Chandra Prabha, Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Lawrence Olszewski and Lillie R. Jenkins
This paper seeks to understand how users know when to stop searching for more information when the information space is so saturated that there is no certainty that the relevant…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to understand how users know when to stop searching for more information when the information space is so saturated that there is no certainty that the relevant information has been identified.
Design/methodology/approach
Faculty, undergraduate and graduate students participated in focus group interviews to investigate what leads them to satisfice their information needs.
Findings
Academic library users describe both qualitative and quantitative criteria, which lead them to make rational choices determining when “enough” information satisfices their need. The situational context of both the participants' specific information need and their role in academic society affects every stage of their search – from the selection of the first resource, to ongoing search strategies, to decisions on how much information is enough.
Originality/value
These findings broaden the scope of earlier user research, which tends to focus on the more static views of habitual information‐seeking and ‐searching behavior, by applying theoretical frameworks for a richer understanding of the users' experiences.
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Since publication of an earlier hypertext/hyper‐media bibliography in Library Hi Tech Bibliography, two trends have experienced accelerated growth. The first is the explosion of…
Abstract
Since publication of an earlier hypertext/hyper‐media bibliography in Library Hi Tech Bibliography, two trends have experienced accelerated growth. The first is the explosion of hypermedia and hypermedia tools in both quantity and quality. Movies, pictures, and sound are now commonly linked with hypertext in ever‐more complex presentations. This trend will continue as costs begin to decrease.
Susan J. Paik, Lindsey T. Kunisaki, Vinh Q. Tran and Kenya R. Marshall-Harper
The purpose of this study is to discuss the significance of “contextual factors” on the talent development of underserved populations. Understanding the “context” and background…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to discuss the significance of “contextual factors” on the talent development of underserved populations. Understanding the “context” and background of an individual provides greater insight into their life experiences (Paik, 2013). Race, class and gender, in particular, play a role in one’s life, providing both barriers and opportunities.
Design/methodology/approach
To examine contextual and other factors, in-depth biographical case studies were systematically studied across 10 diverse notable artists and scientists. Over 85 autobiographies, biographies and other sources were carefully content-analyzed for commonalities and differences in artists’ and scientists’ lives.
Findings
Because of their ascribed statuses (e.g. race, class, gender), these individuals had to navigate their unique school and life circumstances. Within their sociocultural contexts, however, key relationships (e.g. parents, teachers, mentors and peers) helped mitigate the challenges. All artists and scientists had a “village” – key stakeholders who invested in them at every stage of their talent development.
Practical implications
Parents, teachers, mentors and peers are not only critical, but they are lifelines for talent development. Key implications discuss the role of contextual factors and support networks for aspiring diverse artists and scientists.
Originality/value
The theoretical framework for this study is based on the productive giftedness model (PGM) (Paik, 2013, 2015). PGM includes 10 key psychosocial and environmental factors and how they influence “productive giftedness” (e.g. achievements, accomplishments, leadership). Within the model, both “alterable” and “contextual factors” provide access to different opportunities, support and resources. The model is considered generalizable and applicable for diverse populations.
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Somayeh Ahmadzadeh, Ali Safari and Hadi Teimouri
Even the smartest organizations believe that “good enough is never good enough.” Highly intelligent people may be able to do important things individually; still, it is their…
Abstract
Purpose
Even the smartest organizations believe that “good enough is never good enough.” Highly intelligent people may be able to do important things individually; still, it is their accumulated brainpower that allows them to do great things. Collective intelligence means when a group of people do things that seem intelligent. On the other hand, when intelligent people are gathered or hired in an organization, they tend toward collective stupidity and slow-wittedness. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to develop a model of the factors affecting and affected by collective stupidity.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was conducted using a mixed-method approach and in two phases: qualitative and quantitative. First, in the qualitative phase and in order to achieve new findings, semi-structured interviews with experts from 12 knowledge-based companies were used to design a conceptual model and formulate the hypotheses. At the end of the qualitative phase, the conceptual model and relationships between variables were drawn. Then, in the quantitative phase, by running structural equation modeling, the antecedents and consequences of collective stupidity derived from the qualitative phase findings were analyzed and the research hypotheses were tested in 110 industrial knowledge-based companies.
Findings
The results of the qualitative phase revealed that individual, group and organizational factors were the antecedents of collective stupidity, with individual factors having three dimensions, collective ones including two dimensions and organizational ones focusing on the characteristics of managers/companies. It was also found that collective stupidity had individual consequences in three dimensions and organizational consequences in five dimensions; and one-sidedness, non-strategic thinking, organizational injustice and weakness in the management of key personnel were extracted as mediators. The results of the quantitative phase confirmed the research model and showed that individual factors and organizational consequences had the lowest (0.037) and highest (1.084) effect sizes on collective stupidity, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
The study of the phenomenon in a particular context and the difficulty of generalizing the findings to other situations, the small size of the study population due to the disproportionate number of experts to the total staff in the qualitative phase, and the limited participation of experts due to the negative nature of the issue in the quantitative phase. Taking advantage of the diversity of experts' mental abilities through equipping the organization with tools for recognizing collective stupidity, improving collective decision-making, enhancing the efficiency of think tanks and organizational prosperity in the age of knowledge economy, preventing damage to the body of knowledge of the company and reducing social loafing can be the main operational implications of this study.
Originality/value
Using a mixed-method approach for analyzing the antecedents and consequences of collective stupidity in this study and examining such a phenomenon in a knowledge-based organizational context and its implementation in a developing country can be among the innovations of the present research. By following a few studies conducted in this field in addition to the organizational pathology of the phenomenon using a fundamental method, this study obtained deep results on how to make the maximum use of experts’ capacities. This was to the extent that in all of the three sections, i.e. the antecedents and consequences of collective stupidity, a new factor emerged.
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The nature of organisational structure is discussed. A survey is reported comparing the organisational structures of university libraries in Ghana with those of their counterparts…
Abstract
The nature of organisational structure is discussed. A survey is reported comparing the organisational structures of university libraries in Ghana with those of their counterparts in the UK. The discussion covers factors that make changes in present structures necessary and type of structural changes required. Problems are identified and current organisational processes and management style discussed.
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Hossein Sayyadi Tooranloo and Mahdi Askari Shahamabad
Solely focusing on economic development and financial issues have led to insufficient attention to society and the environment, which has increased the injustice in this area…
Abstract
Purpose
Solely focusing on economic development and financial issues have led to insufficient attention to society and the environment, which has increased the injustice in this area. Accounting can aid to compensate for this harm and improve environmental issues. That is why social and environmental accounting (SEA) is rapidly growing and evolving. However, it has not been fully implemented yet. May be one cause for this issue is the lack of identifying the factors that influence SEA implementation in all dimensions. The purpose of this paper seeks to identify these factors.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the existing theoretical foundations and expert opinions, the factors influencing SEA implementation were divided into seven categories, namely, accounting requirements, environmental justice, environmental responsibility, legal requirements, organizational factors, pollution control and business issues. Interpretative structural modeling and MICMAC techniques were applied to examine the relationships between these categories and model design.
Findings
The results revealed that the legal requirement dimension is one of the effective factors and which has been identified as the cause. However, the rest of the dimensions are influenced by legal requirements. As a result, as the legal requirements are considered as the foundation of establishing the model, this factor must be seriously considered for the effective implementation of the SEA.
Social implications
As the environment is not a unique environment and it has given the pivotal role of the environment in the sustainable development of communities, this leads to an increased demand for improved environmental quality. As a result, public expectations of the accounting profession to increase SEA have increased. In this paper, using the opinions of 12 environmental accounting professionals, a model for Implementation of SEA was designed to avoid social and environmental costs and damages.
Originality/value
Considering that identified factors are of great importance in the implementation of SEA, it seems that using a comprehensive framework that includes all the factors, can have a great impact on how to improve and enhance SEA. This study is the first to provide comprehensive model for SEA implementation.
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Sean Peel, Dominic Eggbeer, Adrian Sugar and Peter Llewelyn Evans
Post-traumatic zygomatic osteotomy, fracture reduction, and orbital floor reconstruction pose many challenges for achieving a predictable, accurate, safe, and aesthetically…
Abstract
Purpose
Post-traumatic zygomatic osteotomy, fracture reduction, and orbital floor reconstruction pose many challenges for achieving a predictable, accurate, safe, and aesthetically pleasing result. This paper aims to describe the successful application of computer-aided design (CAD) and additive manufacturing (AM) to every stage of the process – from planning to surgery.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi-disciplinary team was used – comprising surgeons, prosthetists, technicians, and designers. The patient’s computed tomography scan data were segmented for bone and exported to a CAD software package. Medical models were fabricated using AM; for diagnosis, patient communication, and device verification. The surgical approach was modelled in the virtual environment and a custom surgical cutting guide, custom bone-repositioning guide, custom zygomatic implant, and custom orbital floor implant were each designed, prototyped, iterated, and validated using polymer AM prior to final fabrication using metal AM.
Findings
Post-operative clinical outcomes were as planned. The patient’s facial symmetry was improved, and their inability to fully close their eyelid was corrected. The length of the operation was reduced relative to the surgical team’s previous experiences. Post-operative scan analysis indicated a maximum deviation from the planned location for the largest piece of mobilised bone of 3.65 mm. As a result, the orbital floor implant which was fixed to this bone demonstrated a maximum deviation of 4.44 mm from the plan.
Originality/value
This represents the first application of CAD and AM to every stage of the process for this procedure – from diagnosis, to planning, and to surgery.