[Sigkm-l] sig mgt events at ASIST

[bedgar at email.arizona.edu]

Hello,

This is to let everyone know of the SIG Management sponsored and co-sponsored
sessions and events at the upcoming American Society for Information Science and
Technology annual conference. Please come!

Sessions:

1. Tuesday, November 16, 2004, at 8:30 a.m. Information-related Management
Issues: Examining the Applicability of Research Methodologies. Co-sponsored
with SIG-KM.

We will have four speakers and a group discussion with the audience. This
session will cover the applicability of several research methodologies for
examining management issues in information service organizations as well as
information-related management issues in other types of settings, including
for-profit, not-for-profit, and non-governmental organizations. The speakers
will be the following:

Bill Edgar, of the University of Arizona, will present a paper that focuses upon
the methodological tradeoffs inherent in pursuing a theoretical approach to
determining the contribution of the corporate library. It will examine the
applicability of four classes of research methodologies when using such a
theoretical approach to determine this contribution: field research, including
interviews and observation; surveys; unobtrusive research, including content
analysis and analysis of existing statistics; and experiments.

Julie Hersberger, of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, will
present a paper that examines the use of social network analysis (SNA) methods
to investigate professional relationships and the concomitant affect on
information diffusion and exchange in information organizations such as
libraries. Social network analysis (SNA) examines social relationships of
individuals (egocentric networks) at a micro level and at a macro level when
whole networks of communities or groups are investigated.

Joseph Kasten, of Dowling College, will present a paper that explores the flow
of knowledge and information within, between, and beyond company boundaries. It
also examines the limitations and obstacles inherent to studying knowledge
within a firm.

Maureen Mackenzie, of Dowling College, will present a paper that reviews a
three-stage exploratory research plan to study the behaviors of line-managers
with the intent to better understand managers in their search for solutions. 
The research methods described in this paper were selected and arranged in a
purposive way to uncover evidence and provide insight on how information is
accumulated by managers and subsequently used within the decision making
process.

Don Turnbull, of the University of Texas at Austin, will present a paper that
proposes a set of methods to discover information professional topics of work
in comparison to overall staff, including automatic data collection and ad hoc
data analysis. An increased, dynamic understanding of the information use
behaviors of information professionals is one of the key blind spots of
managing information tasks which this set of methods hopes to address.

2. Wednesday November 17, 2004, at 3:30 p.m. LibQUAL+: Library Service Quality
Assessment. Co-sponsored with SIG-KM.

This session will be a combination of a technical panel and a group discussion
covering the assessment of service quality within libraries. It will focus on
the current LibQUAL+ TM program which is being supported by the Association of
Research Libraries (ARL).

Governance and social events:

1. Tuesday, November 16, 2004, at 7:30 a.m. SIG MGT Planning Session (Breakfast
meeting). This is the planning/working meeting for our SIG, so please attend if
at all possible.

2. Tuesday, November 16, 2004, at 6:30 PM : SIG MGT dutch treat dinner

3. Wednesday, November 17 at 12:30 : SIG planning meeting (all SIGs). Please
contact Bill Edgar at bedgar at u.arizona.edu beforehand with your ideas and
suggestions for
papers/sessions for 2005.

This looks to be a great set of activities, and I hope that many of you will be
there to keep management a vital topic.

Regards,

Bill Edgar
The University of Arizona
bedgar at u.arizona.edu