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Purpose: This paper examines the strategies that volunteers use when supporting asylum seekers with their information challenges to be able to develop services for asylum seekers and promote their access to reliable information in the most suitable way. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven volunteers who help asylum seekers with their asylum cases in two cities in Finland. The interview data was thematically coded and analysed. Findings: Six types of information-related strategies were identified: information mediatory, language adjustment, spatial and non-verbal communicative, inclusive, and supervisory strategies, as well as strategies with shifting roles. These strategies holistically support asylum seekers' information practices, considering the challenges of their situation and emotional needs. Originality/value: This study creates new knowledge about volunteers' role in the information practices of asylum seekers, highlighting their unique position both in and outside the asylum system. Information-related strategies are a novel way of examining the ways to holistically support other people's information practices, by understanding that information is intertwined in all kinds of everyday actions and interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Organisational culture and leadership, employee skills and aptitudes, access to resources, and training are regularly cited as important determinants of the development of innovative work behaviour (IWB). The purpose of the work reported in this paper was to investigate a further set of possible determinants of the development of IWB: those that are information-related. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed methods approach was adopted. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected by questionnaire, interview and focus groups in three large public sector case study organisations in Scotland, Finland and England. Findings: A set of information-related determinants of the development of IWB is evidenced, adding to the list of determinants that are already well documented. Notably workplace information literacy (IL) appears to furnish a bridge between determinants of the development of IWB and workplace learning. Originality/value: That information-related determinants may be valuable to the development of IWB has not previously merited specific consideration, nor been recognised, in the wider IWB literature. The identification of these determinants in this research should encourage researchers and professionals beyond the domain of information science to pay serious attention to IL. This is particularly important in respect of the role of workplace IL in processes that lead to new knowledge creation and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Effective knowledge management (KM) enables the health care organisations to reach their goals. In modern health care the empowered patients are active partners, whose preferences, needs and values should be taken into account. Shared decision making (SDM) aims at involving the patient and the health professionals as equal partners in care. The purpose of this paper is to present a new model of health care information and knowledge processes (IKPs) as a KM framework. The aim is to scrutinise what types of knowing can be identified the IKPs and how do the knowledge processes support SDM. The role of patients in the IKPs is discussed.Design/methodology/approach The qualitative case study was conducted in two Finnish university hospital districts in integrated care pathways of childhood obesity. In total, 30 professionals and three mothers and children were interviewed 2009-2011 and the findings were supported with a survey (n=13) and document material.Findings The findings indicate that the patients and families involvement in the IKPs is modest. This implies that SDM is not completely fulfilled which may affect the families commitment to positive lifestyle changes.Research limitations/implications The data of the patients and families were limited due to the challenges with recruitment.Practical implications The detailed IKP model enables the health organisations to scrutinise their own IKPs and to identify the shortages in order to change practices.Originality/value This paper presents a new model of health care KM which recognises the patients as active partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative methodology to analyse differences between Finnish and American web searchers (n=27 per country) in their choice of initial search strategies (direct address, subject directory and search engines) and their reasoning underlying these choices, with data gathered via a questionnaire. The paper looks at these differences for four types of questions with two variables: closed/open and predictable/unpredictable source of answer (n=16 questions per searcher; total n=864 questions). The paper found significant differences between the two groups' initial search strategies and for three of the four types of questions. The reasoning varied across countries and questions as well, with Finns mentioning fewer reasons although both groups mentioned in aggregate a total of 1,284 reasons in twenty-four reason categories. The reasoning indicated that both country groups considered not only question-related reasons but also source- and search-strategy related reasons in making their decision. The research raises questions about considering cultural differences in designing web search access mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the perceived benefits of public libraries between five culturally different countries: Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, South Korea and the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The data were based on representative samples of Finnish, Norwegian, Dutch, Korean and American adult library users. In Finland a mail survey was used and in other countries web surveys were used for data collection. The distribution of the proportion of those benefiting from the library in various areas of life at least sometimes was compared across countries. The pattern of benefits was compared across countries by forming four outcome indexes from the 19 benefit areas. The differences in the outcomes between the countries were explained by demographics and library use variables. Findings – The intensity of perceived benefits differ considerably, with the Finns and Americans reporting a higher level of benefits than the South Koreans, who in turn derive more profit than the Norwegians and the Dutch. The large difference in library supply between Finland and other countries may explain the differences in the perceived benefits in part of other countries but the USA. Research limitations/implications – The study covered only some socio-economic and library usage factors as independent variables explaining the variation of benefit patterns. A more thorough analysis of library supply between the countries may explain some differences in perceived benefits. Practical implications – The policy implications of these findings are discussed. Originality/value – This is the first across-country study comparing and explaining the patterns of perceived benefits between culturally different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding about value creation to families in childhood obesity care in multiprofessional collaboration in an integrated care pathway (ICP). Design/methodology/approach – The qualitative case study involves the ICPs of two Finnish University Hospital districts. The empirical data, collected between 2009 and 2012, consists of semi-structured interviews of 30 health professionals in primary and special health care, of three children and their mothers, a family questionnaire (n=13) complemented with care path instructions and memos of an ICP work group. Findings – The findings indicate that organisational culture confirms boundaries which hinder transfer of information and sharing of knowledge between organisations and professional groups. The concepts of Chatman’s theory of everyday life information seeking complemented with the concepts of Burnett’s and Jaeger’s theory of information worlds are applicable to describe aspects of organisational culture on patient value creation in the ICP for obese children. Research limitations/implications – The data of the patients and families were limited. Interviews were completed with a questionnaire which has its limitations in qualitative research. In future studies, e.g., families’ focus-group interviews could bring new insights. Practical implications – The practise of information transfer between Finnish primary and special health care need changes. Modern information technology, e.g., videoconference could be used to increase family involvement in the value creation and the environment should be more supportive for healthy lifestyle. Originality/value – The study is one of the first which empirically applies Chatman’s and Burnett’s and Jaeger’s theories in a work-related setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Lending novels is the major service provided by public libraries. The efforts in developing search systems have been focused on retrieving non-fiction. There is a need for designing systems to support fiction searching in libraries. The aim of this study is to analyze readers' methods of accessing fiction in a public library for informing the design of fiction search systems. This study seeks to find out which attributes of books readers perceive as indicators of a good novel, and what kind of tactics they use for finding these good novels in the public library. Design/methodology/approach – The authors observed 16 adult library users by semi-structured interviews eliciting information about their literary competence, what characterizes a good novel and how they accessed and identified good novels in the library. Findings – Based on the data this paper developed a tentative reader typology, which differentiated the attributes of good novels and major tactics for accessing them. Practical implications – The typology was used for inferring user models and design ideas for systems supporting fiction searching. Originality/value – This is the first empirical study to inform how readers' literary competence is associated with the tactics used and indicators recognized in books for finding and selecting good novels to borrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]