A Study of Entry-Level Information Technology Workers: Employee Expectations and Job Perceptions

As noted in the Presidentís Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) report (1999), the need for a ìcontinuous supply of well-trained, high-quality professionalsî in information technology (IT) is critical for companies to maintain global competitiveness. Yet, as discussed in the report and elsewhere, a tightness in the market for IT professionals has been chronic for at least two decades and, despite the current slowdown, is expected to accelerate in the present decade and beyond (Council on Competitiveness 1998; Eisenberg 2002). Even in the current fluctuating job market for IT workers, attracting, motivating, and retaining workers continues to be a formidable challenge. Increasingly firms in the IT industry operate on ìInternet Time,î necessitating a core workforce that can provide innovative products and services, as well as respond to competitive threats (Barney 1995). Additionally, most non-IT industry companies are also feeling the pressure via the need to utilize IT in such forms as developing enterprise resource planning systems, setting up intranets, and forging a greater role in the e-business space. Interestingly, the continuing competition for the IT workers is causing companies to think more broadly about workplace issues (Useem 2000). This paper aims to enhance our understanding of individual and organizational context factors that influence important IT employee attitudes, such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention. Specifically, we have the following three research objectives: 1. Understand expectations of entry-level IT professionals concerning their work environments 2. Understand how entry-level IT professionals perceive the workplace as meeting their expectations 3 Examine the relationship between expectations, importance, and job perceptions in the context of entry-level IT professional

Effects of occupational culture of IT professionals on job satisfaction in Japan

Information technology (IT) professionals develop and maintain quality information systems (IS). As capable IT professionals are scant resource, many organizations work hard to attract and retain them within the organization. Therefore, maintain and improve job satisfaction of IT professionals are critical theme for organizations, and it is an important theme for IS researchers too. We believe many factors affect job satisfaction of IT professionals. According to literature review, we suppose IT occupational culture (ITOC) and IT organization structure (ITOS) affect job satisfaction. We apply ASPIRE framework to investigate ITOC. Also we suppose the effect of age too. Based on above inference, we conducted a set of empirical study with our data from Japanese IT professionals. The result supports hypotheses for ITOC and age, but ITOS affects differently. We discuss these results

Why are Women Underrepresented in IT? The Role of Implicit and Explicit Gender Identity

This study demonstrates that gender identity is an important factor affecting female university students’ decisions to major in IT and join the IT profession. It introduces the concept of implicit gender identity, defined as the degree to which people unconsciously, automatically, and uncontrollably associate themselves with their biological sex. Data were obtained from 185 students by means of a survey and the Implicit Association Test. The findings reveal that gender identity plays different roles between men and women in its influence on IT major and career choices. Implicit gender identity is a strong predictor of IT major and career choices for women but not for men. Explicit gender identity influences IT career choice only for women. Males’ and females’ IT major and career choices are influenced by normative pressures to the same degree. This study shows that gender identity can be a reason driving women away from the IT field

Gender Differences in IS: A literature Review

Gender focused research has been published in IS journals since the mid-1990s. Gender focused research has been published in IS journals since the mid-1990s. In this paper, we conduct a literature review of this research stream by analyzing the academic, crossover, and practitioner IS literature that focuses on gender issues. Our search revealed 44 total gender focused IS journal articles, all of which are concerned with identifying and attempting to explain gender differences. These articles were analyzed and systematically grouped them into four main categories: IT workforce, behavioral, prescriptive/guidance, and education. These main categories were then split into subcategory clusters. We examined publication trends over time in regards to journal outlets, main categories, and the subcategories. As a result of this effort gaps in the gender literature are identified. Recommendations to guide future research efforts of both academicians and practitioners are provided

Employee incentives in IT companies : what can we learn from Google?

PreprintAttracting and retaining IT professionals have emerged as top management concerns in the last years. This is particular relevant for companies with core business processes in IT that have much to gain from talented IT professionals. Google is one of those companies. Showing a considerable growth in recent years and pointed out as one of the best companies in US to work for, Google presents itself as an interesting case for studying employee incentives policies in IT companies. Using a netnographic approach to look into a work life blog discussion with the participation of present and past Google employees, a total reward strategy framework is used to analyze the data and generate new insights. Work life topics suggested upfront such as community involvement, health and wellness, work flexibility and cultural environment are particularly important. Administrative efficiency, workplace stability and equipment and technology are some new topics that may be worth to consider in a framework to guide incentive policies for a total reward strategy in IT companies.(undefined

Workforce Incentives at IT companies : the Google’s Case

Organizations may have much to gain in attracting and retaining IT professionals than can help to reduce costs and improve the productivity of the business. That is even more crucial for IT companies that rely upon talented IT professionals to add value in their core business processes and not just to support them. Thus we need to better understand what motivates and keeps satisfied an IT workforce. As a successful IT company, Google may be a good example to look at adequate incentive policies for IT professionals. Using a netnographic approach, this study examined a blog discussion with the participation of past and present Google employees. The collected data was analyzed under a total rewards model, a framework from WorldatWork to encompass a diversity of topics in building a reward strategy. One of those topics, work-life, was significantly discussed showing that Google´s incentive policies take into consideration work-life sub-topics such as health and wellness, cultural environment, community involvement and work flexibility to attract and retain IT professionals. Adding to the sub-topics already proposed in the framework, some new ones popped out still under the work-life topic: equipment and technology, administrative efficiency and workplace stability. Although compensation and benefits are certainly incentives to not be disregarded, it seems there may be something else also important as work-life incentives to attract and retain an IT motivated workforce, specially, at an IT company

Organizational innovativeness and addiction: moderator mediation effect through perceived usefulness on technostress

The goal of thisstudy isto explorethe effects of innovative organizations on employee’stechnostress and howaddiction to mobile Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)mediates the relationship. We also includedthe moderator perceived usefulness of mobile ICTsto the model. By applying a survey in three differentmomentsto a final sample of 157 employees, we analyzedwhether addiction mediated the relationship between organizational innovativeness and two technostressors: techno overload and techno invasion. Additionally, we examineif individuals’perceived usefulness moderates the relationship between organizational innovativeness and addiction. Finally, we aimed to analyze whether the indirect effects of organizational innovativeness on techno overload and techno invasion, through addiction, are dependent on the level of perceived usefulness of mobile ICTs. Results haves hown a significant indirect effect between organizational innovativeness and both techno overload and techno invasion, through addiction, when perceived usefulness is high

IT Employees’ Organizational Identification: Examining its Antecedents and Impact on Turnover

Non-IT organizations increasingly rely on IT to achieve both operational excellence and strategic competitiveness. IT employees play pivotal roles in helping non-IT organizations realize the potential of IT. Yet, the turnover culture within the IT profession has posed challenges to organizations. How to effectively manage and retain IT human capital has become a critical issue. The current study examines turnover issue among IT employees in non-IT organizations from an organizational identification perspective. We propose that IT employees’ organizational identification could weaken their turnover behavior. Further and more importantly, the study explores organization-, job-, and relation-related antecedents to IT employees’ organizational identification. A survey with 126 IT employees provides significant empirical support. IT employees’ organizational identification has a significant negative effect on turnover intention. Business-IT alignment, boundary spanning activities, and the closeness of the relationships with non-IT employees can significantly improve IT employees’ organizational identification

Gender Differences and Intra-Gender Differences amongst Management Information Systems Students

Few women major in Management Information Systems (MIS). The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons for women’s underrepresentation in MIS. In addition to examining gender differences, an important and novel goal of this study is to examine intra-gender differences in undergraduate students, i.e., differences among female MIS majors and female students who enrolled in MIS courses as a Business elective (i.e., non-majors). This study found that women\u27s experiences with and self-efficacy regarding computers were much lower than men’s, but that they did not have more negative stereotypes and attitudes toward the field. Overall female students had more positive attitudes towards their MIS courses and instructors than male students did. One of the most interesting findings was the importance of female high school computer teachers and role models for female students. Importantly, there was very strong evidence for intra-gender differences. Female majors had much higher computer self-efficacy, computer experience, had more positive attitudes toward MIS, and were more likely to have had female computer teachers in high school compared to female non-majors. The implications of these findings for MIS are discussed

The Effect of Vocal Fillers on Credibility, Communication Competence, and Likeability

This study examines the impact of vocal fillers on a person’s perceived likeability, communication competence, professional credibility, and personal credibility. Previous studies have suggested that using filler words or discourse markers may decrease professional credibility and discredit communication competence. However, it is unknown how audience members of different genders will respond to the usage of vocal fillers in comparison to each other. A 2 x 2 factorial experimental design was constructed (N = 145) in which four audio recordings contained four responses to an interview question; the amount of vocal fillers were manipulated (absent or many) and the gender of the speaker in the recording was also manipulated (female or male). Results indicated that the more filler words or discourse markers were used, the less professional and personal credibility was shown, regardless of gender. However, when listening to vocal fillers, although both genders viewed them negatively, males perceived vocal fillers significantly more negatively