1 research outputs found
The construction of valued skills and expertise within the IT profession: continuing tensions between techies and managers
The research investigates the expertise, skills and attributes of computer
specialists. In particular, it focuses on managers' construction of certain
attributes of computer professionals as valuable. In other words it asks "what
makes a computer professional valuable?" Although this is of interest in itself,
it is also a vehicle for investigating the computing occupation more widely. As
the research deals with meaning and sense-making, context is all important.
Consequently, the context within which the computing occupation and the
skills within it are situated are a major theme throughout.
This study consists of semi-structured interviews with IT managers and some
user and personnel managers. The analysis of the interview data revealed
two different organisational types: IT companies and IT departments. The
managers within computer departments and companies constructed value
differently and as career and employment environments these organisations
appeared to offer different opportunities. [Continues.