Relations between Information Literacy and Knowledge Generation
in Innovation Teams
A Four Dimensional Perspective
Thais Elaine Vick and Marcelo Seido Nagano
School of Engineering of Sao Carlos, University of Sao Paulo, Trabalhador Saocarlense Avenue, Sao Carlos, Brazil
Keywords: Knowledge Creation, Information Literacy, Technological Innovation, Project Teams, Cooperation Projects.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate how the skills related to Information Literacy (IL) influence the
work of innovation project teams, while they create knowledge. As the main contribution, this research aims
to propose a model of four dimensions concerning the resulting relationships between the knowledge
created by the teams and the IL competences that influence its creation. These dimensions are intended to
assist the process of team formation. Twelve project teams selected to comprise the study are part of the
university-company Cooperation Research Partnership for Technological Innovation (PITE) from the
Foundation for Research Support of the State of Sao Paulo (FAPESP) in Brazil. As a qualitative technique
of data analysis, the categorical content analysis is used. To construct the dimensions, the potential
relationships between the IL competences and the SECI model of knowledge generation are analyzed. The
choice of this subject is justified by the lack of empirical research with particular treatment to each of the
modes of knowledge conversion, as well as by the fact that the key to understanding the successes and
failures in knowledge creation by innovative teams is to identify and evaluate preconditions, needed for the
effort to flourish.
1 INTRODUCTION
The key to organizational success is increasingly
based on individuals, their informational
competences and collective involvement. Identifying
and pursuing new ways to associating resources and
opportunities is an essential responsibility of
individuals in order to meet the demand of
continuously aggregating more value to the
institution and create knowledge that will result in
innovation.
Recent literature has pointed out associations
between Information Literacy (IL) and two core
aspects of knowledge management (KM): the
effective use of information systems (Effy, 2006)
and the learning processes implied in knowledge
creation (Davenport and Prusak, 2000; Nonaka and
Takeuchi, 1995). The first aspect can be associated
with the development of computer skills, while the
second is related to a much more complex
dimension involving social interaction and the
application of information to the problems and tasks
of the organization in situated practices (O’Farril,
2008). However, few explicit connections between
IL and KM are to be found in the literature and little
research has been done to explore IL in the
workplace and in team formation (Lloyd, 2006).
To innovate, it is known that the formation of
teams is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition to
explore the individual and collective knowledge
(Inkpen and Tsang, 2005). Investigations from Tsai
(2001) showed that this effort requires the ability to
recognize and assimilate knowledge offered by a
given member, and this is in accordance with the
development of individual and informational
competences. Access to available knowledge
depends primarily on the team’s informational skills,
understood in this study as IL and other critical
factors, such as communication.
Bearing this in mind, and also considering the
complexity of the innovation process, this work’s
syllabus is concerned with analyzing how the skills
related to the information literacy influence the work
of innovation project teams, while they create
knowledge. Initially, Section 2 presents concepts on
IL based on knowledge generation. Section 3
provides background on concepts already
437
Elaine Vick T. and Seido Nagano M..
Relations between Information Literacy and Knowledge Generation in Innovation Teams - A Four Dimensional Perspective.
DOI: 10.5220/0004622004370442
In Proceedings of the International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Information Retrieval and the International Conference on Knowledge
Management and Information Sharing (KMIS-2013), pages 437-442
ISBN: 978-989-8565-75-4
Copyright
c
2013 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)
established in the process of knowledge creation.
Section 4 provides an overview about the aim of the
research - to propose a model of four dimensions of
the resulting relationships between the knowledge
created by the teams and the IL competences that
influence its creation. The last sections present the
method and some final considerations on the
presented approach, discussing new research
directions emerging from this work.
2 INFORMATION LITERACY
BASED ON KNOWLEDGE
GENERATION
Literacy is about engaging with layers of meaning
which we become able to generate (as much as
discover) and to act upon progressively through our
engagements with semiotic resources in situated
social interaction. It is necessarily exercised as
competences. These involve the progressive
development of capability and the enactment of
knowledge through experience and performance, as
they do not consist of static knowledge about
information, technology, language, etc (O’Farril,
2008).
The components that support the concept of
information literacy according to Dudziak (2003)
are: the investigative process, active learning,
independent learning, critical thinking, learning to
learn and lifelong learning. It is considered that IL
includes certain knowledge, skills and attitudes
essential for living in the information society, which
are termed here as processes involving the
informational universe.
Information Literacy should be seen in light of
three concepts according to Dudziak (2003):
• The concept of information: with emphasis on
information technology, prioritizing the approach
from the point of view of systems. It is connected to
processing and distributing information based on the
development of skills when using tools and media.
• The concept of knowledge: it has an emphasis
on cognitive processes in conducting information
searches for knowledge construction, involving its
use, interpretation and significance. Constructing
mental models is emphasized, with the focus on the
individual processes of understanding and using
information in particular situations.
• The concept of intelligence: a focus on lifelong
learning, linked to the knowledge of the
informational universe and values related to social
and situational dimension. It requires incorporating a
permanent state of change, the very essence of
learning as a social phenomenon. From this view,
we perceive the individual as a social actor.
For this study, it is considered that the concept of
IL seen in light of the concept of knowledge is
appropriate. Bruce (2003) supports the same view
when addressing the concepts of information literacy
for the concept based on the construction and
extension of knowledge, namely:
• The concept based on the construction of
knowledge: the notion of building a personal
knowledge base in a new area of interest. The idea
of the knowledge base goes beyond the information
storage, as it implies adopting personal perspectives,
achieved through critical analysis of what is read
and its effective use.
• The concept based on the extent of knowledge:
refers to using information involving the ability of
intuition and creative insight, resulting in the
development of new ideas or creative solutions. It is
no longer centered on the construction of
knowledge, but on its extent.
According to the Information Literacy Indicators
by ACRL (2005), a person considered to be
competent in information should be able to:
• Access the information needed effectively and
efficiently, determine the extent of the information
needed;
• Evaluate information and its sources critically,
incorporate selected information to a knowledge
base;
• Use information effectively to accomplish a
specific purpose;
• Understand the problems and economic, legal
and social issues that relate to the use of information
and access, and use information ethically and
legally.
IL can be understood as the progressive
development of competences for becoming aware of
accessing, critically interpreting and effectively
using information in a variety of languages, codes,
semiotic resources and technological affordances
such as tools for learning, communication, and
making sense in situated social practices (O’Farril,
2008).
Workplace information literacy is not simply an
individual experience but rather it develops within a
workplace context and is collectively experienced at
both group and organizational levels. Ferguson and
Lloyd (2007) recognize the role of social
information in the development of IL practices
relevant to gaining access to relevant and authentic
workplace information. Particular attention should
be given to social sources of information in the form
of teams or experienced practitioners who generally
KMIS2013-InternationalConferenceonKnowledgeManagementandInformationSharing
438
assist new members to access corporate knowledge
which is not necessarily documented formally. Much
of this knowledge is what the proponents of KM call
tacit knowledge, which may not be articulated
easily. Through practices such as narration and
storytelling, such organizational information is
disseminated in a way that facilitates the
development of shared understanding about practice
and profession, which introduces and eventually
binds newcomers to the community of practice
(Ferguson, 2009).
The main goal of information literacy is
knowledge generation. The next section provides a
background about the second component of the
discussion.
3 KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
AS A SYNTHESIZING
PROCESS
Since 2008, the development of the theory of
knowledge creation has shown the need for a
paradigm shift in thinking about knowledge and the
need to integrate new ideas, concepts and critical
factors. In this current phase of the theory, the
emphasis is on the subjective, the process-relational
aspect and practices of knowledge creation (Nonaka
et al., 2008).
The following challenges of the theory of
knowledge creation were identified from the gaps in
the literature:
• The understanding of how knowledge is
created in the working groups and communities is
not sufficient (Zboralski, 2009; Sun, 2010);
• There is a need to add critical dimensions and
the evolutionary assumption about knowledge and
its creation (Schultze and Stabell, 2004). Models of
particular stages of understanding social processes
of knowledge creation are needed (Nonaka et al.,
2008).
One of the most influential theories of
organizational knowledge creation is advocated by
Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995). In their analysis,
organization creates knowledge through interaction
and conversion between tacit and explicit
dimensions. Knowledge conversion occurs in four
ways: from tacit to tacit knowledge – mode of
socialization, from tacit to explicit knowledge –
mode of externalization; from explicit to explicit
knowledge – mode of combination, and from
explicit to tacit knowledge – mode of internalization.
Figure 1 shows the four modes of conversion, as
well as its main features. The model is used here as
Figure 1: SECI model of knowledge conversion. Adapted
from Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995).
one of the topics of the discussion.
For a team to be able to analyze and diagnose
needs and gaps of knowledge to create new
knowledge and to formulate more clearly the issues
necessary to resolve existing problems, it is
necessary to acquire particular skills and
competences related to the interaction and diagnosis,
enabling the professional to become a kind of
knowledge engineer (Popadiuk and Choo, 2006).
The next section presents this problem from the
perspective of four dimensions.
4 DIMENSIONS THAT
INFLUENCE KNOWLEDGE
GENERATION IN
INNOVATION TEAMS
Based on the results that are being obtained, this
study intends to confirm and build four dimensions
that influence knowledge generation in innovation
teams, from the understanding of the researchers as a
result of the following relationships:
1) Individual Dimension: associated with
externalization of knowledge and the IL competence
- Access;
2) Informational Dimension: associated with the
combination of knowledge and the IL competence -
Evaluation;
3) Collective Dimension: associated with the
socialization of knowledge and the IL competence -
Use;
RelationsbetweenInformationLiteracyandKnowledgeGenerationinInnovationTeams-AFourDimensionalPerspective
439
4) Cultural Dimension: associated with the
internalization of knowledge and the IL competence
- Feedback.
Individual Dimension: in this first Dimension,
it is assumed that knowledge is strongly associated
with opinions, attitudes and experiences of the
individual. Information ACCESS is considered
critical in this process. In order to externalize
knowledge, the team members should recognize the
need for information and determine the nature and
extent of the information needed. They should also
maintain an internally coherent set of values
informed by knowledge and experience.
Informational Dimension: The Informational
Dimension aims to illustrate the knowledge shared
in the explicit form, via structured information. The
information EVALUATION is considered critical in
this case, since the combination of knowledge is
supported by IL when the team member evaluates
information and its sources critically and
incorporates selected information into their
knowledge base and value system. The team
member must have skills applicable to classify,
store, manipulate and redraft information collected
or generated, determining whether information
satisfies the research or other information needed
and whether the information contradicts or verifies
information used from other sources. Collective
Dimension: knowledge is converted into parts of
tacit knowledge of a team member to parts of the
tacit knowledge of other members, residing in
collective actions of the group. Information USE is
considered a critical factor in this process. IL is
found in socialization of knowledge if the team
communicates information and applies prior and
new information to construct new concepts or create
new understandings. Team members should
incorporate principles of design and communication;
communicate clearly and with a style that supports
the purposes of the intended audience.
Cultural Dimension: Finally, in the Cultural
Dimension, knowledge that was explicit in the
organization becomes tacit of the individual, and is
endowed with expectations and conventions that
assign value and significance to new knowledge.
The Information FEEDBACK is seen as critical in
this step. While knowledge is internalized, the group
is supposed to use information with understanding
and acknowledge cultural, ethical, economic, legal,
and social issues surrounding the use of information.
Team members should identify and discuss issues
related to privacy and security in both the print and
electronic environments, as well as issues related to
free vs. fee-based access to information.
5 METHOD
With an applied nature and in accordance with its
objectives, this is an exploratory study. The
qualitative approach uses data collection and data
Figure 2: Dimensions that influence knowledge generation in innovation teams.
KMIS2013-InternationalConferenceonKnowledgeManagementandInformationSharing
440
analysis to answer the research questions. According
to its technical procedures, it is characterized as a
multiple case study, as it investigates more than one
project team in detail and presents comparisons
between them.
Twelve innovation project teams were selected to
develop the research. The choice of university-
company cooperation projects is due to the
magnitude of information and knowledge embedded
in these teams.
Questions arising from the research problem
represent what the researchers aim to clarify to
achieve their goals. Given the development of the
literature review, the following research questions
were defined:
• How do the skills related to information
literacy (IL) influence the work of innovation project
teams, while they create knowledge?
To answer the first research question, and in
order to prove the existence of the proposed
relationships, each IL competence and their
categories are confronted with each mode of
knowledge conversion. Thus, if the competence
evaluation is identified with the highest number of
occurrences within the combination of knowledge,
the proposed relationship is confirmed, for example.
This analysis is based on the information literacy
indicators by ACRL (2005).
• What characteristics are found in the
relationship between information literacy and
conversions of knowledge during the process of
technological innovation?
The second research question will be answered
from specific parts of the interviews, which will be
extracted meaning units, which after its
condensation, the codes will be obtained from the
characteristics sought. These characteristics will be
used for the resulting four-dimensional model of the
relationships presented.
5.1 Case Studies
FAPESP, considered one of the main funders of
scientific and technological research in Brazil, has
been an important organisation in the endeavour to
articulate the academic base through cooperative
projects, Research and Development (R&D) in the
business world. Just over ten years ago, the
Foundation's programs focusing on innovation
started to produce a revolution in the way to finance
scientific and technological research in Brazil, as
well as obtain high-impact results in competitive
areas.
The Cooperation Program for Technology
Innovation (PITE) aims to strengthen the
relationship between universities / research institutes
and companies, by conducting cooperative research
projects and co-financed, ranked by knowledge area,
as shown in Table 1:
Table 1: Areas of PITE innovation projects.
Innovation fields Projects
Agricultural Sciences
32
Biological Sciences
34
Exact and Earth Sciences
33
Humanities
1
Applied Social Sciences
1
Health Sciences
11
Engineering
75
Interdisciplinary
3
For this research, the 12 projects selected are
innovation teams from universities in the State of
Sao Paulo in cooperation with companies or group
of companies in Brazil or abroad, whose aim is to
develop technological innovation associated with
high risk of technology commercialization. The
projects have a revolutionary character and the
resulting innovation can cause substantial changes in
an entire sector of activities. Interviews are being
conducted with team members from the universities
and enterprises in cooperation.
6 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
This study argues for the importance to develop new
constructions suited to IL research within a
workplace setting, particularly since many existing
definitions and frameworks for IL have emerged
largely from educational contexts.
Even though some of the literature in
management explicitly relates information use to
more complex tasks such as decision making and
planning, it is not easy to find a coherent approach
linking skills of the individual, information
awareness, interpretation, and application of
RelationsbetweenInformationLiteracyandKnowledgeGenerationinInnovationTeams-AFourDimensionalPerspective
441
information to tasks and organizational aims as part
of a learning and innovation process.
The research questions address a topic related
to the interests of analysing contemporary scholars
in this field, as:
1) Each addressed IL competence is related to
each specific step of knowledge generation, thus
seeking results in specific processes of conversion
and transformation of knowledge into innovation;
2) IL, extracted from the concept of the area of
Information Science and suitable for the purposes of
this study, is discussed as an under explored way to
analyze the skills of project team members, and how
these competences can improve the process of
knowledge creation.
3) Teams from the cooperation program PITE
FAPESP are studied for the first time, in an
exploratory way.
When trying to apply the concept of IL to team
level in workplace environments, one of the most
important difficulties that we found was that the
information needs, the information sources
commonly used, the practices which involve their
use and the social interaction are varied and
complex. To sum up, this means that the limitations
found in the mainstream concepts of information
literacy (educational context) are magnified as we
try to apply the concept to workplace situations. Due
to this reason, the second research question was
created in order to find characteristics that will
define and illustrate the most important IL
competences during the innovation process.
Thus, it is expected that the results obtained
will be sufficient to provide their extrapolation, so
that they can be applied to other innovation teams.
Future research could focus on analyzing the new
cultural context of teams linked to the increase in
information technology and new media for
knowledge transfer.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work is supported by the National Council for
Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).
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