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Dissertation Information for Peter Kapsales

NAME:
- Peter Kapsales

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- Rutgers University (USA) (1997)

ADVISORS:
- Lea Stewart

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Daniel O'Connor
- T. Andrew Finn
- George E. Moore

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: Achievement in R&D: A study of the communication, information, and organization characteristics of outstanding achievers

Abstract: Improving research and development productivity and innovation has been an objective of managers for organizations in high technology. A perspective that may add further value to R&D organizations is to provide a better understanding of the communication, information, and organization characteristics of research and development professionals, and how they relate to achievement.

This study evaluated achievement of research and development professionals at an internationally known R&D laboratory. The following conceptual areas were reviewed in developing a model of achievement and the factors that relate to it: (a) background characteristics of individuals, (b) environment in which they work, (c) need for information, (d) sources of information used, and (e) types of communication utilized.

The results demonstrated that several factors are related to high levels of achievement including years of service, involvement in professional organizations, attending scheduled and unscheduled meetings, and the immediate need for information. Findings in this investigation supported the hypotheses that researchers' level of achievement is a function of variables that constitute their background characteristics, information need, sources consulted, and communication attributes. Although the study's environment variables did not prove significant, further testing is needed to understand if additional environment variables have an effect upon achievement or if the existing variables are significant over time.

The four variables of this study having a significant relationship with researchers' level of achievement all have a communicative basis. It is possible to conclude from the study results that these variables may be part of a new conceptual area called communication embeddedness since all of the variables have an attribute of communication that is embedded in the variable. A conclusion can also be drawn from the variables that were not significant. In particular, a number of variables that were included in this study were measuring information sources. They were expected to show a relationship to achievement since they were gatekeeper-type functions that were being measured, but they did not. One may conclude from their lack of significance to achievement that gatekeepers are not high achievers. It is possible that gatekeeping is a function of information control, information filtering, and information hoarding by an individual.

MPACT Scores for Peter Kapsales

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:10:40

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Students under Peter Kapsales

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None