"The relationship between information literacy and knowledge management in the global economy"

Closing Date: 27 May 2005

Applications are invited for a full-time MPhil/PhD studentship in the Department of information Management, Aberdeen Business School at The Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. The Department of Information Management offers a vibrant and friendly research environment undertaking a wide range of externally funded research. We are committed to furthering research opportunities within our main interest areas of the use and impact of information and knowledge management. We now have an opportunity for an enthusiastic and committed individual to join our research community. The successful applicant will work on a project aimed at investigating the relationship between information literacy and knowledge management in the context of the global economy. 

The new global economy is information intensive, changing the way individuals and organisations work, requiring qualities of vision, flexibility and adaptability, innovation, entrepreneurship and networking to survive and thrive in a state of "permanent whitewater" (Vaill, 1996). In this changing environment information is only of value when it can be used effectively in ongoing knowledge creation and organisational learning and current theories of knowledge management (KM) focus on employees' abilities in knowledge transfer and creation rather than supply of existing information. This humanistic KM approach recognises the need for individuals to develop new workplace literacies relevant to a knowledge-based culture and it has already been recognised that information literacy is likely to be one key component in the success of organisational KM strategies. Yet there is little evidence or understanding of the relationship between knowledge management and information literacy within the workplace. The proposed study would examine this relationship, in particular drawing on recent theories of multiple context-related literacies and multiple conceptions of information literacy. 

The research is expected to take the form of a qualitative case-based study adopting a phenomenological approach to examine real-world experiences of information finding and using (information literacy) and relating these to effectiveness of knowledge-based activities and processes in organisations. 

Candidates for the studentship should have a First Class or good 2:1 Honours degree (or equivalent) and/or MSc in a related subject. Appropriate information retrieval and ICT skills are essential and specific knowledge of the literature and theory of KM and information literacy would be advantageous.   

The prospective student should be highly self-motivated and enjoy working in a productive research environment. 

This studentship provides full university fees for both UK and Overseas applicants as well as a tax-free maintenance allowance of £12,000 per annum. The studentship is available to start from September 2005.   

The successful applicant will based at the Aberdeen Business School, a state-of-the-art facility by the banks of the River Dee. Further information about the School and the Department of Information Management are available at:
http://www.rgu.ac.uk/abs/

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor Dorothy Williams - email [log in to unmask] 

Applications including a completed application form (available from http://www.rgu.ac.uk/research/degrees), a detailed CV, names and addresses of two referees should be emailed to [log in to unmask] or posted to Research Support Office, AB44, The Robert Gordon University, Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB10 1FR by 27 May 2005.