Eugenia M. W. Ng Tye
Abstract
The objectives of this study are to find out the perceived information systems (IS) skills which are important at present and in five years time, and the perceived emphasis of IS curricula on these skills. It is found that the scope of skills required of IS professionals will broaden towards the end of the decade. Interpersonal skills, business skills, analysis and design skills, and programming skills are the most critical for career development. Results also show that there is a match between the skills and knowledge possessed by IS graduates of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and industry requirements for the current IS environment. However, the curriculum is not aligned with industry needs in the future. This indicates that the education the respondents received does not prepare them for progression up the career ladder. Implications of the findings are discussed so that a new curriculum may be designed to provide the preferred IS graduates to industry.
- Benbasat, I., Dexter, A. S., and Mantha, R. W., (1980). "Impact of Organizational Maturity Information System Skill Needs," MIS Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 21-34.Google Scholar
Digital Library
- Burn, J. M., (1989). "The Impact of Information Technology on Organizational Structures," Information & Management, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 1-10. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Burn, J. M., Tye, Ng E. M. W., Ma, Louis C. K., and Poon, R. S. K., (1994). "Managing IT Professionals in Hong Kong - A Review of Career Expectations and Progression," Journal of Information Technology, "Focus on Asia," June, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 17-27.Google Scholar
- Chau, P. Y. K., and Tye, Ng E. M. W., (1993). "IS Skills Required for the 1990s: The Hong Kong Scenario," Proceedings of 8th International Academy for Information Management Conference , Florida, December, pp. 99-111.Google Scholar
- Cheney, P. H., and Lyons, N. R., (1980). "Information Systems Skill Requirements: A Survey," MIS Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 35-43.Google ScholarDigital Library
- Cheney, P. H., Hale, D. P., and Kasper, G. M., (1990). "Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities of Information Systems Professionals: Past, Present, and Future," Information & Management , Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 237-247. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Chung, S. K. F. (1992). "IT Professional Development in Hong Kong-Experience & Plan," in Barta, B.Z., Goh, A., and Lim, L. (Eds.), Proceedings of the IFIP WG 3.4 Working Conference on Professional Development of Information Technology Professionals, Singapore, July, pp. 73- 80. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Farwell, D. W., Kuramoto, L., Lee, O., Trauth, E. M., and Winslow, C., (1992). "A New Paradigm for IS: The Educational Implications," Information Systems Management, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 7-14.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Green, G. I. (1989). 'Perceived Importance of Systems Analysts' Job Skills, Roles, and Non-Salary Incentives," MIS Quarterly, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 115-133.Google ScholarDigital Library
- Igbaria, M. (1991). "Career Orientations of MIS Employees: An Empirical Analysis" MIS Quarterly , June, pp. 151-169. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Israel, B. (1990). "Hiring Systems Analysts for the 1990s," Information Executives, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 35-36.Google Scholar
- Leitheiser, R. L. (1992). "MIS Skills for the 1990s: A Survey of MIS Managers' Perception," Journal of Management Information Systems, Vol. 9, No. 1. pp. 69-91. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Leung, E. (1990). "EDP Manpower and Training. The Latest VTC Survey." Hong Kong Computer Journal, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 7-11.Google Scholar
- McLean, E. R., and Smits, S. J., (1991). "Managing New MIS Professionals," Information & Management>, Vol. 29, pp. 257-263. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Monin, D. J., and Dewe, P. J., (1994). "Skills in an Environment of Turbulence: A Survey of Information Systems Professionals in New Zealand," Proceeding of ACM SIGCPR, March, pp. 208-219. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Richards, R. M., and Pelley, L., (1994). "The Ten Most Valuable Components of an Information Systems Education," Information & Management , Vol. 27, pp. 59-68. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Sim, L. (1989). "HK Turning Out Inadequate IT Graduates," Computer Weekly Supplement.Google Scholar
- Trauth, E. M., Farwell, D. W., and Lee, D., (1993). "The IS Expectation Gap: Industry Expectations Versus Academic Preparation," MIS Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 293-307.Google ScholarDigital Library
- United Communications Group (1988). "Preparing for Tomorrow's Systems Jobs," I/S Analyzer, Vol. 26, No. 5.Google Scholar
- Virgo, P. (1992). "IT Training and IT Skills, 2 -- Current IT Skills Issues," NCC Briefings, April.Google Scholar
- Vitalari, N. P. (1985). "Knowledge as a Basis for Expertise in Systems Analysis: An Empirical Study," MIS Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 221- 241.Google ScholarDigital Library
- Vocational Training Council (1991). 1991 Manpower Survey Report -- Information Technology Sector.Google Scholar
- Wang, P., and Khan, M. B., (1994). "MIS Skills of IS Graduates in the Republic of China," Journal of Global Information Mangement, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 29-40.Google ScholarCross Ref
Index Terms
- Information systems skills: achieving alignment between the curriculum and the needs of the IS professionals in the future
Recommendations
Exploring the impact of essential IT skills on career satisfaction and organisational commitment of information systems professionals
Knowledge competency and career satisfaction are essential ingredients that increase organisational commitment of key information systems professionals. The study suggested that organisational knowledge and skills both asserted a positive influence on ...
Information Technology Workforce Skills: Does Size Matter?
Changes in information technology (IT) services and their delivery have shifted the need for non-IT firms' (i.e., firms whose primary business is something other than providing IT goods and services) IT skills and capabilities to emphasize a business ...
Information technology workforce skills: The software and IT services provider perspective
It is now commonplace for an organization to turn to external firms for the provision of IT services and software. As technology advances and the business environment continues to evolve, a key challenge facing IT software and service providers is ...
Comments