Program

WIS 2020 panel 26-28.8.2020

DiWIL – The Impact of Information Literacy in the Digital Workplace 

This panel will discuss the role of information literacy (IL) in the workplace context. Information literacy is the set of integrated information skills, including the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, the use of information in creating new knowledge, and the ability to participate ethically in communities of learning (ACRL 2015). In the workplace context, the focus is on how the organization deals with information in order to perform effectively, and how individuals and teams contribute to handling information in a good and efficient way (Forster 2017). Workplace information literacy brings forward the importance of acknowledging that employees and managers need resources to develop their information handling skills which they need when transferring their work practices through digitalization projects.

This panel will introduce a set of studies that have been conducted in the Academy of Finland funded project The Impact of Information Literacy in the Digital Workplace, during the project period 2016-20. The studies have focused on information literacy and digital literacy in relation to generational differences, how information literacy affects well-being, innovation, social capital and change, and how information literacy works in the context of global work. The studies have been conducted using different research methodologies and data collection approaches such as survey questionnaires, interviews, open data (OECD/PIAAC), fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative analysis (fsQCA), Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), network analysis in the context of universities, SMEs, Open source communities, creative industry, and entrepreneurship. The main results of the different sub-projects will be presented and some key questions about IL as a key skill in the digital workplace will be discussed.

  • What are the key characteristics of information in the workplace?
  • What are the IL key skills needed in today´s workplace?
  • Whose responsibility is it to take care of the level of IL in the workplace?
    • What is the role (are the main responsibilities) of executive management in promoting information literacy in the workplace?
  • How should the level of IL in the workplace be developed? What are the IL measures?
  • What is the role of information culture (values, attitudes, norms) on workplace information literacy?
  • What is the possible impact of IL in workplace context?
  • Do we have enough respect for IL skills in today´s workplace?
  • What is the role of workplace information literature in (creating/achieving) a respectful digital workplace?

Panelists:

Gunilla Widén, project PI, professor of Information Studies, Åbo Akademi University and adjunct professor in Information Mangement at University of Tampere. Her research interests are within two main areas, knowledge management and information behavior. She has lead several large research projects investigating key skills in information society as well as various aspects of social media, information behavior and information literacy. She has recently been involved in European projects on youth information service development.

Shahrokh Nikou is a Senior Lecturer of Information Studies and a Docent in Information Systems at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Business and Economics, Åbo Akademi University. His research interests relate to multidimensionality of literacies with a focus on the generational differences. Shahrokh is also interested in digitalisation and digital economy with a particular focus on the role of digital transformation as enablers for organisational change, both within enterprises and across their entire value networks. He has been involved in several national and inernational research project. Shahrokh is a member of editorial board of journals such as Telematics and Informatics, Electronic Markets, International Journal of Web Engineering and Technology (IJWET), the Journal of Electronic Commerce in Organizations (JECO) and International Journal of Electronic Business Research (IJEBR).

José Teixeira graduated recently with a doctoral dissertation entitled ’Coopetition in an Open Source Way’ that reflects his research interests bn coopetition and open source innovation communities. With an educational background in both computer science and management, he has worked in the industry for reputable companies such as Wipro, Tesco, Airbus, and Nokia. During his professional ventures, he was an enthusiastic advocate of open-source software. His most recent work has been presented at the International Conference on Big Data, the International Conference on Open Source Systems, the International Symposium on Open Collaboration, the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, as well as in the European and the International Conference on Information Systems.

Angela Djupsjöbacka is a teacher of Economics from Åbo Akademi University. Her research interests lies within the fields of labor and educational economics. She recently received her doctorate on a thesis on human capital, and is now working on a project regarding gender segregation.

Muhaimin Karim is a Doctoral Researcher at the department of Information Studies, Åbo Akademi. He has focused his research largely on Information and Media Literacy, Information Behaviour and Practices, Information service policy designing, and youth participation. He has contributed to the project of Digital Workplace Information Literacy (DiWil)- Funded by Academy of Finland(2016-20); Project Future Youth Information Toolbox- Erasmus+ KA (2017-19) and Erasmus+ Project Innovative youth information service design and outreach (2019-20).  His own doctoral dissertation focuses on the information seeking behaviour and practices of the young population and designing youth centric information services.

More information about conference schedule will be published soon.

Wednesday 26th of August

  • Registration
  • Presentations
  • Keynote speech(es)

Thursday 27th of August

  • Presentations
  • Keynote speech(es)
  • Conference banquet

Friday 28th of August

  • Presentations
  • Keynote speech(es)