Browsing by Author "Muthee, D. W."

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    Cognitive Factors that Influence Information-seeking Behavioural Process Amongst Postgraduate Students: A Case Study from Kenyatta University Post-modern Library in Nairobi, Kenya
    (2019) Masinde, Johnson M.; Muthee, D. W.
    This article discusses the salient features of a case study carried out among postgraduate students at Kenyatta University Post-modern Library. The study was primarily focused at recognizing cognitive factors, responsible for influencing library users’ information-seeking behaviour. In order to develop the variables, Vroom’s Expectancy Theory of motivation was used. A descriptive survey method was utilized to study a sample size of 384 students spread across four main schools: (i) Education, (ii) Business Studies, (iii) Humanities and Social Sciences, and (iv) Science and Technology. Results confirmed that expectancy theory can be utilized to explain students’ information-seeking behaviour. Three different groups—some with strong, others with medium, and rest with weak influences—were found. Interaction service quality, driven by students’ perception of service quality was found to be the most critical. Information needs satisfaction (outcomes) together with student users’ perception of service quality amongst others informed their level of satisfaction with the overall service. The findings support the idea that understanding cognitive information behaviour can help university libraries to plan more appropriate services. The implication of this study is that there are particular key cognitive drivers that trigger users’ information-seeking behaviour in academic libraries.
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    Relationship Between Gender and Cognitive Factors that Influence Information Seeking Amongst Postgraduate Students: a case of Kenyatta University Post-modern Library in Nairobi, Kenya
    (2020) Masinde, Johnson M.; Muthee, D. W.
    This article discusses salient features of a study carried out at Kenyatta University. The study was aimed at investigating the relationship between gender and the cognitive factors that drove postgraduate students to approach Post-modern library for seeking information. To attain this objective, this study developed a theoretical framework which can be used by academic libraries as a basis for implementing both digital and reference desk services that would meet dynamic user needs. The study also investigated whether there were any gender differences through correlation coefficient in the context of Expectancy Theory. The motivational process amongst the male and female respondents was then examined to establish whether gender had any role to play in information- seeking process. No gender differences were found by the study in the light of the variables used such as interaction service quality, outcome (need satisfaction), service satisfaction, users’ performance of service, past experience, expectancy, and effort. The major takeaway from the study is—there is no need for libraries to develop/implement information services and systems on the basis of users’ gender. Gender has no role to play in cognitive factors.