Journal of Studies in Library and Information Science

Abstract Abstract
Background and Objectives: Organizational performance is a central concern for universities because the quality and efficiency of their operations affect the services they provide to students, faculty members, and society. Leadership is especially important in shaping how employees learn, exchange knowledge, and contribute to institutional goals. Knowledge-oriented leadership supports individual and collective learning, encourages the creation and application of knowledge, and can establish a collaborative environment in which employees share their expertise. Its benefits, however, may be weakened by knowledge hiding, defined as an employee’s intentional attempt to conceal or withhold knowledge requested by another person. This behavior can restrict communication, learning, creativity, and problem solving and may ultimately reduce organizational performance. Power distance may also be relevant because acceptance of unequal power distribution and rigid hierarchy can limit informal communication and employee participation and encourage knowledge hiding. Further evidence is needed regarding the mechanism through which knowledge-oriented leadership relates to organizational performance and the possible role of power distance in this process, particularly in universities. Accordingly, this study investigated the direct effect of knowledge-oriented leadership on organizational performance, its indirect effect through knowledge hiding, the effect of power distance on knowledge hiding, and the moderating role of power distance in the relationship between knowledge-oriented leadership and knowledge hiding among employees of Lorestan University. Methodology: This applied study used a descriptive-correlational design and structural equation modeling. The statistical population comprised 383 formal, fixed-term, and contractual employees of Lorestan University. Using the Krejcie and Morgan table and stratified random sampling, 181 employees were selected. Data were collected using four instruments: Viitala’s 29-item Knowledge Leadership Questionnaire, Ahmadi’s 22-item Organizational Performance Questionnaire, Connelly et al.’s 12-item Knowledge Hiding Questionnaire, and Rafeiyee et al.’s 27-item Power Distance Questionnaire. Face and content validity were reviewed by specialists in educational management and information science and knowledge studies, and the items were adapted to the research setting based on their comments. Reliability and convergent validity were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, and average variance extracted; the reported values met the adopted thresholds. Descriptive statistics were calculated in SPSS, and the measurement and structural models were analyzed in SmartPLS. Factor loadings and t statistics were examined, direct and moderating paths were tested, and the indirect effect was additionally evaluated using the Sobel test. Findings: Knowledge-oriented leadership had a significant positive direct effect on organizational performance (beta = 0.498, t = 6.863, p < 0.001) and a significant negative effect on knowledge hiding (beta = -0.305, t = 2.728, p = 0.007). Knowledge hiding had a significant negative effect on organizational performance (beta = -0.249, t = 3.113, p = 0.002). Power distance had a significant positive direct effect on knowledge hiding (beta = 0.322, t = 3.466, p = 0.001), indicating that higher power distance was associated with greater knowledge hiding. The indirect effect of knowledge-oriented leadership on organizational performance through knowledge hiding was significant (beta = 0.076, t = 2.070, p = 0.026); the Sobel statistic was also 2.070, supporting mediation. By contrast, the moderating effect of power distance on the relationship between knowledge-oriented leadership and knowledge hiding was not significant (beta = -0.099, t = 1.083, p = 0.379). Thus, five of the six tested hypotheses were supported. Discussion: Knowledge-oriented leadership was associated with better organizational performance both directly and indirectly through lower knowledge hiding. Leaders who clarify organizational goals, support learning, respond constructively to errors, model knowledge sharing, and create opportunities for dialogue can help employees exchange and use knowledge more effectively. The negative association between knowledge hiding and performance indicates that deliberately withholding requested knowledge may obstruct collaboration, problem solving, innovation, and service quality. Power distance was directly associated with knowledge hiding, suggesting that hierarchical and highly formal relationships may create communication barriers and reduce employees’ willingness to exchange knowledge. However, power distance did not significantly change the strength of the relationship between knowledge-oriented leadership and knowledge hiding in this sample. Thus, it may contribute to knowledge hiding without necessarily conditioning the influence of leadership on that behavior. The results support creating safe opportunities for expressing ideas, involving employees in goal setting, rewarding knowledge sharing, documenting experience in accessible repositories, establishing mentoring programs, strengthening informal communication, and reducing unnecessary hierarchical barriers. Overall, the findings highlight the value of combining knowledge-oriented leadership with organizational arrangements that discourage knowledge hiding and facilitate the circulation of employee knowledge to improve university performance.  

Abstract Abstract
Background and Objectives: Cybersecurity awareness is essential for organizational resilience because employees’ knowledge, attitudes, and routine actions can either strengthen or weaken the protection of information assets. This issue is particularly important in banks, where financial data and digital services make the consequences of security incidents especially serious. Previous research suggests that organizational culture, formal information security policies, and organizational support and training may shape employees’ security-related behavior. These factors may also influence cybersecurity awareness indirectly by improving employees’ attitudes toward sharing information security knowledge. However, the combined effects of these organizational factors and the mediating role of knowledge-sharing attitudes have received limited attention in Iranian banking. Therefore, this study examined the effects of organizational culture, organizational policy, and organizational support and training on employees’ cybersecurity awareness, with attitude toward information security knowledge sharing as the mediating variable.
Methodology: This applied study used a descriptive-survey design. The statistical population consisted of 270 employees working in branches of Agricultural Bank in Kermanshah, Iran. The study described the sampling procedure as simple random sampling, and the sample size was estimated at 147 using Cochran’s formula. Questionnaires were distributed and collected in person at employees’ workplaces; 126 usable questionnaires were included in the final analysis. The instrument comprised 22 items measuring five constructs: organizational culture (six items), organizational policy (three items), organizational support and training (four items), attitude toward information security knowledge sharing (four items), and cybersecurity awareness (five researcher-developed items). Items for the first four constructs were adapted from Chen et al. (2015), Safa and Von Solms (2016), and Ma (2022). Face validity was assessed by four experts. Content validity was then examined by eight experts using the content validity ratio and content validity index; the final 22 items met the stated acceptance thresholds. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was performed in SmartPLS to evaluate the measurement and structural models. The reported factor loadings, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, composite reliability values, average variance extracted values, and discriminant-validity results supported the adequacy of the measurement model.
Findings: Organizational culture did not have a significant effect on attitude toward information security knowledge sharing (β = 0.057, t = 0.625, p = 0.532). In contrast, organizational policy had a positive and significant effect on knowledge-sharing attitude (β = 0.367, t = 4.064, p < 0.001), as did organizational support and training (β = 0.481, t = 6.392, p < 0.001). Attitude toward information security knowledge sharing also had a positive and significant effect on cybersecurity awareness (β = 0.496, t = 6.020, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of organizational policy on cybersecurity awareness through knowledge-sharing attitude was significant (β = 0.182, t = 3.444, p = 0.001), and the corresponding indirect effect of organizational support and training was also significant (β = 0.238, t = 4.436, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of organizational culture was not significant (β = 0.028, t = 0.595, p = 0.552). The structural model explained 67.2% of the variance in attitude toward information security knowledge sharing and 24.6% of the variance in cybersecurity awareness. Predictive-relevance values were 0.430 and 0.173, respectively. The reported model-fit indices (SRMR = 0.062 for the saturated model and 0.063 for the estimated model; NFI = 0.815) indicated an acceptable fit, while the reported overall goodness-of-fit value was 0.612.
Discussion: The findings indicate that formal information security policies and tangible organizational support and training are more influential than general organizational culture in shaping employees’ willingness to share security-related knowledge. In turn, a favorable knowledge-sharing attitude is associated with greater cybersecurity awareness and transmits part of the effects of policy, support, and training to awareness. The nonsignificant cultural path suggests that broad organizational values alone may be insufficient unless they are translated into clear rules, accessible guidance, practical training, and visible managerial support. Banks should therefore develop and clearly communicate information security policies, provide continuous skills-based cybersecurity training, establish accessible advisory channels for reporting and resolving security problems, and encourage employees to exchange experiences about threats and protective practices. Because the data were collected from employees of one bank in one city and at a single point in time, the findings should be generalized cautiously. Future studies could test the model in other organizational settings and use longitudinal designs to examine whether improvements in policy implementation, training, and knowledge sharing produce changes in cybersecurity awareness.
 

Abstract Background and Objectives: In today's IT-based workplaces, effective use of IT systems is crucial for enhancing user performance (Badda & Rahmouni, 2023). However, the inherent complexity of these systems can significantly affect how users interact with technology and, ultimately, their productivity (Verna et al., 2023). Perceived complexity refers to users' perceptions of the difficulty associated with understanding and using technology (Te'eni, 1989). Perceived IT complexity commonly occurs in organizational contexts characterized by distributed work environments, complex network structures, software projects involving multiple roles and interactions, high dependencies between subsystems, a diversity and multiplicity of applications, and changing and complex business needs (Storm & Scheepers, 2019). According to Stoica et al. (2024), organizations with networked structures, numerous applications, and high dependencies among IT components experience higher levels of perceived complexity. Accordingly, working across different locations and within distributed teams may further increase users' perceptions of IT complexity. Despite considerable attention to IT complexity and its potential consequences in previous research, the mechanisms through which perceived IT complexity translates into actual user performance have not yet been fully understood (Badda & Rahmouni, 2023). One potentially important mechanism is the frequency of information system use. While previous studies have examined system quality, service quality, user satisfaction, and performance, the mediating role of frequency of use in the relationship between perceived information system complexity and user performance requires further investigation. The existing evidence also suggests a complex relationship between these variables. On the one hand, perceived system complexity may discourage repeated use and consequently limit the development of users' skills and effective performance. On the other hand, frequent system use may increase users' familiarity with technology and thereby reduce some of the negative consequences associated with perceived complexity. Thus, frequency of use may serve as an important mechanism linking perceived complexity to user performance. Understanding this relationship is particularly important in educational organizations that rely on multiple information systems. Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, as one of the major universities in Iran, employs numerous information systems to support educational, research, student, cultural, financial, administrative, and knowledge-related activities. This multiplicity of systems may increase users' perceived complexity and influence their performance. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of perceived IT complexity on the performance of users at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of frequency of information system use. Methodology: This study was applied in terms of purpose and employed a survey method with a causal-correlational approach to examine the relationships among the independent, dependent, and mediating variables. The statistical population consisted of 1,503 users of information systems at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Based on the criterion of 15 respondents per questionnaire item, the required sample size was estimated at 420 participants. Participants were selected using convenience sampling. Of the distributed questionnaires, 286 completed questionnaires were considered valid and included in the final analysis. The collected data were analyzed using SmartPLS software to examine the direct and indirect relationships among perceived IT complexity, frequency of information system use, and user performance. Findings: The results showed that the mean score of perceived IT complexity was 3.33, indicating that users perceived the university's information technologies and information systems as moderately complex. This level of perceived complexity suggests that difficulties associated with understanding and using the systems may interfere with their effective utilization.
The hypothesis-testing results showed that perceived IT complexity had a negative effect on the performance of users at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. A negative and significant relationship was observed between perceived complexity and user performance (reported coefficient = -0.221). Thus, higher levels of perceived complexity were associated with lower levels of user performance.
The results also showed that perceived IT complexity had a significant negative effect on the frequency of users' use of university information systems (β = -0.533). In other words, as users perceived information systems to be more complex, the frequency with which they used those systems decreased. This finding suggests that complexity may discourage continued interaction with information systems and consequently limit opportunities for users to develop familiarity and proficiency.
Furthermore, the analysis of the mediating relationship showed that perceived IT complexity had a significant negative indirect effect on user performance through frequency of information system use. The reported t-value for the indirect effect was 7.34, exceeding the critical value of 1.96 and indicating statistical significance at the 0.05 level. These findings demonstrate that frequency of use plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between perceived IT complexity and user performance. Accordingly, perceived complexity not only affects performance directly but may also reduce performance indirectly by decreasing users' frequency of interaction with information systems. Discussion: The findings indicate that perceived IT complexity is an important factor affecting both the frequency of information system use and user performance. As users perceive organizational information systems to be more complex, they tend to use them less frequently, which in turn may negatively affect their performance. The significant mediating role of frequency of use highlights the importance of continuous interaction with information systems in reducing some of the adverse consequences associated with perceived complexity. 
Therefore, improving the usability and simplicity of university information systems, reducing unnecessary complexity, enhancing integration among different systems, and providing appropriate user training may encourage more frequent system use and contribute to improved user performance. These findings can assist university managers and information system designers in developing more user-centered systems and improving the effective use of information technology in academic environments

Abstract Background and Objectives: SMS therapy is a subset of information therapy (IX). Information therapy is defined as the provision of appropriate information to the appropriate person at the appropriate time. This term refers to the provision of evidence-based medical information to specific physical or mental patients at the appropriate time to help change behavior or make health decisions. SMS therapy attempts to influence the individual's mind by using targeted, positive messages and the power of words, and to empower the mind in a targeted and planned manner to solve a specific problem or improve its current ability. This method is a product of modern information and communication technologies and media and their impact on the individual and society. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of SMS therapy on the psychological well-being of students at the University of Medical Sciences, so that it can change people's attitudes and provide information for decision-making and policy-making to those responsible for student mental health.
Methodology: The present study was an applied intervention study conducted using a quasi-experimental method (pre-test-post-test with a control group). The research population was students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The sample was randomly selected through block randomization method and by observing the criteria of being an undergraduate student, willing to participate in the study, having a mobile phone, and obtaining average to low scores on the initial questionnaire. They were completely randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (60 in the experimental group and 68 in the control group). The exclusion criterion from the study was unwillingness to continue cooperation. The data collection tool was the standard Ryff Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire (a short questionnaire with 18 questions on a 6-point scale). The data were analyzed using SPSS20 software, descriptive inferential statistics, and an independent t-test. First, the questionnaire was completed by both the control and experimental groups. Then, 30 text messages related to psychological well-being (such as "A healthy person intends in his current environment and conditions - despite current difficulties and problems – control that he can have over his own life") were sent to the experimental group at a specific time (9 text messages per week, with a length between 20 and 30 words) for 2 months. The content of the text messages was prepared and approved by the psychologist who co-authored the article, with regard to the topic of psychological well-being. In order to receive the messages, it was decided that each subject would send a text message to the researcher on Friday. After two months of intervention and one month of the period to consolidate the effectiveness (A total of three months from the start of SMS therapy) The questionnaires were again completed by the two control and experimental groups to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention and were compared through an independent t-test.
Findings: There was no significant difference between the mean scores of psychological well-being in the two experimental and control groups in the pre-test and post-test. In other words, before the intervention, the mean score of psychological well-being of the two groups did not differ (p= 0.79). Also, after the SMS therapy intervention, there was no change in the mean score (p= 0.97). Therefore, there was no significant difference between the mean total score of psychological well-being change in the experimental (p= 0.44) and control group students (p= 0.10), in the comparison before and after the intervention (holding SMS therapy). In other words, SMS therapy did not have an effect on improving the psychological well-being of the studied sample.
Discussion: The present study showed that SMS therapy did not have a significant effect on the psychological well-being of students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Among the reasons for this lack of effect are the moderate initial level of psychological well-being scores in students and the traditionally method of sending the SMS. Therefore, it is suggested that new methods that are popular and interesting to students (such as social networks) be used to intervene in improving psychological well-being. In addition, it is necessary to consider the intervening variables in psychological well-being in other studies. Also, considering the lack of significant effect of SMS therapy on the psychological well-being of students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, it is suggested that appropriate training courses be held using other methods that are popular with students to empower them

Abstract Background and Objectives: Digital libraries generate large volumes of transaction and search-log data that can reveal users’ actual information needs and support evidence-based collection development, digitization priorities, resource organization, and personalized services. The Ayatollah Boroujerdi Digital Library in Qom holds distinctive collections, including manuscripts, hot-metal and lithographic publications, textbooks, theses, and other rare resources. Despite the value of these collections, conventional usage statistics provide limited insight into relationships among the subjects searched by users. This study therefore aimed to identify clusters of subject use and association patterns among users’ searches in the library’s digital databases. More specifically, it examined which subjects were frequently used together and how the resulting patterns could contribute to acquisition, collection development, further digitization, improved service quality, and the future design of recommender systems. Methodology: This cross-sectional analytical study examined ten years of digital-library usage data covering the period 2011–2021. The dataset was extracted from the NOSA digital-resource archive system. The original databases were stored in SQL format and the extracted records were converted to CSV files for analysis. Data preparation and cleaning included separating date and time values recorded in a single field, converting ordered subject labels into codes, and removing records associated with IP addresses generating more than 50 searches. This procedure was intended to distinguish searches by individual users from activity originating from shared systems or internal library computers. Subjects assigned to each resource were retrieved through resource codes and consolidated into principal subject categories. A two-step clustering procedure was applied because it is suitable for large datasets and can accommodate both categorical and quantitative data. Association-rule mining using the Apriori algorithm was then employed to identify dependencies and co-occurrence patterns among searched subjects. IBM Modeler version 18 was used for clustering and association-rule analysis. For network visualization, the data were transformed into a matrix and analyzed with the bibliometrix package in R. The clustering analysis concerned searched subjects rather than the physical type or digital format of resources. Findings: PDF was the dominant format, accounting for 98.35% of the resources used. Manuscripts represented 99.91% of the records for which resource type was identifiable, demonstrating the central role of this collection in digital-library use. According to the recorded counts, 709,337 of the 1,048,575 visits, approximately 68%, were made by guest users, whereas 339,238 were associated with non-guest users. Overall use increased markedly over the study period, reaching 245,187 recorded uses in 2018 and 244,333 in 2020. December, April, and January had the highest aggregated use, and the busiest daily period was between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Two subject clusters were identified. Cluster 1 covered approximately 56% of the data and was characterized by jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, prayer, literature, medicine, mysticism, history, ethics, and sciences. Cluster 2 accounted for approximately 44% and included theology, Hadith, syntax, philosophy, logic, poetry, astronomy, prayers, interpretation, and miscellaneous subjects. Network analysis showed that jurisprudence, syntax, theology, principles of jurisprudence, and Hadith were among the most prominent and highly connected subjects. Jurisprudence had particularly strong co-search relationships with logic, ethics, medicine, Hadith, history, and syntax. The association rules showed confidence values of approximately 55% for some relationships involving jurisprudence, most notably its relationships with logic, ethics, and medicine. By contrast, subjects such as divination, elegies concerning martyrdom, commentary, and arithmetic attracted comparatively little attention. Discussion: The findings demonstrate that digital-library logs can provide managers with evidence of actual user behavior that is not readily available through surveys or aggregate visit statistics. The predominance of manuscripts and the concentration of use in the first subject cluster suggest that digitization, description, and collection-development activities should give particular attention to jurisprudence and its related fields. At the same time, the relatively limited use of the library’s rare hot-metal and lithographic holdings indicates a need for better online promotion, standardized organization, and improved discoverability. Because a large proportion of users access the library as guests, encouraging optional membership could make it possible to analyze longitudinal interests and provide more personalized services without restricting public access. The co-search patterns can also inform subject navigation, “related resources” features, and recommender systems. Nevertheless, the results should be interpreted as associations rather than causal relationships. They reflect one library, depend on the quality of subject coding and log data, and do not incorporate resource format into the clustering model. Future research should compare Apriori with techniques such as k-means and test combined clustering and association-rule approaches in other digital-library environments.

Abstract Background and Objectives: In today's IT-based workplaces, effective use of IT systems is crucial for enhancing user performance (Badda & Rahmouni, 2023). However, the inherent complexity of these systems can significantly affect how users interact with technology and, ultimately, their productivity (Verna et al., 2023). Perceived complexity refers to users' perceptions of the difficulty associated with understanding and using technology (Te'eni, 1989). Perceived IT complexity commonly occurs in organizational contexts characterized by distributed work environments, complex network structures, software projects involving multiple roles and interactions, high dependencies between subsystems, a diversity and multiplicity of applications, and changing and complex business needs (Storm & Scheepers, 2019). According to Stoica et al. (2024), organizations with networked structures, numerous applications, and high dependencies among IT components experience higher levels of perceived complexity. Accordingly, working across different locations and within distributed teams may further increase users' perceptions of IT complexity. Despite considerable attention to IT complexity and its potential consequences in previous research, the mechanisms through which perceived IT complexity translates into actual user performance have not yet been fully understood (Badda & Rahmouni, 2023). One potentially important mechanism is the frequency of information system use. While previous studies have examined system quality, service quality, user satisfaction, and performance, the mediating role of frequency of use in the relationship between perceived information system complexity and user performance requires further investigation. The existing evidence also suggests a complex relationship between these variables. On the one hand, perceived system complexity may discourage repeated use and consequently limit the development of users' skills and effective performance. On the other hand, frequent system use may increase users' familiarity with technology and thereby reduce some of the negative consequences associated with perceived complexity. Thus, frequency of use may serve as an important mechanism linking perceived complexity to user performance. Understanding this relationship is particularly important in educational organizations that rely on multiple information systems. Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, as one of the major universities in Iran, employs numerous information systems to support educational, research, student, cultural, financial, administrative, and knowledge-related activities. This multiplicity of systems may increase users' perceived complexity and influence their performance. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of perceived IT complexity on the performance of users at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of frequency of information system use. Methodology: This study was applied in terms of purpose and employed a survey method with a causal-correlational approach to examine the relationships among the independent, dependent, and mediating variables. The statistical population consisted of 1,503 users of information systems at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Based on the criterion of 15 respondents per questionnaire item, the required sample size was estimated at 420 participants. Participants were selected using convenience sampling. Of the distributed questionnaires, 286 completed questionnaires were considered valid and included in the final analysis. The collected data were analyzed using SmartPLS software to examine the direct and indirect relationships among perceived IT complexity, frequency of information system use, and user performance. Findings: The results showed that the mean score of perceived IT complexity was 3.33, indicating that users perceived the university's information technologies and information systems as moderately complex. This level of perceived complexity suggests that difficulties associated with understanding and using the systems may interfere with their effective utilization.
The hypothesis-testing results showed that perceived IT complexity had a negative effect on the performance of users at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. A negative and significant relationship was observed between perceived complexity and user performance (reported coefficient = -0.221). Thus, higher levels of perceived complexity were associated with lower levels of user performance.
The results also showed that perceived IT complexity had a significant negative effect on the frequency of users' use of university information systems (β = -0.533). In other words, as users perceived information systems to be more complex, the frequency with which they used those systems decreased. This finding suggests that complexity may discourage continued interaction with information systems and consequently limit opportunities for users to develop familiarity and proficiency.
Furthermore, the analysis of the mediating relationship showed that perceived IT complexity had a significant negative indirect effect on user performance through frequency of information system use. The reported t-value for the indirect effect was 7.34, exceeding the critical value of 1.96 and indicating statistical significance at the 0.05 level. These findings demonstrate that frequency of use plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between perceived IT complexity and user performance. Accordingly, perceived complexity not only affects performance directly but may also reduce performance indirectly by decreasing users' frequency of interaction with information systems. Discussion: The findings indicate that perceived IT complexity is an important factor affecting both the frequency of information system use and user performance. As users perceive organizational information systems to be more complex, they tend to use them less frequently, which in turn may negatively affect their performance. The significant mediating role of frequency of use highlights the importance of continuous interaction with information systems in reducing some of the adverse consequences associated with perceived complexity. 
Therefore, improving the usability and simplicity of university information systems, reducing unnecessary complexity, enhancing integration among different systems, and providing appropriate user training may encourage more frequent system use and contribute to improved user performance. These findings can assist university managers and information system designers in developing more user-centered systems and improving the effective use of information technology in academic environments.