ETD RECORD
The impact of organizational information overload on leaders :making knowledge work productive in the 21st century
Citation
Becker, Lesa.. (2009). The impact of organizational information overload on leaders :making knowledge work productive in the 21st century. Theses and Dissertations Collection, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections. https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/etd/items/etd_385.html
- Title:
- The impact of organizational information overload on leaders :making knowledge work productive in the 21st century
- Author:
- Becker, Lesa.
- Date:
- 2009
- Keywords:
- management Human information processing
- Program:
- Education
- Abstract:
- Information overload is a phenomenon that emerged in the 1990's as the use of information and technology grew exponentially. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of information overload on managers; to discover strategies that will assist leaders in managing the phenomenon; and to inform theory and practice in the field of human-information interaction. In order to fully understand the problem, the impact of information overload was assessed in a healthcare setting. Five contributing factors identified by Eppler and Mengis (2004) were assessed. They include: (1) the characteristics of the information we are required to process; (2) the types of tasks we perform with the information we receive; (3) the technology we use to assist us in performing those tasks; (4) personal or human factors that help or hinder our ability to manage information; and (5) organizational factors that impact our effectiveness.;Data was gathered and promising solutions were identified utilizing a participative action research process. Participants utilized an information overload intensity scale to evaluate the daily impact of information on their lives; reflective journals; and information, task and technology logs to document their daily practices. The data showed information overload impacts managers differently. It was also noted that the role of a manager has changed as they spend more time managing information and technology; and less time managing people.;The organizational environment was identified as the leading contributor to information overload. Many solutions to information overload have been recommended in the literature; however, the solutions fall short of solving the problem. The findings of this research suggest organizational information overload must be addressed by taking a systems theory approach to fundamentally rethinking the business practices of our organizations in order to make knowledge work more productive in the 21st Century.
- Description:
- Thesis (Ph. D., Education)--University of Idaho, March 6, 2009.
- Major Professor:
- Laura Holyoke.
- Defense Date:
- March 6, 2009.
- Type:
- Text
- Format Original:
- xiv, 168 leaves :ill. ;29 cm.
- Format:
- record
Rights
- Rights:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted. For more information, please contact University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives Department at libspec@uidaho.edu.
- Standardized Rights:
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/