Risk and records management : investigating risk and risk management in the context of records and information management in the electronic environment

• Main Author: Hay-Gibson, Naomi V.
• Other Authors: McLeod, Julie
• Published: Northumbria University 2011
• Subjects: P100 Information Services
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.537706

This thesis presents a study of risk management within records management that focuses on small to medium enterprises(SMEs)in the UK. Cases tudies of three SMEs based in the north of England, ranging from micro-businesses to large scale, were undertaken in a two year period. The aims of the study were to investigate risk in the context of electronic information and records management within SMEs, and to develop a working conceptual model or theory for risk management of electronic information and records. This thesis aims to characterise the approaches to risk and electronic information and records management taken by SMEs throughc case studies, narrative analysis and corpus linguistics. Attitudes and drivers for risk management of electronic information and records management in SMEs were investigated and analysed. The history and historiography of risk management and records management were investigated as part of the preliminary research for the project. The objectives included critically evaluating the vocabulary of risk and risk management, and identifying the use of a common vocabulary of risk in records management within the SME context. This was carried out by a transdisciplinary use of the techniques of computer corpus linguistics (CCL). The creation of a corpus from material collected from interview and questionnaire format contributes to a greater linguistic and semiotic comprehension of the ideas and thoughts behind risk management of records management by different levels of employees in an SME. he corpus was used to identify a vocabulary of terms used by the SMEEs in describing their own risk management in terms of records management, and their experience of risk events in their records management. The outcome of the research will inform the practice of managing risks associated with electronic information and records management in SMEs by distribution of results to relevant small businesses working groups.