Information cultures and strategies for coping with information overload: case of Estonian higher education institutions

Abstract

PurposeThis paper focuses on the links between information culture and the perception of the information overload on the example of higher education institutions in Estonia. The aim of this study is to understand how different types of information culture affect coping with information overload.Design/methodology/approachTwo focus-group interviews with 14 participants and 17 semi-structured interviews with representatives of four HEIs were conducted. First, the questions on the values, norms and assumptions as well as information related practices were discussed to assess the dominant components of the information culture. Second, the perception of information overload was explored. Further, the strategies for coping with information overload were examined. Constant comparative analysis was used to analyse the interview data.FindingsThe results of the study suggest that the construct of information culture is valuable in understanding information environments and their relation to the perception of information overload. The participants representing the open information culture prefer informal information sharing and are more vulnerable to perceive information overload than the participants representing the integrated information culture. Organisational information management is the key to effective coping with information overload.Originality/valueThe current study sheds light on the perception of information overload in connection with information culture.

Connecting information literacy and social capital to better utilise knowledge resources in the workplace

“…Previous research has shown that an awareness of the workplace information culture is an important part of effective management of information sources [65–67] and coping with such information challenges as information overload [68]. The management and support of employees’ information literacy should be aligned with organisation’s information culture, understanding its particular information-related attitudes and values.…”

Information sculpting

“…In these metaphors, flows of information are analogous to flows of nutrients or energy, implying inter-dependencies of organisms within a specific time and space. More advanced metaphors bring in ideas of niches, resource competition, eco-diversity (Nardi et al, 1999), emergent properties, and cooperative behaviors (Lauri et al, 2020).…”

“…Examples of these metaphors include information ecologies (Nardi et al, 1999), ecosystems (Marrow et al, 2001), cultures (Lauri et al, 2020), environments, and climates (Widén & Steinerova, 2018).…”

Proceedings of the 1st Symposium on Advances in Educational Technology - Volume 2: AET

“…The first attempts to analyze the genesis of information culture, to identify its historical and social conditionality were made in (Curry and Moore, 2003;Khan and Azmi, 2005;Labouitz and Tamm, 1987;Leonhardt, 1988;Lubar, 1999;Metz, 1986;Mordue, 1995;Oliver, 2004;Porter, 1995;Rubanov, 1989;Szecskö, 1986;Travica, 2005;Welsch, 1989;Widén-Wulff, 2000;Zambare, 2003). The formation of information culture at various levels of education were studied in (Abitova et al, 2020;Almazova et al, 2018;Babenko, 2018;Boamah and Salahshour, 2021;Ibashova et al, 2017;Lauri et al, 2021;Lepik and Kannukene, 2018;Mullins, 2019;Virkus and Salman, 2020).…”