Knowledge brokering in the web 2.0 era: Empirical evidence of emerging strategies in government agencies

Abstract

Over the last five years, knowledge brokering, a set of activities aimed at connecting producers and end users of knowledge, has emerged as one of the most influential good practices in knowledge use and innovation (1-2-3). As a learning organization, many public administrations and government agencies in Canada, as well as in other Western countries, have promoted knowledge brokering in order to reinforce knowledge utilization. In a similar vein, smart digital technologies, mainly Web 2.0 platforms, become increasingly a new user-friendly vehicle to identify, acquire, transform and exploit new knowledge and information. Despite the presence of more research stressing the importance of knowledge brokering, mainly in the public health sector, little is still known about knowledge brokers, their profession or their day-to-day activities, particularly in regard to their use of Web 2.0 technologies. This article goes beyond rhetoric and hermeneutic analyses on this subject to draw an empirical and factual overview of emerging practices and strategies in knowledge brokering, within government agencies. In this vein, our investigation is based on a survey developed for this purpose and carried out among a representative sampling of knowledge brokers (n=106) operating within Québec government agencies, well known for their widespread use of Web 2.0 platforms and digital innovation.