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USING SENSE-MAKING TO
STUDY INFORMATION SEEKING AND USE IN THE WORKPLACE
by
CITATION AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
© Cheuk Wai-Yi, Bonnie (2002). Using
Sense-Making to study information seeking and use in the workplace. Available
[On-line]: http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sense-making/inst/instcheuk02workplace.html.
PURPOSE:
I wanted to apply Sense-Making to study real-life information seeking and use
experience in the workplace contexts. What information seeking and use
behaviors do professionals at work exhibit at different time-space moments? Why
do they behave in such ways?
Instead of assuming that people from one professional group exhibit
similar behavior, I chose to open up myself to study three professional groups,
with an aim to explore both the similar and the diverse behaviors within and
across professional groups. I wanted to find answers to the following
questions. Does each professional group exhibits distinctive information
seeking and use behaviors in general? Despite the fact that people belong to
the same professional group, do they exhibit different information seeking
behaviors at different times? Do members from different professional groups
exhibit similar information seeking behaviors at some point in time? If so, why
do they behave similarly?
SAMPLE USED IN THIS STUDY
The respondents in this research included eight auditors, eight engineers
and eight architects working in Singapore. They have between 2 to 8 years of
professional working experience. Their age ranges from 22 to 35 years old. The
respondents altogether provided 626 instances that they had to seek and use
information at work. The data were collected from personal interviews utilizing
the Sense-Making’s micro-moment time-line interviewing technique.
MATERIALS PROVIDED ON THIS WEB PAGE:
(1) A copy of the base interviewing instrument
(2) Examples of actual interviews
INTERVIEW INSTRUMENT
1. Obtain an overview of the respondents’ tasks at work
· Please describe to me your work as an engineer (or an auditor or an architect)?
· Please describe a job that you have completed in your workplace?
· What is the objective of achieving that task?
2. Tell me the steps that you need to go through to complete this job?
Task begin -> Step 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> 6 -> 7 -> … -> End task
3. In [Step 1], …
· Do you have any questions in mind? What are they? [gaps: information need]
· What do you try to find out?
· What situation do you think you are in? [situation]
· What do you feel? [affective]
· How do you find the answer to these questions? Any help? [bridging the gap]
· Why do you choose to use this way to get the answer?
· Do you have any difficulties to get the answer? What are they?
· Are there ways that you can get the answer, but you chose not to use them?
· Did you finally get an answer to your questions? Does it help? How? [help]
· How do you handle/deal with these useful answers?
· If you finally cannot get an answer to your question? What can’t it help?
4. The above questions are repeated for each of the step (i.e. from [step 1] to [End Task]) that the respondents have shared.
EXAMPLE OF AN ACTUAL INTERVIEW WITH AN ARCHITECT
This is an excerpt from
the transcription of Architect #2. It provides an idea of the kind of actual
questions being asked during the interview. In the first part of the interview,
Architect #2 has described the various steps that she has gone through to
complete a particular project. This section gives an idea of how the author has
focussed on each of the steps that Architect #2 has mentioned, and repeated ask
the same set of questions as listed above.
In this stage, you were trying to outline the drawings,
did you have any questions at this stage?
Our question will be more on the aesthetic part, from the clients, on the finishes and all that. Because when we submit to the technical departments, we don't need to tell them the floor is granite.
In this working stage, we need to put in schedule of finishes. Like, living room is granite, bathroom is ceramic tiles. All these we have to show in drawings and specifications.
Did you get the answers from earlier discussions?
Earlier discussions, no. Now we have bedroom, living room. What kind of finishes do you want? The clients will ask us to show them a few tile samples. And we make proposal, and like to confirm which one they prefer. Let's say, when we confirm, we will note the name down, and prepare our drawings, and state that this kind of drawing will come with which type of ceramic tiles, at what heights.
Some clients have some idea, certain tiles in mind, and they will suggest to the architect….
A lot of it will be on the budget. We only propose, and
the client decides. We can't decide for the clients. It is back and forth.
Then you go into tendering stage, how did you go about
looking at tenderer?
In our office, we have an ISO list; we have a list of tenderers to look for. In the public project, all contractors are given grades under CIBD.
In private projects, we go by reputation. Or the employers have some contractors in mind. We base on reputation of contractor, or contractors that we work with, and realized that contractors… if we have no idea, then we depend on the grade. If we want grade 6 contractor, then we look for grade 6 contractor. We call them up, are you interested in this project? This is so and so site. They will say whether they are interested or not. We can also write to them. Then we choose 7 to 10 contractors, give the list to the employers, and see if they want to take out some of the names… then we proceed to tender.
How did you make the decision who to call?
We base on our past experience, what grade they are, their financial condition & stability of the contractor. Do you have the manpower to do the project. Then we recommend to the client. If there is no objection, then we will invite them to tender.
My question would be, who is the best tenderer who can do the best of the job?
Maybe I think the tenderer is good, but when he tender, he happened to be very high, so he is out. The other contractors, may have a lower price, I don't know them, I have not work with them. Even if the same team of contractor, they may have employed different persons. So I also don't know whether it is good or not. So there is no guarantee.
Did you have any feeling at this stage?
No, just hoping that the contractor will not be the difficult sort, contractor has the capability to finish the job. … there is no guarantee that he can do a good job. A lot of it depends on our monitoring, and the contractors' staff and equipment…. We just hope for the best.
You got back the tenderers' report, what questions did
you have in mind at this stage?
Usually we go for the lowest. My question would be, why would he price so low? Did he miss out anything? If all are around the same rate. So ok, we look for something to list out in the tender interview, to ask them the questions and all that. But if one tender price is so far off from another. Then you will like to question more, you like to check for more detail, like why? Did he miss out something? Did he offer cheaper product? Did he make a mistake? Did he forgot a zero?
Then you want to ask more things, and you have more things to ask him during the tender interview. If it is more or less the same, it is difficult, we try to find what to ask each tenderer.
What was your feeling at this stage?
At this stage, my feeling is try to treat them fair. I give them all equal chance. Whosoever asks for what are their chances, I will not disclose….
If there are questions pertaining to drawings, I will answer. But if it is pertaining to tender sum, the prices, others offer, I would not disclose.
You mentioned the interviews…
During the interview, we ask them specific questions. And give them another date to submit proposal.
Did you take the people's word during the interview?
It depends on our experience and judgment, whether we should take their word. We acknowledge, we jot down their words and that's all. Later we will evaluate, whether we should trust them or not.
On the spot, we don't confront. We just clarify are you proposing certain items? Or just equivalent? Because we say we want that to be equivalent, and then they say they can provide. Then they come back with the revised amount.
How did you decide when you received all the proposals?
At that
stage, we look at the proposal again. All the items that we ask them, they have
answered. We are sure that they have not miss out anything. Then we decide and
go for lowest. Unless, the lowest contractors’ reputation is bad, then we go
for the second lowest.
By
choosing the lowest, it is easy to explain to the clients. It is only when you
didn’t choose the lowest, then you have difficulties in recommending to the
clients.
Did
you have difficulties making the decision?
No,
because we go for the lowest. […]
After
the job started, architects need to administer contract? What did you want to
find out at this stage?
I want to
find out whatever I drawn can be built on site? And whether the contractor has
the capacity has the ability to build the quality standard that myself and I
would want. Basically the main aim is to build the building is constructed
according to what we have drawn. We will all work towards consulting the
authorities, and solving the problem on site to make sure that the building
come out.
Also
whether the contractor has the manpower to finish the job on time? Whether he
is building according to the regulations, drawing?
How
did you find out?
Usually a
project is 2 and ½ year. During this period, we have site meetings, through
technical meetings, quality control meetings, and site staff, i.e. the
residence engineer and COW. These are ways to know and to monitor. These are
once-a-week meeting.
Did
you take the words given at the meeting to be accurate?
We work
towards accuracy, but sometimes the COW will say the contractor is not building
according to the drawing. E.g. the contractor is building 1.2m railing, rather
than 900cm railing. So you ask the contractor why? So they say 900 is not safe
enough, it has to be 1.2, so we check the regulations. The minimum requirement
is 900, so you can afford to be 1.2. so we ask the contractor, there is no
extra cost, the contractor says no. So there is no extra cost, we tell the
clients, and its does not affect aesthetic, it complies with regulations,
everything is ok, so we accept.
[…]
OTHER MATERIALS BY
THIS AUTHOR ON THIS WEB-SITE:
See: http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sense-making/AAauthors/authorlistcheuk.html.
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