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Knowledge and Information Literacy in Business
Knowledge and Information Literacy in Business
Knowledge and Information Literacy in Business
Abstract
Entrepreneurial lack of knowledge is a major contributor to preventable business failure.
Knowledge is in great part dependent on research and information literacy skills, as well
as knowing when information is needed. Understanding how to acquire knowledge and
access information includes awareness of various assistance and information resources
and the ability to use the resources, such as Small Business Development Centers,
libraries, and the Internet. The lack of business knowledge and information literacy is in
part a failure of the educational system to specifically teach business information literacy
skills.
Keywords:
Introduction
The high rate of failure for small businesses is unnecessary and preventable
(Korgaonkar, 2006; Jordan, 2006; Carter and Van Auken, 2006; Teske, 1990; Small
and conditions and the entrepreneurial environment, in part a product of public policies
and economic development planning (Everett, 2004; Bernier, n.d.). Unlike external
causes, internal contributors to business failure are largely within the control of the
entrepreneur.
planning, market research, accounting, cash flow, and pricing strategy. This paper does
not delve into these factors per se, but instead the authors choose to focus on the
for small business. Simply put, information literacy begets knowledge, which begets
success.
Information Literacy
Information literacy is about the process and tools of obtaining information and
with first using the term information literacy in 1974 (Warnken, 2004). Zurkowski defined
their work […]. They have learned techniques and skills for utilizing the wide range of
problems.” (as cited in Hoppner, n.d., p. 26). The rise of the computer and the Internet
have “exponentially expanded the way information literacy is applied.” (Darrow &
should not be confused with computer or technology literacy. In 1998, the American
recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use
effectively the needed information." The ALA further states: “Ultimately, information
literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn
because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to
use information in such a way that others can learn from them. They are people
prepared for lifelong learning, because they can always find the information needed for
any task or decision at hand.” The ALA’s Association of College and Research Libraries
[ACRL] states that “information literacy encompasses more than good information-
and then to phrase questions designed to gather the needed information. It includes
evaluating and then using information appropriately and ethically once it is retrieved from
any media, including electronic, human or print sources.” (2001). A definition by Christine
Information literacy has been equated, or said to overlap, with other intellectual
literacy, and, in fact, is a preferred term by some (Whyte, 2004). One definition of critical
thinking seems to hit a big part of what entrepreneurial information literacy entails: “It
do or believe. You know, analyze the situation, evaluate claims, draw good inferences,
supply sound reasons, and check to make sure you haven't missed something
important." (Facione & Facione, 2007). Perhaps information literacy is, more accurately,
inadequate educational system producing an inept workforce applies equally to the lack
PKM, or as a type of PKM, where PKM emphasizes communication and the structuring
control information into a knowledge base and to collaborate with partners and advisors.
This structuring and collaborative function of personal knowledge management was first
enunciated by Christine Bruce (1997, 1999, as cited in Schreiber & Harbo, 2004) and by
importance of information literacy to small business. The need for information literacy is
magnified for small business because the typical entrepreneur, compared to the large
corporation, does not have the time, expertise, or resources to solve problems or
maximize growth through optimum use of information. This is all the more crucial
because small business is vitally important to the nation. Small business is commonly
referred to as the backbone, the lifeblood of the community, as the engine that drives the
economy. It’s been pointed out that small businesses are responsible for the vast
majority of new jobs in the local community, generating 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs
annually over the last decade, employing half of all private sector employees. Small
businesses are essential for developing a strong economy through job creation,
economic diversification and tax base expansion (Kauten, Simms, & Yolton, 2005).
“Entrepreneurship has emerged over the last two decades as arguably the most potent
economic force the world has ever experienced.” (Kuratko, 2005). Small business is
information literacy are intertwined as essential co-factors, two sides of the same coin.
Sometimes overlooked is the critical part of the definition of information literacy, the
“recognition of the information need.” (Bundy, 2002). This is a crucial and subtle
seeking or research skills (which are more oriented to classroom exercises, as opposed
to “real world” contingencies)—a broader approach embodied by the ALA and ACRL
definitions of information literacy that include recognition of a need for information and
Info Lit Knowledge Factors in Success Page 7 of 22
being able to determine the nature and extent of information needed. This broader vision
some of the earlier formulations of information literacy (Johnston & Webber, 2003). A
more holistic definition states that information literacy “expands, reframes or creates new
potential, that certainly could be indicative of an unmet need for information or even a
lack of recognition or understanding of the need for information. For the entrepreneur, as
indeed for any vocation or discipline, information literacy is a set of skills greatly
Information literacy has not been explicitly mentioned in the literature of business
research, but knowledge, as its co-factor, is often offered as a succinct answer to the
question why businesses fail, especially in the popular, how-to literature aimed at the
as Peter Drucker put it, "Entrepreneurship is 'risky' mainly because so few of the so-
called entrepreneurs know what they are doing. They lack the methodology. They violate
elementary and well-known rules.” (1985, p. 29). Drucker was one of the first thinkers to
focus on the importance of information in a business context. Drucker pointed out that
we are now in the knowledge- and information-based “new economy,” where information
conventional wisdom frequently cited by experts, and a truism that common sense would
seem to dictate even in non-expert casual observers. Yet this conclusion was borne out
Info Lit Knowledge Factors in Success Page 8 of 22
empirically in a survey of bankrupt firms where lack of knowledge was identified as one
of the main factors contributing to the demise of the businesses (Carter & Van Auken,
out by a wealth of inquiries, even though the term knowledge is not always used in the
research terminology. As Bruno and Leidecker point out, “Research findings indicate that
business failure results from definable causes.” (1998, p. 1). It is clearly indisputable that
essential commodity for survival,” (Doherty 1999), “the leading business asset,” (Kanter,
2003, p.23), essential for providing a significant strategic advantage for success in the
business opportunities (Cheuk, 2002). That knowledge is related to the processing and
(Carter and Van Auken, 2006; Gaskill, Van Auken, & Manning, 1993; and Perry, 2001).
“The availability of information is critically important for good decisions in all aspects of
Without research, money and time are wasted and planning is delayed (Phelps, 2007).
Info Lit Knowledge Factors in Success Page 9 of 22
much as 50 percent.” (US Small Business Administration, n.d.). The Internet has
become the omnipresent ready, do-it-yourself tool for business research. Carter and Van
Auken found that businesses that fell into bankruptcy were less likely to use the Internet
than successful businesses (2006). A 2004 survey of business executives found that two
thirds of respondents felt it was difficult or impossible to do their jobs without Web-based
search tools. The same study estimated that $31 billion was wasted in time because of
business researcher is clear about what is needed to be found and where to find the
variety of resources for business information—print, online (both free and fee-based),
and experts and customers available through direct contact. Experts include consultants
the information literacy gap on a micro level.” (2002). Critical thinking and continuing
education skills are key to business success. One approach to combat business
entrepreneurs, for that is where the information literacy gap in business stems from in
for the business world. Researchers have stated that business school education on both
the undergraduate and graduate levels is failing to teaching students information literacy
skills (Lavin & Johnson, 2005; Roldan & Wu, 2004; Lombardo & Miree, 2003; Murry,
Info Lit Knowledge Factors in Success Page 10 of 22
McKee & Hammons, 1997; Hawes, 1994; Keating, 1991). If business school students
are information illiterate, how can the everyday entrepreneur who has not received
Education of any kind is beneficial to the entrepreneur. The ability to find information is
an integral part of learning and receiving an education. Some level of information literacy
is required to get through the educational experience, just as knowing the fundamentals
of reading and writing is a necessity. Failure rates of business correlate with the
The further along the educational process a student traverses, the more knowledge and
literacy training, which has permeated higher education. Information literacy instruction,
which goes beyond mere bibliographic instruction, taught by librarians, has redefined
instructional sessions have limited usefulness for the business student, whose needs for
knowledge and research skills inhabit a different universe of specialized literature and
resources that are not easily accessible. Business instructors, while acknowledging the
obtained in English classes adequately prepare business students for research in the
area of business (Lombardo & Miree, 2003). The experience of the authors of this article
shows that business faculty seldom avail themselves of information literacy instruction
on their own, less so than faculty in other academic disciplines. Other findings show that
widespread, but used moderately, and not fully utilized (Cooney, 2005). Effective
modules, group research projects and other collaborative efforts that include learning
assessments to assist faculty, as has been done in accounting, finance, marketing and
other business courses (Cunningham & Anderson, 2005; Cooney & Hiris, 2003; Fiegen,
though instructors try to gear and customize the sessions to individual classes. In order
to achieve more precision and relevance, information literacy instruction has begun to
develop competency standards for college students that are subject-specific. In 2004 the
ACRL prepared a draft of competency standards for literature in English, and in 2006
standards were published by the ACRL for the fields of science and engineering. No
such ACRL standards have yet been published for business and the social sciences. A
Information Literacy Skills (SAILS), has developed discipline-specific tests for biology,
communications studies, education, and history, but nothing so far for business.
Similarly, corporations have not yet formally recognized information literacy as a core
have been integrated in the education of young people spanning wide age levels, from
middle and high schools, through higher education (The National Foundation for
Info Lit Knowledge Factors in Success Page 12 of 22
Teaching Entrepreneurship, 2007; Nevada Dept. of Education, 2007; Gray, 2006). Also
development and continuing education. Local colleges host classes and training on
For those who lack the education, experience or requisite knowledge, various
support to entrepreneurs. These entities include free assistance and support from the
Development Centers, and libraries. “Business owners who get expert help before they
open a business have a much greater chance of succeeding. Business owners who get
expert help as their businesses grow and change, succeed more quickly with fewer
and methodology is through assistance obtained from the Small Business Development
Centers (SBDCs). “Surveys consistently show that businesses assisted by the SBDC
outperform non-assisted businesses, creating three times more jobs and increasing
sales three times faster.” (Small Business Development Center, n.d.). SBDCs provide
consultation, information and education. Some SBDCs work with local colleges as part
academic libraries, which provide free and fee-based information services. Concomitant
with the increased community attention to economic development and the needs of the
entrepreneur has been the enlarged role of libraries in providing business information
and guidance. Public libraries offer educational outreach services to businesses and
have taken steps to work closely with the Small Business Administration (SBA), Small
Surveys show that libraries are used to a great extent by entrepreneurs to help start or
run a business (American Library Association, 2006; Welch, 2005; Glass, 2000). Recent
SBA Business Information Center funding cuts mandating a phaseout of the Centers will
Conclusion
success. Knowledge and information literacy are obtained and enhanced through the
educational process, preferably with information literacy instruction, especially when the
academic discipline. The process of learning and using information literacy and obtaining
resources such as Small Business Development Centers, libraries and the Internet.
Info Lit Knowledge Factors in Success Page 14 of 22
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