Perspectives: Revisited – 2022-3

Abstract

A summary of selected articles from Sage publications covering smart cities development and business information literacy research.

In this foray into the Sage publications, we continue to review a selection of articles on some recent topics that seem to be trending, specifically financial and business information instruction, and smart cities. Information professionals would be wise to monitor the continuing development of smart cities as a source of big data, and a potential opportunity to utilize our skills and expertise. Business information instruction continues to be developed and implemented within academic business libraries, as well as in the workplace, to raise the level of effective information literacy.

In this issue we look at articles in the Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Management Teaching Review, Big Data and Society, Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Economic Development Quarterly, EPC: Politics and Space, Social Science Computer Review, and Organizational Studies.

In the Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Hicks et al. (2022), investigated information literacy within other disciplinary landscapes. They attempted to identify how these disciplines used their own terminology, definitions, theories, and frameworks to discuss information literacy. They also looked at how the disciplines used the same concepts from LIS research to discuss information literacy. The disciplines investigated were Higher Education, Management and Business, Public Health, Nursing, and Psychology. Conducting a search of Web of Science to then analyze the results using VOSviewer to visualize and map the connections was accomplished for each discipline. Looking strictly at the Management and Business content investigation the authors discovered that there is a link between information seeking work and information literacy but that it seldom connects with the LIS literature as it is more situated within a business psychology or marketing research context. Overall, they discovered ideas that could be considered information literacy were rarely relying on models and theories from within the LIS field. The authors’ perceptions were that IL was noticeably underdeveloped within business due to a different focus on the organization and markets and consumers. From my perspective it seems as if a relevant facet was missed when the searches were conducted as information research and information literacy in business fall within the context of market research and competitive intelligence. I wonder how that would have changed their map. Their underlying recommendation is that there is tremendous importance for LIS authors to publish within non-LIS venues.

Gerard et al. (2021) report on how students were lacking information literacy skills, specifically during a business ethics course, whereby there were obvious gaps and a lack of quality in the information provided across every aspect of the course and assignments. Out of this situation, the authors sought to develop a viable solution that could be easily and effectively implemented. In addition to reacting to the challenges experienced by the students, they also used the ALA Information Literacy Standards and the Framework for Information Literacy to inform the design of an ‘information sourcing plug-in’. The IS plug-in consisted of a sourcing prompt, the introduction of other prompts, and flexible engagement in discussions and debriefing. This is an intriguing solution to provide timely, effective support for developing the information literacy skillset of business students. One of the most telling aspects identified by Gerard and the other authors that they aspired to improve upon was the observation that students tended to select information that confirmed their views without attention to the quality of the source. In a business context this is a significantly problematic issue that warrants not only solutions like the IS plug-in but further research and analysis to determine how librarians can overcome this within their information literacy initiatives. An interesting study was conducted by Naveed and Mahmood (2022) that assessed the perceived self-efficacy of business students at UMT, Lahore. They examined the relationship between students’ perceived IL self-efficacy with a variety of sociodemographic and academic variables. The authors focused on key facets of information literacy and determined that there was a low self-efficacy of business students for advance-level IL skills and that need-based IL instruction was warranted to improve students’ academic performance as well as their future workplace performance. Madinga et al. (2022) conducted a survey of South African citizens focused on financial literacy, financial socialization, financial risk attitude, and financial satisfaction. Their research was to determine how the scale and scope of these factors influences their behaviours and attitudes. The outcomes of this research led to recommendations that a higher level of financial literacy the higher the level of financial risk attitude. The study demonstrated that those who are more willing to take chances are more likely to be content with their financial situation. Financial risk is the primary factor in decision-making; which implies that financial advisors must take into account a customer’s risk tolerance when proposing financial products. Information professionals can certainly contribute into the dynamic by promoting and teaching improved financial literacy.

As I did in the last issue, I explore the continuing research into smart cities which are filled with great promise and with great risk if the implementation is not successful, or not perceived to be successful. There are many facets, challenges, and complications within smart city development. Information professionals could play a role as these initiatives continue to develop over time.

In Big Data and Society, Rijshower et al. (2022) conduct research through a series of focus groups in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to investigate people’s thoughts, concerns, and perceived agency regarding smart cities. Utilizing a smart city game, the participants were then surveyed on their perceptions of inputs on Injustice, Agency, and Identity. The researchers identified that both age and education had a significant influence on people’s privacy behaviours in a smart city setting. While there is much to explore within the information they gathered in the focus groups that followed the participation in the smart city game, some key factors involved issues of being surveilled and manipulated, a sense of powerlessness, and whether to share and not to share data with a feeling of ‘they versus us’ between the general population and the government and related organizations promoting the smart city services and applications. There were many concerns but those were often matched with an appreciation for the benefits. A challenging dichotomy for any planning body for the development of a smart city. While in Social Science Computer Review, Rijshouwer and van Zoonen (2022) presents a detailed report on exactly how they designed and implemented the gamified survey to provide a deeper explanation of how they developed the elements and worked with the design firm.

In Organization Studies and EPC: Politics and Space, a pair of articles focus specifically on the factors impacting and influencing the development of Mexico City as a smart city. Pansera et al. (2022), reports on and discusses Mexico City’s development as a smart city and the impact of its group participatory governance structure. Started in 2012 with the development of a City Lab with the purpose to “create an experimental space in which citizens, civil society, academia, business, and government could meet to reflect on the problems facing the city, and then take joint actions, including utilizing new technologies for digital governance.” A new government in 2018 moved away from the City Lab concept to create a Digital Agency for Public Innovation. The authors conducted interviews with key officials and personnel to examine the operation of the agency, the level of citizen participation, and within the broader dynamics of citizen participation. The authors analyzed logics to determine their existence and dynamics that influence smart city development. Mexico City serves as an example offering insights into the barriers to equitable and inclusive smart city development created by socio-political institutions. While Sweeting et al. (2022), with some of the same researchers, took a look at smart city development within an institutional context. Again the focus was on Mexico City to determine if the institutional context is easy to engineer and how that impacts facilitating citizen participation. The authors identify the challenge between developing citizen participation versus the role the existing institutions serve and whether they will, and should, transform the institutional context. Finally, Abutabenjeh et al. (2022), research the perceptions of chief administrative officers’ of a group of cities across the United States on factors involving local government commitment to smart city technologies, the level of engagement, and the barriers to these smart city technologies. Specifically, they were investigating these factors on their influence and impact on local economic development. The research included consideration of a Digital Era Governance model which “envisions a needs-based, digitized, and reintegrated government using technology”. The authors found that there was a correlation between a local government’s commitment to smart cities technologies and the perceived importance of local economic development.

Smart city development will continue to grow as the variety of technologies develop and mutate over time. It will be useful for information professionals of all types to remain observant of the underlying data generation, collection, and management as this smart city trend develops into the future. Business information literacy instruction and development remains relevant and necessary as the need for improved decision-making and the demand for competitive intelligence across hyper-competitive markets.