Factors affecting professional competence of information technology professionals

Abstract

Design and development of effective information technology (IT) based systems depends upon a staff of competent information technology professionals (ITPs). Due to the rapid pace of technological innovation, diverging application of IT, and changing role responsibilities of ITPs, it is becoming increasingly difficult for ITPs to maintain up-to-date professional competency.Although not extensively examined in IT research, professional obsolescence threats have been acknowledged and evaluated in referent research. Psychologists studying the engineering discipline have suggested individual characteristics, nature of work, and organizational climate as being important determinants of obsolescence.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships between individual personality differences and manageable work context factors and the degree of professional competency, or conversely obsolescence of ITPs. Structural equation modeling was employed in evaluating the direct-effects model of professional competency. The study used questionnaires to obtain 161 usable self-report responses from systems analysts. The results suggest that individual personality differences and factors of the work environment do effect professional competency levels. Overall, the research model accounted for 44% of the variance in ITP competency.

Of races to run and battles to be won: Technical skill updating, stress, and coping of IT professionals

“…The fear of obsolescence and the continual pressure to stay up-to-date through constant learning and retooling is an added stressor on top of an already demanding workload and tight deadlines (Mak & Sockel, 2001;Rajeswari & Anantharaman, 2003). Research in this area includes technical competence (Blanton, Schambach, & Trimmer, 1998), burnout (Moore, 2000), work stressors (Rajeswari & Anantharaman, 2003), and the impact of individual differences on performance in a changing environment (Gallivan, 2004).…”

On identifying the skills needed for software architects

“…People's attitudes towards their careers are usually manifested in their willingness to learn via formal courses or from the experiences gained by practice in the workplace. The company's attitude towards training -its "updating climate" -will also provide or prevent training opportunities [11]. However, it is the employee's personal attitude that will exploit learning opportunities or overcome obstacles that prevent them.…”

Change Readiness among Teaching Staff at Anadolu University, Turkey

“…To take an example, many universities aspire to make greater use of technology-and resource-based learning, but such is the rate of technological change that some staff have such difficulty in maintaining up-to-date competencies that their outmoded knowledge and skills may actually prevent the full exploitation of the technology. Blanton, Schambach, and Trimmer (1998) stated that such obsolescence can be due to staff dispositions, a lack of training, a lack of intellectual and psychological challenge in the workplace, or an absence of those management practices, social influences, and reward systems that ensure an "updating climate" (p. 6). As far as staff disposition is concerned, Rogers (1983) showed that in every change, there will be "innovators," who advocate and lead new ideas and practices; "early adopters," who also demonstrate the possibility of change; an "early majority," who are cautious about…”