NON-TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES REQUIRED FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS: HOW TO EFFECTIVELY INTERACT WITH CLIENTS/USERS

After considering reasons for developing the competencies of information technology (IT) professionals, so me of their key non-technical competencies are identified and discussed. Focusing on competence in their communicative interactions, results are presented from a survey which was performed to identify specific components of competence in interaction with clients/users. A total of 150 traits was evaluated by 424 IT professionals. Four factors have been found to contribute lo competence in interaction with clients/users: (1) work effectiveness; (2) productive information exchange; (3) agreeableness; and (4) sales related characteristics. Results are interpreted in relation to the demands of the professional environment of IT personnel

Konceptualni model, potencijalni prediktori i dimenzije sklonosti prema uporabi Interneta

Numerous Internet related activities are rewarding and beneficial for private and professional life. Motivation for the use of the Internet is an important research topic in relation to populations and special groups who show a low level of Internet use despite the availability of a telecommunication infrastructure and satisfactory financial potential for the use of this medium. This paper presents a conceptual model of affinity for the use of the Internet, and also the results of empirical research of the potential predictors and factors of motivation for the use of the Internet. A survey was performed on 435 college students and the data were analyzed by regression analyses and factor analysis. The revealed potential predictors of frequency of Internet use and of the desire to use the Internet are discussed, as well as the dimensions of motivation for the use of the Internet that were uncovered by factor analysis.Brojne aktivnosti koje su povezane s uporabom Interneta mogu biti korisne za privatni život i profesionalne aktivnosti pojedinca. Motivacija za uporabu Interneta je važna istraživačka tema imajući u vidu populacije osoba i posebne skupine koje pokazuju nisku razinu korištenja Interneta i pored dostupne telekomunikacijske infrastrukture te zadovoljavajućih financijskih mogućnosti za korištenje tog medija. U ovom je članku prikazan konceptualni model sklonosti prema uporabi Interneta, a izloženi su i rezultati empirijskog istraživanja potencijalnih prediktora i faktora koji utječu na motivaciju za korištenje Interneta. Provedena je anketa na 435 sveučilišnih studenata i podaci su analizirani postupcima regresijske i faktorske analize. U radu je raspravljeno o utvrđenim potencijalnim prediktorima frekvencije uporabe Interneta, kao i želje za korištenjem Interneta, a također i o dimenzijama motivacije za uporabu Interneta koje su dobivene postupkom faktorske analize

Paradoxes of the Internet as a Communication Medium

Uz brz tehnološki razvoj i sve širu primjenu Interneta u različitim ljudskim aktivnostima i djelatnostima, javljaju se i neobične, intrigantne ili neočekivane pojave vezane uz taj komunikacijski medij. Nakon utvrđivanja većeg broja takvih kontroverzi ili paradoksa Interneta, provedena je njihova analiza i podjela u sljedeće kategorije: psihosocijalni, društveno-politički, ekonomski, tehnološki, informacijski i masmedijski fenomeni. Zaključuje se kako se paradoksi Interneta trebaju promatrati kao dio procesa pomalo kaotičnog razvoja, uvođenja i prihvaćanja tog individualiziranog i masovnog komunikacijskog medija.With the rapid technological advancement and widespread use of the Internet in various human activities and enterprises, some unusual, intriguing and unexpected phenomena emerge that are related to this communication medium. After identifying a considerable number of such controversies and paradoxes, an analysis is performed and they are classified into following categories: psychosocial, social-political, economic, technological, and mass media phenomena. It is concluded that the paradoxes of the Internet should be observed as part of the rather chaotic process of development, introduction, and adoption of this individualized and mass communication mediu

Factors and Predictors of Online Security and Privacy Behavior

Assumptions and habits regarding computer and Internet use are among the major factors which influence online privacy and security of Internet users. In our study a survey was performed on 312 subjects (college students who are Internet users with IT skills) that investigated how assumptions and habits of Internet users are related to their online security and privacy. The following four factors of online security and privacy related behaviors were revealed in factor analysis: F1 – conscientiousness in the maintenance of the operating system, upgrading of the Internet browser and use of antivirus and antispyware programs; F2 –engagement in risky and careless online activities with lack of concern for personal online privacy; F3 – disbelief that privacy violations and security threats represent possible problems; F4 – lack of fear regarding potential privacy and security threats with no need for change in personal online behavior. Statistically significant correlations were found between some of the discovered factors on the one side, and criteria variables occurrence of malicious code (C1) and data loss on the home computer (C2) on the other. In addition, a regression analysis was performed which revealed that the potentially risky online behaviors of Internet users were associated with the two criteria variables. To properly interpret the results of correlation and regression analyses a conceptual model was developed of the potential causal relationships between the behavior of Internet users and their experiences with online security threats. An additional study was also performed which partly confirmed the conceptual model, as well as the factors of online security and privacy related behaviors

Die Faktorenstruktur der Freundschaften zugrunde liegenden Regeln und ihr Bezug zu Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen

Uspješnost u prijateljskim vezama povezana je s osjećajem psihološ ke dobrobiti i socijalnom prilagodbom pojedinca. Na kvalitetu odnosa u prijateljskim vezama utječu pravila kojima se služe sudionici u interakciji s partnerima u takvoj vezi. U ovom radu prikazano je istraživanje faktorske strukture pravila u prijateljskim vezama. Na temelju literature i prikupljanjem pravila kojih se mlađe odrasle osobe pridržavaju u prijateljskim vezama oblikovan je upitnik za samoprocjenu IR-1 sa 141 tvrdnjom/pravilom, koji je primijenjen na ispitanicima mlađe odrasle dobi (N=501). Faktorskom analizom utvrđeno je pet dimenzija pravila u prijateljskim vezama, koje su nazvane dobronamjernost, druželjubivost, prikladnost, samokontrola i usmjerenost na sebe. Navedene dimenzije pravila u prijateljskim vezama uspoređene su s rezultatima istraživanja drugih autora s područja prijateljskih veza i socijalne kompetencije. Na manjoj podskupini od 114 ispitanika primijenjen je i NEO PI-R inventar koji mjeri dimenzije ličnosti prema petofaktorskom modelu. Pronađene su mnoge statistički značajne korelacije između dimenzija interpersonalnih pravila, s jedne strane, i dimenzija ličnosti i njihovim facetama, s druge, a najviše ih je bilo povezano s ekstraverzijom i ugodnošću.Positive friendship relationships are connected to the psychological well-being and social adjustment of an individual. Relationship quality in friendships is influenced by the rules that participants use in the interaction with their partners. This paper presents the research of the factor structure of rules in friendship relationships. Based on the previous research of other authors and the process of collecting rules that young adults use in their friendship relationships, the IR-1 questionnaire with 141 statements/rules was developed and then applied on subjects (N=501) in the age of early adulthood. Factor analysis revealed five dimensions of rules in friendship relationships that were labeled benevolence, sociability, appropriateness, self-control, and self-directedness. These dimensions of interpersonal rules were compared with the results of research of other authors in the field of friendship relationships and social competence. The NEO PI-R inventory that measures the personality dimensions according to the five-factor model of personality was also applied on a smaller subset of subjects (N=114). Many statistically significant correlations were uncovered between the dimensions of interpersonal rules, on the one side, and the personality dimensions and their facets, on the other side, and most of them were related to extraversion and agreeableness.Freundschaften sind eine wichtige Form der sozialen Vernetzung von Adoleszenten und jüngeren Erwachsenen, und der diesbezügliche Erfolg geht einher mit dem Gefühl seelischen Wohlbefindens und der sozialen Anpassung des Individuums. Die Qualität des freundschaftlichen Verhältnisses wird bestimmt von Regeln, die die Interaktionspartner bei ihrem gegenseitigen Umgang anwenden. Die vorliegende Arbeit präsentiert die Ergebnisse einer Untersuchung, mit der die Faktorenstruktur der Freundschaften zugrunde liegenden Regeln ermittelt werden sollte. Aufgrund fachliterarischer Angaben und zusammengetragener Regeln, die den Freundschaften jüngerer Erwachsener zugrunde liegen, wurde ein Fragebogen zur Selbsteinschätzung (IR-1) entworfen; er enthält 141 Behauptungen/Regeln, zu denen 501 Probanden im jüngeren Erwachsenenalter Stellung nehmen sollten. Eine Faktorenanalyse ergab fünf Dimensionen der in Freundschaften befolgten Regeln. Diese sind: Gutwilligkeit, Geselligkeit, Angemessenheit, Selbstkontrolle und Selbstorientiertheit. Die angeführten Dimensionen wurden verglichen mit den Untersuchungsergebnissen anderer Autoren, die im Bereich freundschaftlicher Beziehungen und sozialer Kompetenz forschen. In einer Probanden- Untergruppe geringeren Umfangs (N = 114) wurde der Fragebogen NEO PI-R eingesetzt, um Persönlichkeitsdimensionen nach dem Fünf-Faktoren-Modell zu ermitteln. Man entdeckte zahlreiche statistisch relevante Korrelationen zwischen den Dimensionen von Interaktionsregeln einerseits und Persönlichkeitsdimensionen, einschließlich ihren Facetten, andererseits. Die meisten standen in Bezug zu Extravertierheit und angenehmem Auftreten

The Internet – A Comparative Evaluation in Relation to the Press and Television

Internet nije više novost u životu i profesionalnom radu mnogih korisnika medija, kao ni osoba koje se bave novinarstvom. Nakon nekoliko desetljeća dominacije tradicionalnih masovnih medija, Internet dovodi do bitnijih promjena u načinu na koji pojedinci ispunjavaju svoje informacijske potrebe, kao i u načinu na koji se mogu oblikovati informacije u nekom masovnom mediju. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrditi kako osobe koje su upoznate s Internetom promatraju taj novi medij u odnosu na tradicionalne medije poput tiska i televizije. Tijekom istraživanja anketirana su 262 ispitanika, a njihovi odgovori razmatrani su u kontekstu funkcija medija te njihovih komparativnih prednosti i nedostataka. Utvrđeno je da ispitanici zapažaju mnoge prednosti Interneta u odnosu na individualne potrebe korisnika, kao i s obzirom na društvenu ulogu medija, ali i nedostatke koji su povezani s tehnologijom na kojoj se Internet zasniva.The Internet is no longer a novelty for either media users or professional journalists. After decades of domination of the traditional mass media, the Internet has brought some significant changes in the way that individuals satisfy their informational needs and in the way that news is shaped and presented in different media. The purpose of the research reported here was to determine how persons familiar with the Internet assess this new medium in relation to the more traditional media, such as the print media and television. The survey covered 262 respondents, whose answers were analyzed in the context of media functions and their advantages and drawbacks. The respondents were aware of the advantages of the Internet with respect to individual user needs and the social role of the media. Equally, however, they were aware also of the drawbacks of the Internet, owing to the nature of the technology on which it relies

Die Faktorenstruktur der Freundschaften zugrunde liegenden Regeln und ihr Bezug zu Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen

Uspješnost u prijateljskim vezama povezana je s osjećajem psihološ ke dobrobiti i socijalnom prilagodbom pojedinca. Na kvalitetu odnosa u prijateljskim vezama utječu pravila kojima se služe sudionici u interakciji s partnerima u takvoj vezi. U ovom radu prikazano je istraživanje faktorske strukture pravila u prijateljskim vezama. Na temelju literature i prikupljanjem pravila kojih se mlađe odrasle osobe pridržavaju u prijateljskim vezama oblikovan je upitnik za samoprocjenu IR-1 sa 141 tvrdnjom/pravilom, koji je primijenjen na ispitanicima mlađe odrasle dobi (N=501). Faktorskom analizom utvrđeno je pet dimenzija pravila u prijateljskim vezama, koje su nazvane dobronamjernost, druželjubivost, prikladnost, samokontrola i usmjerenost na sebe. Navedene dimenzije pravila u prijateljskim vezama uspoređene su s rezultatima istraživanja drugih autora s područja prijateljskih veza i socijalne kompetencije. Na manjoj podskupini od 114 ispitanika primijenjen je i NEO PI-R inventar koji mjeri dimenzije ličnosti prema petofaktorskom modelu. Pronađene su mnoge statistički značajne korelacije između dimenzija interpersonalnih pravila, s jedne strane, i dimenzija ličnosti i njihovim facetama, s druge, a najviše ih je bilo povezano s ekstraverzijom i ugodnošću.Positive friendship relationships are connected to the psychological well-being and social adjustment of an individual. Relationship quality in friendships is influenced by the rules that participants use in the interaction with their partners. This paper presents the research of the factor structure of rules in friendship relationships. Based on the previous research of other authors and the process of collecting rules that young adults use in their friendship relationships, the IR-1 questionnaire with 141 statements/rules was developed and then applied on subjects (N=501) in the age of early adulthood. Factor analysis revealed five dimensions of rules in friendship relationships that were labeled benevolence, sociability, appropriateness, self-control, and self-directedness. These dimensions of interpersonal rules were compared with the results of research of other authors in the field of friendship relationships and social competence. The NEO PI-R inventory that measures the personality dimensions according to the five-factor model of personality was also applied on a smaller subset of subjects (N=114). Many statistically significant correlations were uncovered between the dimensions of interpersonal rules, on the one side, and the personality dimensions and their facets, on the other side, and most of them were related to extraversion and agreeableness.Freundschaften sind eine wichtige Form der sozialen Vernetzung von Adoleszenten und jüngeren Erwachsenen, und der diesbezügliche Erfolg geht einher mit dem Gefühl seelischen Wohlbefindens und der sozialen Anpassung des Individuums. Die Qualität des freundschaftlichen Verhältnisses wird bestimmt von Regeln, die die Interaktionspartner bei ihrem gegenseitigen Umgang anwenden. Die vorliegende Arbeit präsentiert die Ergebnisse einer Untersuchung, mit der die Faktorenstruktur der Freundschaften zugrunde liegenden Regeln ermittelt werden sollte. Aufgrund fachliterarischer Angaben und zusammengetragener Regeln, die den Freundschaften jüngerer Erwachsener zugrunde liegen, wurde ein Fragebogen zur Selbsteinschätzung (IR-1) entworfen; er enthält 141 Behauptungen/Regeln, zu denen 501 Probanden im jüngeren Erwachsenenalter Stellung nehmen sollten. Eine Faktorenanalyse ergab fünf Dimensionen der in Freundschaften befolgten Regeln. Diese sind: Gutwilligkeit, Geselligkeit, Angemessenheit, Selbstkontrolle und Selbstorientiertheit. Die angeführten Dimensionen wurden verglichen mit den Untersuchungsergebnissen anderer Autoren, die im Bereich freundschaftlicher Beziehungen und sozialer Kompetenz forschen. In einer Probanden- Untergruppe geringeren Umfangs (N = 114) wurde der Fragebogen NEO PI-R eingesetzt, um Persönlichkeitsdimensionen nach dem Fünf-Faktoren-Modell zu ermitteln. Man entdeckte zahlreiche statistisch relevante Korrelationen zwischen den Dimensionen von Interaktionsregeln einerseits und Persönlichkeitsdimensionen, einschließlich ihren Facetten, andererseits. Die meisten standen in Bezug zu Extravertierheit und angenehmem Auftreten

Factors and Predictors of Online Security and Privacy Behavior

Assumptions and habits regarding computer and Internet use are among the major factors which influence online privacy and security of Internet users. In our study a survey was performed on 312 subjects (college students who are Internet users with IT skills) that investigated how assumptions and habits of Internet users are related to their online security and privacy. The following four factors of online security and privacy related behaviors were revealed in factor analysis: F1 – conscientiousness in the maintenance of the operating system, upgrading of the Internet browser and use of antivirus and antispyware programs; F2 –engagement in risky and careless online activities with lack of concern for personal online privacy; F3 – disbelief that privacy violations and security threats represent possible problems; F4 – lack of fear regarding potential privacy and security threats with no need for change in personal online behavior. Statistically significant correlations were found between some of the discovered factors on the one side, and criteria variables occurrence of malicious code (C1) and data loss on the home computer (C2) on the other. In addition, a regression analysis was performed which revealed that the potentially risky online behaviors of Internet users were associated with the two criteria variables. To properly interpret the results of correlation and regression analyses a conceptual model was developed of the potential causal relationships between the behavior of Internet users and their experiences with online security threats. An additional study was also performed which partly confirmed the conceptual model, as well as the factors of online security and privacy related behaviors

PROSPECTS FOR AUTOMATED RELATIONSHIP MARKETING AND CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT VIA THE INTERNET IN CROATIA

The Internet provides the means for diverse types of automated relationship marketing (RM) and customer relationship management (CRM) activities. In this paper, various RM activities and the potential for CRM via the Internet are discussed and analyzed in relation to recent research of the Web sites of small and medium-sized enterprises in Croatia. Finally, an outline is given of Internet-related RM activities that do not require large investment and that can be included in the e-marketing strategy of Croatian firms

COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS IN INFORMATION SYSTEM AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

A survey was performed on 227 information technology (IT) professionals to investigate communication problems related to information system (IS) and software development. As a result of data analyses a more precise estimate was possible of the level of communication problems associated with various segments of communication in IS and software development, as well as an identification of the origins of such problems. Highest degree of difficulty was found in relation to communication with clients / users that is predominantly caused by their lack of IS and IT related knowledge or experience