Information seeking in social context: structural influences and receipt of information benefits

Abstract

Abstract-Research in the information processing, situated learning, and social network traditions has consistently demonstrated the importance of social networks for acquiring information. However, we know little about how organizational relationships established by a relative position in a formal structure or social relationships established by interpersonal processes influence whom is sought out for various kinds of information. Prior research suggests that people often receive some combination of five benefits when seeking information from other people: 1) solutions; 2) meta-knowledge (pointers to databases or people); 3) problem reformulation; 4) validation of plans or solutions; and 5) legitimation from contact with a respected person. This research builds on that work by assessing the influence of organizational and social structures (such as similarity of job function, hierarchy, task interdependence, physical proximity, influence, trust, friendship, and gender) on receipt of these benefits from other people in a physically distributed organization. Task interdependence is the strongest and most consistent predictor of information seeking. However, social relations also affect the receipt of informational benefits, especially as they become more representational and affective. Implications are suggested for the study of social capital, computer-mediated communication, and organizational learning.

Fish farmers and regulators coping with the wickedness of aquaculture

“…Collaboration between the government, the aquaculture industry, and other stakeholders is necessary to utilize the total knowledge of all parties and balance legitimate competing interests, and improve overall governance. The empirical data in this paper illustrates that collaboration is an important source for actionable knowledge, and this is in line with earlier research (Cross, Rice, & Parker, 2001), which shows that task interdependence, here described as externalities, is the strongest and most consistent predictor of information seeking.…”

What's your favorite blend? : Analyzing source and channel choices in business-to-government service interactions

“…It was observed that source-channel combinations fulfill various roles during the information seeking process (i.e., orientation or exploration, exchange of information, to gain certainty). This is comparable to findings of Cross, Rice and Parker (2001). They found that people receive various benefits from other people (i.e., sources) when seeking information.…”

Tying the Network Together: Evaluating the Impact of an Intervention into the Advice Network of Public Managers

“…In fact, knowledge is more complex and based on experience (Cross, Rice, & Parker, 2001;Kram & Isabella, 1985;Morrison, 2002). It is therefore difficult to transfer knowledge and experiences from one individual to another.…”