Putting Knowledge to Use - Evolving Global Information Infrastructure and Information Transfer - page 119

• Nothing is done with the information; or

• Implementation of the information has not occurred, but is under consider-

ation.

The above are attempts to understand how utilization potentially occurs in or-
ganizations. Clearly, utilization is not a forgone conclusion but instead depends on
many variables and much individual and organizational effort and commitment.

Factors That Influence Utilization

The above explanations of utilization focus on the complexity of the processes
of utilization and the many factors in play that can lead to either partial utilization or
nonutilization. An individual's awareness, attitudes, past actions and behavior, and
incentive are all factors in utilization of knowledge. While timeliness of information,
objectivity, communication patterns, and political feasibility can play a role in utiliz-
ation, a greater factor may be the need for an organization to survive in a globally
competitive environment.
In this environment, knowledge utilization aims at increasing the employment of
knowledge to solve problems, stay competitive, and improve the quality of life, thus
pushing the desire for intervention and utilization of knowledge in an organization.
These factors explain the complexity as well as richness of research in the field of
utilization. According to Backer (1991, 225-240), it is a broad field encompassing
areas such as technology transfer, dissemination and diffusion, research utiliza-
tion, sociology of knowledge, organization change, and policy research. Most im-
portantly, utilization involves designing strategies that help put knowledge to use.
Backer (1991, 233-234) identifies four critical principles that affect utilization:

1. Knowledge utilization requires individual and organizational change, which

can be both mechanically difficult and psychologically threatening for those
considering the implementation of some new program or procedure.

2. Knowledge utilization requires resources ; money, materials, and person-

nel are needed for any significant change especially if the change takes
place within a complex organizational or social environment.

3. Adopters of innovation must be convinced that the innovation will work in

their particular setting, meeting specified needs over time without excess-
ive side effects or unreasonable cost.

4. Innovation adopters must be aware of the program or practice—an aware-

ness that seems self-evident, yet in many cases, worthwhile innovations do