Mojtaba Kaffashan Kakhki, Marzie Zarqi, Hadi Harati, Yaser Asemandoreh and Ehsan Namdar Joyame
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of organizational levers and information technology (IT) absorptive capacity on librarians' innovation.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of organizational levers and information technology (IT) absorptive capacity on librarians' innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
This survey-analytic study investigated the librarians who were working in the libraries of the medical sciences universities in Iran. The data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire distributed randomly among the members of the sample. The SEM and the LISREL software for data analysis were used.
Findings
It was found that the librarians' job autonomy and fairness of rewards had an effect on acquiring new knowledge and applying transformed knowledge. Although the results did not confirm the effect of the librarians' job autonomy on knowledge assimilation and transformation, they showed a direct and positive effect of fairness of rewards on knowledge assimilation and transformation. Furthermore, this study confirmed the effect of acquiring and applying new knowledge about the library IT on enhancing the librarians' innovation. The effect of knowledge assimilation and transformation, from the application of IT in libraries, on the librarians' innovation was not confirmed.
Practical implications
Learning about the effect of organizational levers on librarians' knowledge absorptive capacities, in terms of applying technologies, to create innovation is an important issue. This will elucidate the gaps of disregarding the effect of organizational levers and librarians' knowledge absorptive capacities on librarians' innovation, and will pave the way for better planning to achieve the libraries' innovative goals.
Originality/value
This is among the few articles that have helped to fill the existing theoretical and research gap in knowledge absorptive capacity in Library and Information Science (LIS). In addition, this article has made a valuable contribution to understanding the role of IT knowledge absorptive capacity as a mediator variable between the organizational levers and librarians' innovation.
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Hadi Harati, Fatemeh Nooshinfard, Alireza Isfandyari-Moghaddam, Fahimeh Babalhavaeji and Nadjla Hariri
The purpose of this paper is to identify and design the axial coding pattern of the factors affecting the unplanned use behavior of users of the academic libraries and information…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and design the axial coding pattern of the factors affecting the unplanned use behavior of users of the academic libraries and information centers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study as an applied research with a qualitative approach employed the grounded theory. The data collection tool was a deep and semi-structured interview. The interviews data were analyzed and coded during three stages of open, axial and selective coding using the MAXQDA 10 qualitative analysis software. The research population consisted of faculty members and experts in three areas of library and information science, management and psychology. Using the combined targeted sampling method (targeted and then the snowball), 12 subjects were selected as the sample size.
Findings
According to the research findings, the factors affecting the unplanned behavior of users in the use of academic libraries resources and services were identified as factors related to technology, environmental factors, information resources, information services, human resources, individual features, time position factor, cultural factors and social factors. Accordingly, the axial coding pattern of this type of behaviors was designed.
Research limitations/implications
The research limitations include the lack of theoretical basis related to the unplanned behavior issue in the field of library and information science and the lack of full familiarity of most of the experts in the field of library and information science with this topic. These factors lead to the necessity of explaining the subject under discussion.
Originality/value
The unplanned behavior of clients can be utilized to persuade users to use the information resources and library services so that the costs spent on their preparation and collection will be justifiable. The current research addressed this aspect of the unplanned information-seeking behavior.
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Susmita Saha and Md. Roknuzzaman
The major objectives of this study are to explore the perceptions of library practitioners towards IoT and to suggest directions for its proper application in university libraries…
Abstract
Purpose
The major objectives of this study are to explore the perceptions of library practitioners towards IoT and to suggest directions for its proper application in university libraries of Bangladesh.
Design/methodology/approach
The study conducted an online questionnaire-based survey of library practitioners working at university libraries in Bangladesh in addition to an email interview with ten librarians. A sample size of 310 library practitioners was obtained using the convenience sampling technique for the survey. Non-parametric tests were performed to examine the differences in demographics and perspectives on IoT, as well as the potential benefits and challenges of IoT deployment in libraries.
Findings
A total of 178 valid surveys were completed, and the results indicate that 147 (82.6%) library practitioners have varied degrees of IoT understanding and positive attitudes about IoT applications in libraries. The study identified RFID, wireless technologies, cloud computing, mobile apps, artificial intelligence and semantic search as major IoT enablers. Tracking, book reservation, circulation, user identification, service marketing, selection of resources, information networking and resource sharing, etc. are the main areas of a library where IoT may be applied. The integration of IoT has the potential to transform conventional libraries into smart libraries. However, there are some challenges that Bangladeshi university libraries must overcome to take use of the prospects emerged from IoT.
Research limitations/implications
The study would encourage Bangladeshi librarians adopting IoT-based library and information services and provide guidelines for its successful implementation.
Originality/value
The study is a pioneering effort from Bangladesh’s perspective which portrays the original opinions and perceptions of library practitioners regarding IoT applications in university libraries of Bangladesh.
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Mahdi Zarepour, Niloufar Hojat Shemami and Soroush Avakh Darestani
In today’s world, one of the most important factors of the country’s economic development is improving the productivity of manufacturing industries. Identifying factors affecting…
Abstract
Purpose
In today’s world, one of the most important factors of the country’s economic development is improving the productivity of manufacturing industries. Identifying factors affecting the productivity of manufacturing industries and prioritizing them is effective in promoting productivity and can promise to achieve organizational and national productivity. The purpose of this research is to identify the effective factors in improving the productivity of manufacturing industries.
Design/methodology/approach
The present research method is a descriptive-survey and the data collection tool is a questionnaire. In the first step, according to the studies conducted by reviewing the research literature using a comparative method, library studies and asking opinions from experts, potential factors affecting the productivity of industries were identified and analyzed. Then the factors were divided into four main categories, and the selected factors were determined by using a questionnaire and combining the opinions of experts. Then, the importance of the selected factors was determined using the Fuzzy SWARA decision-making method, and the final ranking of the selected industries of the province was done using the MOORA method.
Findings
The results of this research showed that the factors “profit margin,” “The ratio of sales on current assets” and “The ratio of exports to sales,” respectively, have the highest importance, among the pharmaceutical and household appliances industries of the province that are present in the stock exchange, Caspian Tamin Company has the highest productivity with a productivity score of 0.437.
Originality/value
Looking at the background of the research, no comprehensive research has been conducted to identify indicators that affect productivity in the manufacturing industry, and only a few studies have evaluated productivity indicators for small, specialized industries. Therefore, in the current research, considering the uncertainty in experts' opinions, a hybrid model is presented to identify and comprehensively evaluate the productivity indicators of manufacturing industries using the decision-making method of Fuzzy SWARA and MOORA, which is unique in its turn.