Information culture is an important component of an organization. Every organisation, no matter how large or small it is, regardless of type and function, wherever in the world it is situated, has an information culture (Oliver, 2011, p.9). Information culture is a part of the whole organisational culture and is inextricably interwined with it. It is only by understanding the organisation that progress can be made with information management activities (Oliver, 2011, p.10).

However, information culture is difficult to define and many approaches exist.

In the wide range of approaches information culture is closely linked with information technology, information systems and digital world. However, Davenport (1994) notes that effective information management could be achieved only when people use information efficiently, not machines. Information technology could be seen as a facilitator of the information culture and there is interaction between information technology and information culture.

It has been also linked with literacy (Ponjuan, 2002; Ramirez, 2002). The information culture can be seen as the social intelligence on a corporate or organisational level (Cronin & Davenport, 1993; Widén-Wulff, 2000).

The information culture is also connected with

• formal information systems (technology),
• common knowledge,
• individual information systems (attitudes), and
• information ethics (Widén-Wulff, 2000).

Information culture is responsible for the unwritten, unconscious behaviour and fills the gap between what officially has happened and what really happened (Ginman 1988; Widén-Wulff, 2000).