Troubles with information overload—Moving from quantity to quality in information provision

• Published in: International journal of information management 1995-12, Vol.15 (6), p.413-425
• Main Authors: Simpson, C.W., Prusak, L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Business; Business community; Business intelligence; Decision-making; Exact sciences and technology; Information and communication sciences; Information management; Information overload; Information processing systems; Information science; Information science. Documentation; Information services; Information sources; Insurance; Library and information science. General aspects; Management information systems; Quality; Sciences and techniques of general use; Standard Life Insurance; Studies; Use and user studies. Information needs
• ISSN: 0268-4012; 1873-4707
• DOI: 10.1016/0268-4012(95)00045-9

The authors view the phenomenon of information overload as a result of a general failure in the business community to recognize the ways in which information processes add value to information. They present a conceptual model based on the broad information attributes of truth, guidance, accessibility, scarcity and weight, and apply the model to a number of information-oriented initiatives undertaken in Standard Life. The roles of both information providers and information users are discussed, with particular emphasis on the needs of managers and decision makers for high value-added, or ‘quality’, information. The authors argue the need to bridge a long-standing gap between information providers and users in their respectice views of what the role, competences and requirements of the other is in information terms. Their value-added information model provides a way for both parties to begin communicating in meaningful terms on these issues.