نوع مقاله : علمی پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 گروه علم اطلاعات و دانش شناشی، واحد بابل، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، بابل، ایران
2 گروه علم اطلاعات و دانش شناسی، واحد بابل، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، بابل، ایران
3 گروه علم اطلاعات و دانش شناسی، واحد بابل، دانشگاه ازاد اسلامی، بابل، ایران
کلیدواژه‌ها
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Background and Objectives: In knowledge-driven environments, public libraries increasingly rely on a workforce that is capable of continuously updating its competencies and delivering responsive, technology-enabled services. Professional development (PD) of staff is therefore a strategic lever for library performance and user satisfaction. Yet, the mechanisms through which organizational technology readiness translates into individual growth are not always well understood. This study examined the effect of technological innovation capabilities (TIC) on the professional development of staff (PD) in Iran’s public libraries, with a particular focus on the mediating role of personal (individual) knowledge management (PKM). TIC was conceptualized to encompass six interrelated dimensions frequently highlighted in the library and management literature—teaching and learning, research and development, management, human resources, market analysis, and organizational structure. PKM was treated as a set of individual-level competencies for acquiring, analyzing, creating, storing, sharing, and applying knowledge in daily work.
Methodology: The statistical population comprised all public librarians across Iran (N = 6,171). Using Cochran’s formula, a target sample of 362 librarians was determined; to offset sampling error at α = .05, 382 questionnaires were distributed and returned. Data were gathered using three validated instruments: (1) a researcher-developed TIC scale grounded in prior studies and domain frameworks; (2) the Mohyuddin & Azirovani (2007) scale for PKM; and (3) the Nava (2008) scale for staff professional development, previously employed in Poorsadegh & Alimirzaee (2006). Construct reliability and validity were assessed prior to hypothesis testing. Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability (CR) exceeded the .70 threshold for all latent constructs, average variance extracted (AVE) values met or surpassed the .40–.50 benchmark, and standardized factor loadings were ≥ .50, confirming convergent validity. The structural model was estimated via partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using bootstrapping to obtain test statistics for direct and indirect effects. Global model fit was evaluated using the Goodness-of-Fit (GOF) index, which yielded GOF = 0.458, indicating acceptable overall fit for the proposed model in this context.
Findings: All hypothesized paths were statistically significant at P < .05, with test statistics exceeding the |1.96| criterion. Specifically, the standardized direct effect of TIC on PD was β = 0.394, demonstrating a moderate, positive association between organizational technology capabilities and staff development outcomes. TIC also exerted a significant positive effect on PKM (β = 0.446), indicating that technology-rich conditions and innovation-supporting routines are associated with stronger individual knowledge practices among librarians. In turn, PKM had a significant positive effect on PD (β = 0.429), suggesting that staff who more effectively acquire, analyze, create, store, share, and apply knowledge tend to report higher levels of professional growth. The indirect (mediated) effect of TIC on PD via PKM was β = 0.191 (0.446 × 0.429), confirming partial mediation: TIC contributes to PD both directly and by enhancing individual knowledge practices that themselves promote development. Taken together, the pattern of results supports a coherent mechanism in which technology-innovation capability fosters PKM, which subsequently strengthens professional development, while also exerting a distinct direct influence on PD.
Discussion: The findings highlight a practical pathway for library administrators seeking to elevate staff capabilities and service quality. Investments in TIC—such as creating learning-oriented environments, supporting R&D, aligning structures and HR policies with innovation, and using market intelligence to inform services—appear to cultivate PKM habits and skills at the individual level. Those PKM competencies translate into tangible PD gains, including improved organizational skills, teamwork, communication, and career-path development. The direct TIC → PD link further implies that beyond enabling individual knowledge work, technology-innovation capacities can shape development through access to modern tools, streamlined workflows, and exposure to innovative service models. At a 5% error level, the results confirm that TIC significantly influences PD, TIC significantly enhances PKM, and PKM significantly promotes PD, with a significant indirect TIC → PKM → PD effect (β = 0.191). These findings endorse a strategy that couples technology-innovation investments with deliberate cultivation of personal knowledge management to realize sustained professional development across public library staff.
کلیدواژه‌ها English
