INFORMATION CULTURE

ByBob Travica[2]

In an early study on the subject, Ginman (1988) defined information culture as the culture in which “the transformation of intellectual resources is maintained alongside the transformation of material resources. The primary resources for this type of transformation are varying kinds of knowledge and information. The output achieved is a processed intellectual product which is necessary for the material activities to function and develop positively”. She concluded that information culture is a strategic goal and should be planned for as much as the transformation of physical resources. Ginman’s work formed the impetus of a study, “Information Culture and Business Performance,” supported by the British Library R&D Department (Grimshaw 1995). The study included a literature review of organizational culture and information culture by Abell and Winterman (1995). Ginman’s research was also the stimulus of a study by Owens, Wilson, and Abell (1996) that investigated the relationship between effective information systems and business performance. Results showed the lack of a coherent information policy in many of the companies surveyed. The influence of information professionals was waning, and many firms emphasized internal information over external sources. More recently, Curry and Moore (2003) define information culture as follows: a culture in which the value and utility of information in achieving operational and strategic success is recognised, where information forms the basis of organizational decision making and Information Technology is readily exploited as an enabler for effective Information Systems. Information culture consists of these components: communication flows; cross-organizational partnerships; internal environment (cooperativeness, openness, and trust); information systems management; information management; processes and procedures. Believe that the synthesis of information culture and organizational culture is an integral part of the process of becoming a knowledge-based organization: The organization first recognizes the need to adopt an information culture, then communicates the ethos and demonstrates commitment by restructuring to reflect the components of an information culture. The process is dynamic and continues ntil the philosophy and practice of an information culture become the norm. At this stage the information culture is no longer distinguishable from the organizational culture and the organization has evolved into one in which the availability and use of information are inherent in everyday activities. Information integrity is defined as the use of information in a trustful and principled manner at the individual and organizational level. It sets boundaries beyond which people may not go. It implies that there are ways of using information that are not appropriate and will be sanctioned. Information formality is the willingness to use and trust institutionalized information over informal sources.