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With the rise of electronic channels it has become easier for businesses to consult various types of information sources in information-seeking processes. Governments are urged to rethink their role as reliable information source and the roles of their (electronic) service channels to provide efficient service support. This article addresses how governments cope with the availability of numerous sources and channels and focuses on similarities, differences and interdependencies between source and channel selection processes. Individual and group interviews were held with businesses throughout the Netherlands. The results indicate that some factors influence source and channel choices (e.g. task characteristics), others influence only channel choice (e.g. situational factors, channel characteristics). Source and relationship characteristics uncover interdependencies between both, since these source-related concepts influence channel choices. Further insight is needed to increase our understanding and come to an integrated theory of source and channel choices in information-seeking processes. Points for practitioners The channels used by the government are in their own control (i.e. information quality); however, other sources and their channels are outside their control. Management of these sources can be realized through strategic partnerships with crucial sources. The first implication is that governments provide content to other sources, which these sources can use for advice to its customers. The second implication concerns the use of cross-referrals between sources and their channels. For instance, the government website contains a recommendation to call an advisor for specific information since this source-channel combination provides only general information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to operationalise and verify a cognitive motivation model that has been adapted to information seeking. The original model was presented within the field of psychology. Design/methodology/approach – An operationalisation of the model is presented based on the theory of expectancy-value and on the operationalisation used when the model was first developed. Data for the analysis were collected from a sample of seven informants working as consultants in Danish municipalities. Each participant filled out a questionnaire, kept a log book for a week and participated in a subsequent interview to elicit data regarding their information source behaviour and task motivation. Findings – Motivation affected source use when the informants search for information as part of their professional life. This meant that the number of sources used and the preference for interpersonal and internal sources increased when the task had high-value motivation or low-expectancy motivation or both. Research limitations/implications – The study is based on a relatively small sample and considers only one motivation theory. This should be addressed in future research along with a broadening of the studied group to involve other professions than municipality consultants. Originality/value – Motivational theories from the field of psychology have been used sparsely in studies of information seeking. This study operationalises and verifies such a theory based on a theoretical adaptation of this model made by Savolainen (2012c). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]