Knowledge Management
Rez Rajabali Beglou; Fatemeh Tajdari; Faraz Sadegh Vaziri
Abstract
Research Aim: The aim of this study is to develop a strategy for the Iranian Library and Information Science Association (ILISA) based-on Blue Ocean Strategy. Blue Ocean Strategy as a new approach to strategy and innovation is one of the strategic management developments aims to sustainable growth and ...
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Research Aim: The aim of this study is to develop a strategy for the Iranian Library and Information Science Association (ILISA) based-on Blue Ocean Strategy. Blue Ocean Strategy as a new approach to strategy and innovation is one of the strategic management developments aims to sustainable growth and performance of the organization. In competitive advantage situation organizations strive to compete with other competitors using a product or service to gain competitive advantage to customers. The blue ocean strategy strives to present new solutions, and seeks to introduce a new field of business and service success. The question shaped here is what are the factors that need to be deleted, decreased, developed and increased in the ILISA.
Research method: Content analysis was used to answer the research questions because of the being exploratory of the topic. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten current and former ILISA executives. The thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data obtained from the interview process. Using this method, the data were analyzed in three stages, developing basic themes, constructive or organizing themes, and compilation of general themes. This coding process led to the emergence of ninety-six basic theme. Then these basic themes were combined and shaped twenty-four organizing themes. Finally, four general themes emerged from the combination of organizing themes.
Findings: The findings indicate that the ILISA needs to revise its strategies, meaning that it reduces some of its current activities such as reducing focus on association ratings and reducing off-priority activities. It should increase some activities including increase structured collaborations with central libraries, more interaction with internal and external scientific communities, more scientific outputs. Moreover, ILISA should eliminate activities such as eliminating none strategic agreements, delete direct and guild activities, as well as creating new innovative activities such as professional engagement with all stakeholders, industry and community, service delivery platforms and attract more audiences.
Conclusion: The framework developed in the present study is an appropriate tool for the future policy making of the IILISA. The Blue Ocean Strategy could used in four action framework in strategy development of ILISA as a routine in the planning and continuous improvement committee with others. Moreover, the research finding could be used in the Scientific Associations’ Commision to revise these assocations’ evaluations.
University Libraries
Reza Rajabali Beglou; Soamye Sadat Akhshik; Nahid Rostami
Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of establishing academic libraries is to achieve the goals of the university, which is to preserve, disseminate, and promote knowledge. These duties and responsibilities are also a significant issue when dealing with crises in society. Have a look at the researches shows that ...
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Introduction: The purpose of establishing academic libraries is to achieve the goals of the university, which is to preserve, disseminate, and promote knowledge. These duties and responsibilities are also a significant issue when dealing with crises in society. Have a look at the researches shows that the study of how libraries deal with crises has been an interesting topic for researches. In these studies, confronting of all types of libraries has been examined and most of them have been done during and after the crisis to examine the actions, functions and nature of the services provided or changed by these institutions. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the way academic libraries in the world deal with Covid-19 and analyze their services and activities in this situation.Methodology: The present study was an applied study that was conducted by survey method and descriptive-analytical method. To do this, the World University Libraries website was reviewed based on the Times Higher Education University Rankings. Based on the Cochran's formula, 300 samples were randomly selected from this community. The instrument of this research was a researcher-made checklist.Findings: The research findings showed that academic libraries in the world followed the six main strategies of "creation", "development", "change", "updating", and "reduction or cessation", respectively, and the most common strategies were "creation" and "development". For these main strategies, 34 sub-strategies and 123 actions were implemented by these libraries around the world. In other words, these libraries played an active role in responding to the crisis. Hence, the efforts of the world's academic libraries were significant. The most practical measures were related to the main strategies of "creation" (39 cases), "development" (18 cases), "commitment to social responsibility" (13 cases) and "change" (12 cases), respectively.Conclusion: Academic libraries, instead of accepting strategies to stop or reduce their services and activities in the face of this crisis, have turned to creation strategy and changing services and activities. The contribution of commitment to social responsibility in these libraries was also significant.
Digital library
Reza Rajabali Beglou
Abstract
Background and Objectives:User experience researches defined as study users’ perceptions and interactions of anticipated or intended use of a product, system, or service. Therefore, study these experiences are very important and can lead to value creation for information system stakeholders. The ...
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Background and Objectives:User experience researches defined as study users’ perceptions and interactions of anticipated or intended use of a product, system, or service. Therefore, study these experiences are very important and can lead to value creation for information system stakeholders. The present study seeks to clarify deficiencies and difficulties experienced by users in interacting with the most important Digital Libraries (DLs) in Iran. Furthermore, demands and expectations of users also investigated in this research. Methodology:The research conducted in a qualitative approach with content analysis method using MaxQDA V. 10 to investigate the experiences of 37 users of Papirus, Pars Azarakhsh and Sana DLs. In this study, the difficulties or deficiencies and demands or expectations of users considered in relation with their Hierarchical Value Map (HVM). The sample of the study selected by snowball sampling method. Credibility of the research verified with member checking and peer debriefing methods. Finally, the content of the interview analyzed in order to identify the main concepts and related thematic categories. Findings:Customers and their knowledge considered as one of the most important organizational assets and an essential element of competitive advantage. In fact, this knowledge gained from within and outside the organization is the core capital and critical value. This is important because the customers and their knowledge considered as one of the most important organizational assets and an essential element of competitive advantage. Customer knowledge gained from their experience in the process of using a product or service. There are variety of approaches to elicit the experience and knowledge of the customers or stakeholders which analysis of cognitive structure is one of these approaches deeply deals with the experience and knowledge of individuals. Cognitive structure encompasses users’ emotions, mental images, views, beliefs and values in using a product or service. In this research Means-End Theory (MET) applied which is rarely used in information systems. Discussion: Findings showed that the most important undesirable experiences of interacting with the DLs summarized in several dimensions: resource retrieval, display of search results, and process in searching the resources. In addition, displaying search results and search capabilities, additional features and services, linking resources to libraries were among the most important favorable experiences that users expected from DLs. The relationship between deficiencies and expectations depicted in HVM. Their values were correct selection, retrieval, and access to the full text information resources. The results of this study showed that this part of the user experience should considered by the designers of DLs in order to better design of these systems to provide more value to all stakeholders.
