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Towards a Profession of Information Systems and Technology: The Relative Importance of "Hard" and "Soft" Skills for IT Practitioners

Towards a Profession of Information Systems and Technology: The Relative Importance of "Hard" and "Soft" Skills for IT Practitioners
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Author(s): Rodney Turner (Victoria University of Technology, Australia)and Glenn R. Lowry (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
Copyright: 2002
Pages: 3
Source title: Issues & Trends of Information Technology Management in Contemporary Organizations
Source Editor(s): Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A. (Information Resources Management Association, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-930708-39-6.ch178
ISBN13: 9781930708396
EISBN13: 9781466641358

Abstract

This research reports some further findings of an ongoing investigation into conceptual, academic, and soft skills that IS/IT practitioners regard as important in new graduates. The results confirm the work of others indicating that soft skills such as teamwork are seen as far more important that the hard skills such as programming. Surprisingly, skills in traditional business subjects such as accounting and economics were rated relatively lowly. The research findings reported here present some evidence that “business subjects” such as those mentioned above do not equate to the business skills that employers of IS graduates are seeking in new hires. An explanation for an apparent conflict with anecdotal views and current findings is suggested.

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