Role of Information Professionals as Intermediaries for Knowledge Management in Evidence-Based Healthcare

Author(s):  
Gabby Fennessy ◽  
Frada Burstein
10.28945/2625 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isola Ajiferuke

The objective of this study is to provide empirical evidence of the role of information professionals in knowledge management programs. 386 information professionals working in Canadian organizations were selected from the Special Libraries Association’s Who’s Who in Special Libraries 2001/2002 and questionnaire with a stamped self-addressed envelope for its return was sent to each one of them. 63 questionnaires were completed and returned, and 8 in-depth interviews conducted. About 59% of the information professionals surveyed are working in organizations that have knowledge management programs with about 86% of these professionals being involved in the programs. Factors such as gender, age, and educational background (i.e. highest educational qualifications and discipline) did not seem to have any relationship with involvement in knowledge management programs. Many of those involved in the programs are playing key roles, such as the design of the information architecture, development of taxonomy, or content management of the organization’s intranet. Others play lesser roles, such as providing information for the intranet, gathering competitive intelligence, or providing research services as requested by the knowledge management team.


Author(s):  
Mostafa Sayyadi Ghasabeh

This research contributes to the fields of knowledge management, transformational leadership, as well as information technology. This article presents the theoretical underpinnings of the framework together with a thorough review of the literature. This research indicates that there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership, knowledge management, and firm performance. The synthesis of the literature also lends support for the mediating role of information technology in the relationship between transformational leadership and knowledge management.


Author(s):  
Kathryn E. Newhook

Knowledge Management is a diverse field of study, dealing in the facilitation of knowledge sharing, the creation of knowledge systems, knowledge transfer, and knowledge preservation. Information professionals play an important role in helping these processes happen. Equally important is the preservation of Traditional Knowledge. Recognized as the knowledge Indigenous people have accrued over millennia, and formed through their interactions with their environment, Traditional Knowledge and its preservation also fall into the world of Knowledge Management. The performance of a piece of music is the manifestation of knowledge and, in the case of Jeremy Dutcher, is a form of knowledge preservation. Traditional Knowledge’s more fluid and dynamic nature is preserved in Dutcher’s 2018 album Wolastioqiyik Lintuwakonawa, where the artist creates a conversation between technical skill and the knowledge and language of the album. In the case of this paper, Dutcher’s album serves as an example of the way Traditional Knowledge can impact and provide new tools to the information profession and world of Knowledge Management.


The chapter reviews the definitions of knowledge and distinguishes it from data and information. Different perspectives of knowledge and their implications for knowledge management are also discussed. From this, the concepts of knowledge management are explained, first, in generic terms, second, as a process, and third, on its relevance to construction. The chapter also defines the basic types of knowledge, those that are tacit or explicit and those that relate to the individual or the organization in a collective form. Project knowledge is discussed in the context of construction, including barriers to knowledge management, the shortcomings of current practices, and how the industry is addressing the problems identified. Communication is key to effective knowledge management, and the chapter discusses the importance of knowledge sharing, including the main factors involved when individuals share knowledge, and knowledge communication and its barriers. Specifically, the central role of communication in organizations is emphasized as it is seen as the foundation for most organizational actions. Learning is discussed in two aspects – organizational learning and collaborative learning. The first aspect is dealt with in generic terms, while the second aspect relates mainly to construction projects. The requirements and problems of learning in construction projects is given focus. The chapter also explains the crucial link between knowledge management and innovation since the latter depends on the generation of new ideas or new knowledge that leads to the development of new products or organizational practices. For integration of knowledge among individuals or teams, the pivotal role of information systems is explained. The relevance of knowledge management to SMEs, especially its impact on small businesses, in enabling them to innovate to meet changing demands in an intense competitive environment is also explained. The chapter concludes with a summary of the main points covered on knowledge management.


Author(s):  
Irma Becerra-Fernandez ◽  
Rajiv Sabherwal

Rapid changes in the field of knowledge management (KM) have to a great extent resulted from the dramatic progress we have witnessed in the field of information and communication technology. ICT allows the movement of information at increasing speeds and efficiencies, and thus facilitates sharing as well as accelerated growth of knowledge. For example, computers capture data from measurements of natural phenomena, and then quickly manipulate the data to better understand the phenomena they represent. Increased computer power at lower prices enables the measurement of increasingly complex processes, which we possibly could only imagine before. Thus, ICT has provided a major impetus for enabling the implementation of KM applications. Moreover, as learning has accrued over time in the area of social and structural mechanisms, such as through mentoring and retreats that enable effective knowledge sharing, it has made it possible to develop KM applications that best leverage these improved mechanisms by deploying sophisticated technologies.


Author(s):  
Nkholedzeni Sidney Netshakhuma

The study sought to assess the role of information professionals in the provision information about the spread of COVID-19 in South Africa with the views of recommending best practices of disseminating public information. The qualitative approach was utilized to collect data from information officers. The researcher found that the majority of the public were not utilizing the information centre because of lack of awareness of information resource centre preserved by an information resource centre. The review found that information resources were not providing access to information centre effectively due to staff who lack appropriate skills and knowledge on public health awareness. It also appears that inadequate budget allocation to conduct public health awareness was lacking. Public awareness should be conducted in the Mpumalanga Provincial government. The research findings shed new lights on the perspective that information professional plays an essential role in promoting public health awareness.


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