Investigation of employers’ performance expectations for new IT graduates in individual and team work settings for software development

Abstract

Purpose In general, software development work environments involve many different tasks and have high demands on efficiency and quality of performance at both individual and team levels, which depend on the competencies of employees. However, the literature does not provide satisfactory evidence as for the characteristics and competencies of individuals. Especially, the employers’ expectations of new graduates have not been investigated in detail for different work environments. The purpose of this paper is to examine employers’ expectancies regarding technical, personal and educational competencies among IT-graduated employees to provide a comparison between individual and team work settings. Design/methodology/approach A survey approach was used for this purpose, and the research model was tested using multiple regression. Findings The results revealed that significant diversity exists in individual and team work settings regarding employers’ expectations for new graduates’ competencies in terms of adapting to new software development methods and approaches, using time effectively and experience gained in undergraduate projects. Originality/value The results of this study will yield insight to computer-related departments in curriculum development by providing a comparison between the varying competencies required in individual and team work settings from the employer’s perspective. In the long run, the aim is to meet employers’ demands of the new graduates’ competencies, resulting in better individual and team performances in information technology companies, thereby leading to successful software development.

Performance Expectations for IT Graduates in Software Development

“…These studies have revealed almost similar results in what the employers expect from graduates and will be vital since graduates at their current level itself can progress better The findings of the study show that employers' point of view, technical competencies for example competent in the software development processes and adaptable to new software development methods and approaches are an influence on both individual and teamwork settings. Comparable to this result, another study was conducted in turkey by Akman and Turhan (2018) found that new IT graduated employees should be competent in software development processes and software development methods that significantly related to individual and teamwork settings. But from this study, another result was found that software development solution is significant related with both settings which are individual and teamwork settings.…”

“…In this investigation, authors have used judgmental sampling technique where it identified as non-probability sampling technique, which depends based on the judgment of research team. The previous studies which similar to this study are frequently led by researchers had conveniently selected judgmental sampling technique (Akman & Turhan, 2018). Consequently, this technique of sampling was taken.…”

“…This demonstrates that employers are expecting new IT graduates to possess leadership skills only in individual work settings but not in teamwork settings. Akman and Turhan (2018) found that "leadership" as an insignificant variable with both work settings which are individual and teamwork settings. Therefore, this finding is a conflict with previous research.…”

“…But in this study, the variable "time" is not significant with the individual and teamwork settings. According to the research done by Akman and Turhan (2018) found that the variable "communication" as the significant with individual and teamwork settings. Compared to this study, it was found that "communication" is not affecting the individual and teamwork settings.…”

Are information and communication technologies (ICTs) displacing workers? The relationship between ICT investment and employment

“…In particular, ICT investment may be a labor-related expenditure (McGee, 2006), and intangible assets, such as internally developed SW produced by ICT staff, may be more than five times larger than the stock of hardware (HW) (Saunders, 2010). SW development involve many different tasks and has high demands on efficiency and quality of performance, which depend on the competencies of employees (Akman and Turhan, 2018).…”