Irena Ali

Yet Another Role for Job Satisfaction and Work Motivation - Enabler of Knowledge Creation and Knowledge Sharing

This paper describes a continuing study which uses a mixture of qualitative and quantitative research methods to identify factors which facilitate organizational and other types of collaborative learning. In this study, such learning is termed ‘social learning’, and refers to those factors which enable the sharing of knowledge and practice, and which foster generative learning. This paper’s specific focus is on the roles played by job satisfaction and morale in collaborative learning. The study to date has undertaken research in three settings: a tactical headquarters, a single service strategic headquarters; and a joint services strategic headquarters. The study’s long term aim is to develop architectures to support the development of organizational and information systems that enhance organizational learning and facilitate knowledge management.

Library Provided Information and Clinical Decision Making: A Study of Two Hospitals in Canberra

ABSTRACTThis paper describes methodology and discusses the results of a study that investigated the impact of library provided information on clinical decision making in two teaching hospitals. Specifically, this research investigated clinical, cognitive, and quality value of the information provided by medical librarians to the management of patients. Earlier research projects investigating the impact of information on health care outcomes are also reviewed. Wider implications of this research for academic and research libraries are outlined.

Team Building as a Foundation for Knowledge Management: Findings from Research into Social Learning in the Australian Defence Organisation

This paper describes findings from a four-year research study which used a mixture of qualitative and quantitative research methods to identify factors that facilitate social learning and collaborative knowledge development. Social learning includes those factors which enable transmission of knowledge and practice and which foster generative learning. This papers specific focus is on the facilitators of team building that support knowledge sharing and knowledge development.

Working and learning together: social learning in the Australian Defence Organisation

This paper reports on the methodologies used and the findings of the research done by the Enterprise Social Learning Architecture (ESLA) Task into learning processes occurring in two diverse environments within the Australian Defence Organisation, tactical and strategic. The research focused on identifying factors that enable and facilitate social learning and these factors are discussed in view of the preliminary architecture proposed by the research team and in view of the socio-technical environment within which people work and learn. The paper concludes by suggesting that the development of information systems requires a multidisciplinary approach and needs an understanding of the cultural issues prevalent in work environments.

Aspects of collaborative social learning in the Australian Defence Force

The Enterprise Social Learning Architectures (ESLA) is investigating collaborative social learning within the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO). Processes that help to understand social learning within the strategic environment of the ADO are described. Although the paper deals with the defence environment, the findings can be generalised to other organisational settings, as it deals with understanding the issues inherent in building sustainable and adaptive learning organisations.

Pornucopia on the Net: A Contribution to the Recent Censorship Debate in Australia

ABSTRACTExamines the extent of objectionable material carried by the electronic media; the main arguments that had been put forward for and against content regulations; and the various proposed methods of doing so. Next chronicles Australias attempts to regulate the electronic media, starting with the 1991 report of the Law Reform Commission and concluding with the most recent events such as the June 1996 report of the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA). Concludes with a summary of the submissions to the ABA inquiry by the two peak Australian professional bodies, the Australian Council on Library and Information Services and the Australian Library and Information Association.