KMS is discussed from a unique perspective of IT services by integrating knowledge management and IT services. The paper also reviews customers' expectations from IT service providers. The paper conducts preliminary evaluation of the KM framework for IT services and provides a broader view for future research opportunities.
The knowledge‐based development agenda:a perspective for 2010‐2020
Authors: Ergazakis Kostas , Metaxiotis Kostas 
Published: August 2011

PurposeIn the context of today's knowledge economy, development policies that are mainly based on knowledge as a primary source of wealth and added‐value are increasingly adopted by cities and countries. This tendency is becoming much more common due to the global financial crisis. Thus, the knowledge‐based development field has been in a state of important progress during the last decade. This paper seeks to discuss and highlight the major issues of knowledge‐based development. By doing so the paper aims to present an agenda for future research directions for the present decade of 2010‐2020.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents an agenda for future research by co‐instantaneously presenting the status in relation to the major pending issues of the knowledge‐based development field. This is accomplished through a wide‐scope literature review and qualitative scoring of knowledge‐based development (KBD) categories.FindingsThe main finding is that research is needed in four main directions: development of holistic and unified approaches for the practical formulation of citizen‐centric knowledge‐based development strategies; knowledge‐based urban planning; knowledge‐based development assessment and metrics; practical aspects of implementation of knowledge‐based development approaches.Research limitations/implicationsResearch in the paper is based on a wide literature review of the most important and added‐value available resources in the KBD field and in qualitative scoring of research categories. Use of empirical components such as citation analysis, field surveys, knowledge network analysis as well as for a specific approach regarding the scoring system would be needed in future research.Originality/valueThe discussion and issues presented in the paper should be of value not only to researchers and practitioners but also to cities and countries willing to design efficient and effective knowledge‐based development strategies.
Is there a correlation between knowledge management maturity and organizational performance?
Authors: Kruger Cornelius Johannes (Neels) , Johnson Roy D. 
Published: August 2011

PurposeBeyond critique of current maturity models, the research literature has neglected to supply empirical evidence of the value knowledge management (KM) holds for organizations. The majority of studies, in common with other emergent business philosophies, are focused on large organizations of developed economies, where readily available implementation resources are an underlying assumption. This paper aims to address this issue and to assess the correlation between the successful institutionalization of KM and organizational performance (OP) in a developing economy.Design/methodology/approachFrom a large urban South African university engaged in numerous collaboration programs with industry, the authors gained insight into KM maturity and organizational performance (OP) of three industry groups, over a five‐year period. The authors apply an inventory developed by Kruger and Snyman to a set of nine organisations distributed over three economic sectors in South Africa.FindingsBy evaluating the relationship between KM maturity and OP from within three “time dependent” perspectives, insight was gained to answer the aim of the research undertaken, “Is there a correlation between KM maturity and OP in South Africa?” Diagrammatic presentation of OP scores and KM maturity growth revealed that in five out of the nine organizations there is a clearly identifiable relationship between KM maturity and OP in South Africa in both entities over the period under investigation. In certain instances, the correlations were not easily noticeable and/or were non‐existent. From a mathematical perspective, in comparing the correlation between growth in KM maturity and year‐on‐year growth in OP, it was revealed that six of the eight companies that recorded positive growth in KM maturity also recorded positive (year‐on‐year) growth in OP. In a similar manner, it was established that the company recording negative growth in KM maturity also recorded negative (year‐on‐year) growth in OP.Research limitations/implicationsBecause the South African scenario can be considered a benchmark for developing economies characterized by continued change, diversity and even elements of silent intolerance and conflict, this study may be viewed as a “pilot study” to provide a baseline and insight into future research of KM for enabling OP.Originality/valueThis paper is of relevance to strategic managers and KM practitioners interested in gaining insight into the correlation between KM maturity and organisational performance.
Exploring the information technology contribution to service recovery performance through knowledge based resources
Authors: Mjahed Hammami Samiha , Triki Abdelfattah 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of information technology in service recovery performance through the exploration of its influence on service recovery performance components and determinants.Design/methodology/approachA general inductive approach for analyzing qualitative data was adopted since the main research question of “How can information technology enable successful service recovery?” has not been examined in the complaint management literature. Data were collected through in‐depth interviews with key executives working in the Tunisian banking sector.FindingsDrawing on the knowledge‐based view (KBV), the authors develop a general framework to understand the differences in service recovery performance (SRP). The research shows that various knowledge‐based resources such as customer orientation (CO), internal orientation (IO), and information technology (IT) complement one another to impact on SRP. Ignoring the complementarities of these resources in assessing SRP can seriously underestimate the impact of IT on the knowledge assets that are embedded in the firm recovery competency. This distinctive business competency is labelled knowledge enabled recovery effectiveness (KERE).Research limitations/implicationsGiven the exploratory nature of this study, these preliminary results need quantitative research to refine theory and measurement of service recovery capabilities and for future validation of the proposed framework.Practical implicationsThe findings provide important implications for the effective design and the automation of complaint management and for the intervening mechanisms that govern the IT business value.Originality/valueThe paper examines the issue of complaint management from a knowledge based view and calls for the need to consider specific customer relationship management (CRM) areas as a set of knowledge based activities.
Impact of knowledge management dimensions on learning organization across hierarchies in India
Authors: Chawla Deepak , Joshi Himanshu 
Published: August 2011

PurposeOrganization hierarchy plays a crucial role in the effective management of knowledge and learning. Typically, the organization hierarchy includes employees at the top, middle and lower levels. Employees possess a wealth of knowledge but often knowledge‐driven learning across organization hierarchies is not uniform due to various factors pertaining to the employees such as their literacy levels, available‐time, access to resources, reward and recognition, mindset, level of empowerment etc. This paper attempts to compare how employees at the top and middle level hierarchies in Indian organizations perceive a learning organization (LO). It also attempts to understand how the dimensions of knowledge management (KM) influence LO and tests whether this is significantly different for the aforementioned two hierarchy levels.Design/methodology/approachA convenience sample of 57 top and middle level executives from India participated in the study. The extent of learning practices was compared and tested for significant differences across the top and middle level hierarchies.FindingsA comparison of the mean scores shows that there is hardly any difference in the way executives at the two levels perceive LO. All the mean scores are below five on a scale of six, pointing to scope for improvement. Further, no statistical difference is found in the mean scores. The impact of KM dimensions on LO was found to be statistically insignificant for the two levels. Most of the KM dimensions were found to positively impact the LO as per the proposed hypothesis.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample comprises 34 responses from top and 17 from middle level executives. This small sample size can be largely attributed to respondents' reluctance, especially of those from the public sector organizations, to openly share their views. A larger representation of respondents from the middle level hierarchy would certainly enhance the generalization of results. This low response rate has limited the use of the regression analysis technique as against any other powerful explanatory techniques.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can provide insights to organizations on the role of hierarchies in the management of knowledge and learning which can, in turn, help in developing best practices to manage the same.Originality/valueThe paper addresses the paucity of empirical research done to examine whether top and middle level executives perceive LO differently. It also studies the impact of KM on LO and provides evidence to demonstrate the difference in perception among different hierarchy levels. The value added is in identifying future areas of research by extending this synergy between KM and LO to enhance performance and competitiveness. This approach could be adopted to examine the relationship in different socio‐economic contexts and cultures.
Web site search engine optimization: a case study of Fragfornet
Authors: Gandour Aurélie , Regolini Amanda 
Published: August 2011

PurposeSearch Engine Optimization (SEO) is a set of techniques used by websites in order to be better indexed by search engines. This papers aims to focus upon “white hat”, “in page” SEO: techniques to improve one's site content, hereby making it more attractive to human visitors as well as search engines, by making changes within the site's pages while focusing on chosen themes and keywords. The final goal is for the site to be better ranked by one or several targeted search engines and therefore appearing higher in their results lists for specified requests. This paper seeks to describe the steps one must take to reach such a goal, while focusing on the example of the website Fragfornet.Design/methodology/approachFragfornet web pages have been generated through a “website factory” allowing the creation of dynamic websites on demand for the employees of Cemagref. This explains the steps to take to optimize for search engines any website using Zope Plone; even more broadly, the general recommendations described can be used by any website at all to gain more visibility on search engines. After a literature review about search engine optimization, the paper describes the methods used to optimize the website before exposing the results which were quickly obtained.FindingsIt was not long before the first effects of the SEO campaign were experienced. One week later, as soon as the Googlebots had crawled the site and stored a newer version of it within their databases, it immediately went up in the results pages for requests concerning forests fragmentation. This paper describes some of the parameters that were monitored and some of the conclusions drawn from them..Originality/valueThis paper's goal is to explain which steps to take for search engines to optimize any website elaborated through Cemagref website factory, or any website using Zope Plone. Even more broadly, the general recommendations described in this paper can be used by any librarian on any website to gain more visibility on search engines.