Problem Situations Encountered By Middle Managers Working In A Municipality In Transition

Introduction. This paper examines the problem situations which arise in middle managers' everyday activities, and how those situations and their dimensions are shaped by the specific information use environment surrounding middle managers' activities.Method. The study used a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews and direct observations as modes of data collection. Within a municipality going through an extensive amalgamation process, 30 middle managers were interviewed and 59 situations were collected.Analysis. The data were content analysed using a grounded theory approach. The unit of analysis is the critical incident; that is, every problem situation leading to an information behaviour.Results. Problem situations arose mainly from internal contextual factors such as strategic organizational priorities, power and responsibility-sharing, and compliance with policies and processes. More than half of problem situations related to physical resources issues as well as legal and prescriptive matters. Analysis revealed that problem situations were mainly new patterns, internally imposed, complex but well-structured, and required customized solutions.Conclusions. The findings reveal the importance of acknowledging the discontinuities arising from an organization's environment. Contextual factors shape the emergence of specific problem situations and affect how they can be solved. Value-added information systems and services should consider the weight of contextual factors and the various dimensions of problem situations in order to assist organizational actors to effectively retrieve and use information.