This document provides an agenda for a LIBR 230 class on strategic uses of information and environmental analysis. The agenda covers reviewing information literacy concepts, the knowledge economy, how managers use information, transforming data into knowledge, evaluating data quality and quantity, information processes in organizations, and using strategic frameworks like SWOT, Porter's Five Forces, and PEST for environmental analysis and strategic decision making. Key topics to be discussed include implications of the knowledge economy for work skills, how managers at different levels and in different functions utilize information, and how individual and group knowledge becomes organizational knowledge.

1. LIBR 230
Strategic Uses of Information:
Environmental Analysis
Week 3

2. Agenda
 Information Literacy Reviewed
 The Knowledge Economy
 Managers and Information/Knowledge
 Data vs. Knowledge
 Quality and Quantity of Data
 Information as Process
 Information in Organizations and Knowing
 Information and Strategy
 Internal & External Environmental Analysis

3. Information Literacy Re-Cap
 Know when information is needed to to
complete an assignment
 What kind is needed
 Evaluate for
credibility, authoritativeness, current-ness
 Synthesize from disparate sources
 Draw conclusions
 ‘Know’ based upon information/sources

4. Knowledge Economy
 What does the knowledge economy mean?
 What implications does it have for skills
needed to succeed at work?
 Do we need to modify information literacy for
work environments or is it the same?
 Does the knowledge economy mean we no
longer produce things?

5. Managers and Information
 How do manager’s use information?
 Do different managers use information
differently? By industry? Functional area?
 If managers are decision makers how does
that shape our view on their use of
information?
 If managers are communicators and
negotiators does that influence our view of
how they use information?

6. Data into Knowing
 How does information transform itself into
knowledge?
 What is this dependent upon?
 What is the role of communication?
 How do metaphors and context facilitate
conversion of data to knowledge?

7. Quality and Quantity of Data
 Does quantity of data impact knowledge
creation?
 Quality?
 Is published data inherently higher quality?
 How is data quantitatively evaluated?
 How is data qualitatively evaluated?

8. Information as Process
 Transformation of information to knowledge
 Individual and group
 Intranets as knowledge development process
 What is the impact of an open intranet with
rampant sharing and few structures
 Compare to a highly controlled, structured intranet

9. Organizational Knowing
 Shareware/groupware
 Organizational hierarchies and impact on
knowing
 Is individual knowledge important?
 Data transforms to knowledge but how does
individual knowledge become organizational
knowledge?

10. Strategy and Information
Dependency
 SWOT
 Porter’s 5 Forces
 PEST
 Analytical rubrics that depend upon data and
knowledge in order to facilitate strategic
decision making

11. SWOT

12. Porter’s 5 Forces

13. PEST

14. Economics, Finance and
Money
 Economic and business cycles impact our
lives in many ways
 Understanding something makes it less scary
 Knowledge allows for better choices
 Organizations of all kind react to them

15. Economic Indicators
 GDP
 Revenues (Taxes) and Govt Expenses (Budget)
 Balance of trade
 Consumer confidence
 Housing starts
 Retail sales
 Unemployment
 Stock indices

16. US GDP and Unemployment

17. US Revenue and Debt

18. Major Stock Indices

19. Consumer Confidence

20. US Balance of Trade