Effects of document format types and employees' attitudes towards documents creation and records management

Abstract

The purpose of this article is twofold. Firstly, to highlight that different types of document formats are proliferating and are constantly changing the ways we create, store, access and preserve records. It focuses on understanding the various ways records managers interpret and behave towards the different types of document formats. The second purpose of this article is to explore the repercussions of the behavioural patterns of employees and how the changing types of document formats impact on the management of corporate records and information. The main approach of the article is a literature review, although observations made from different contexts of records management, teaching workshops and experience were also included to help with the discussions. The article identifies that specific types of formats can be clearly conceptualised when format is viewed in terms of a document, a file or as information. The study also found that people within the organisation exhibit different types of behaviour patterns that can impact on the ways these documents, files and information format are managed in the organisation. Employees’ behaviour patterns have implementations for the various information and records management processes in that when documents are not created in the required document format using the right software application, records cannot be accessed and used for its intended purposes.