Abstract

Introduction: This study examines organisational information behaviour in a multi-disciplinary, multi-professional and multi-organisational context. This environment is provided by a project on clean energy and a cloud computing-based market place for electricity trading. The focus is on the interaction and communication involved in creating new, interdisciplinary knowledge. The ultimate aim of our study is to contribute to theoretical understanding of knowledge creation as an aspect of organisational information behaviour, including public engagement in a research and development project, and to present a model of it. In this paper we aim at providing a concise description of our study. The study was commenced in late 2015 and is planned to run until 2021.

Method: A descriptive method is applied to outline our multiple case study. The study is based on an interpretative paradigm of organisational studies.

Analysis: The research in progress is described. The description further develops the research plan and elaborates on a practice oriented interaction plan and communication agenda of the project as a whole.

Results: The context along with the four case studies are outlined, and the methods are described including the ethical concerns. This is to present a model of organisational knowledge creation in a research and development project. Our model may prove to be an alternative to Japanese models on knowledge creation presented in the multidisciplinary field of knowledge management.

Conclusion: This study is a part of the BCDC Energy project. The preliminary findings of the study will be reported by the mid-term evaluation in 2017.

Proceedings of ISIC: the information behaviour conference, Zadar, Croatia, 20–23 September, 2016: Part 1.