This literature review uses the affective concept of relational agency (Edwards & D'Arcy, 2004) as a way of re-conceptualizing education for the infonnation and knowledge professions. Relational agency offers an altemative approach to designing pedagogy for educating professionals that aims to develop "the ability to seek out and use others as resources for action and equally to be able to respond to the need for support from others" (pp. 149-150). In summary, the concept is about "knowing how to know whom," which involves communicating in collaborative and distributed environments using a range of channels and across a range of geographical and institutional boundaries (Edwards, 2005). The concept of relational agency originates from a socio-cultural, psychological and activity theory perspective study conducted by Edwards and D'Arcy (2004) in the teaching context, examining how novice teachers leam about students' leaming and demonstrating that relational capacity can be leamed by new professionals. They argue that the "affective notion of relational agency needs to become more central to understanding pedagogy" (p. 147). Relational agency is a suitable conceptual framework for this literature review as the concept suggests a reconsideration of the educational pedagogies for preparing future information and knowledge professionals, particularly in the area of affective education and training for professional practice, and of the information and knowledge professions more broadly. As an emerging educational theory that seeks to challenge the prevailing individualistic view of education as a professional practice, relational agency is yet to be examined in the context of professional practice in the fields of information and knowledge management. While the relational agency concept does not explicitly mention empathy in its theoretical foundations, Edwards (2005) calls for further research into the specific skills and behaviors involved in developing relational agency among practitioners who facilitate leaming.
What is clear is that we still know too little about the micro level negotiations that form the evolving shape of the collective, mobilise and move knowledge within activity systems and sustain the affective aspects of object motive. Relational agency attempts to open up the nature of fluid object-oriented joint action within changing systems, and to begin to reveal how mediation can accompany externalisation through joint action in response to joint interpretations of the object. (Edwards, 2005, p. 180). This literature review makes an initial step towards contributing to understanding tbe micro level negotiations by acknowledging empathy as a key attribute for information and knowledge professionals, their clients, employers and educators. The following background section will outline three perceived contextual shifts occurring that are likely to influence social interaction within the information and knowledge professions as a whole. This section is followed by a review of the literature regarding empathy in four areas of particular relevance to the information profession: information behavior, social networking, knowledge management and information and knowledge services. Findings from the literature review are discussed from a relational agency perspective, as a way of re-conceptualizing education for infonnation and knowledge professionals and suggesting areas towards the development of guidelines and pedagogies for developing empathie capacities.