Why do Students not Choose to Study Information Systems? A Survey Study in Norway

Information technology (IT) skill shortages appear at the market level occasionally—usually for emerging technologies, unanticipated challenges, and/or unresolved issues such as systems security. Even when a market-level skill shortage does not exist, a firm can still suffer from skill shortages for its critical information system (IS) project and/or IT operations unless the firm plans and manages its needs for IT skills. This chapter first surveys IT skills at the market level and then at the firm level to gain a perspective on the issues. Attention turns to the nature and characteristics of skills in general—not just IT skills—by reviewing past literature. The management of skills is deeply rooted in the management of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) and human resource practices of the firm. Key issues and lessons are drawn from the literature in those areas. We conclude by considering the nature and characteristics of IT skills in developing an agenda for the effective management of IT skills.

Using a case study approach, 36 students were surveyed about the development of Information Technology (IT) skills during their pre- and in-service training programme for trainee teachers for the Further Education (FE) sector. A short questionnaire was developed and used to assess student capability and attitudes towards IT in the FE Curriculum after they had completed a specific IT module. The results show that the type and range of IT use continues to be limited, with most respondents emphasising standard applications packages such as word processing, spreadsheet and presentation packages for the preparation of teaching materials. There was little evidence produced of IT use within teaching practice classrooms or the use of computer-assisted learning in specific subjects. Overall, as a result of their experiences on the optional IT module, the trainee teachers reported significant gains in IT skills relevant to teaching and learning. Additionally, their desire to use IT increased significantly. The principal factors reported as facilitating the greater use of IT in their work were the provision of suitable study programmes (modules), encouragement by teacher-training staff and on their view of the importance of IT in teaching. Factors which were reported as inhibiting greater use of IT were lack of time, limits on access to facilities, and IT phobia. The author recommends that further research is carried out on a range of examples of effective and innovative classroom use of IT to enable the progressive enrichment of the IT experiences of FE teachers.

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The growing development of information technology makes information technology a very important resource for government and private organizations. The same applies to the university environment in student services. Amikom Purwokerto University is one of the many tertiary institutions that has implemented a web-based academic information system, including in one of its study programs, namely Information Systems. Based on interviews conducted by researchers with one of the lecturers in the Information Systems Study Program at Amikom University, Purwokerto, several problems were identified, such as the lack of regular updating of data and information on the website, the appearance of the website which was less attractive, and the lack of available content. Then, so that the company can be ready to compete with other similar websites, it is necessary to analyze the quality of the website, one of which is using the WebQual 4.0 method which is then assessed using the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) method. The data were obtained by distributing questionnaires with 3 WebQual 4.0 variables based on the level of performance and the level of user expectations for the 85 samples that have been determined by calculating the Slovin formula. The data obtained is then assessed using the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) method which produces recommendations to companies for actions that need to be taken on the website in order to improve and maintain the quality of the website. The results of the GAP analysis obtained 9 variables with positive values and 13 variables with negative values. While the results of the IPA analysis obtained variables that have been grouped into 4 quadrants, with 1 variable being the main priority, namely UQ8.

The MBKM (Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka) policy is motivated to prepare students to know social, cultural, world of work and technological advances that have been so rapid. Competence of students must be prepared to answer the needs of the times. Link and match activities are one of the strategies used, not only with the business world and the industrial world, but also with a future that is changing so rapidly. Information Systems Study Program has implemented several programs contained in the guidelines for the implementation of the Independent Learning Campus, although on a limited scale, namely the cross-study student exchange program and the Internship program. It is necessary to make adjustments to the programs that have been implemented in Study Program to adjust the curriculum of the study program and to survey the academic community. This survey needs to be carried out to find out how far the responses, responses and knowledge of the academic community towards MBKM activities. From the results of the survey, the Study Program followed up by designing an information system for the development and strengthening of the results of the academic community for MBKM activities in the form of a Software Requirement Specification. With this Information System Design, it is hoped that it will provide convenience for the development of the Integrated MBKM information system so that it can provide convenience for the academic community in carrying out MBKM activities within the Study Program environment and also to support MBKM governance and management.

Throughout its history, the information systems (IS) discipline has studied a wide range of phenomena. Many IS researchers support the notion that our interest in the IT artifact - defined as "bundles of material and cultural properties packaged in some socially recognizable form such as hardware and/or software" (Orlikowski & Iacono, 2001, p. 122) - unites the IS discipline. In "Desperately Seeking the 'IT' in IT Research-A Call to Theorizing the IT Artifact," Orlikowski and Iacono (2001) argued that the IS field is "premised on the centrality of information technology in everyday socio-economic life...[yet] the field has not deeply engaged with its core subject matter-the information technology (IT) artifact" (p. 121). In their review of articles that had been published to date in Information Systems Research, nearly 25 percent did not discuss technology and most had simplistic views of technology: The outcome is that much IS research draws on commonplace and received notions of technology, resulting in conceptualizations of IT artifacts as relatively stable, discrete, independent, and fixed. As a consequence, IT artifacts in IS research tend to be taken for granted or assumed to be unproblematic. (Orlikowski & Iacono, 2001, pp. 121-122) Orlikowski and Iacono's (2001) article drew attention to our need to focus on the core of who we are as a discipline. It also created an important turning point. As an unintended consequence of the article, the IS discipline began abandoning its consideration and discussion of information. As a result, IS researchers focused more heavily on technology and the IT artifact, and information became implicit in our research. In this editorial, we expand upon Orlikowski and Iacono (2001) and draw the IS discipline's attention to its abandonment of that other central component in information systems research - information.

The rapid development in technology has provided the globalization and to facilitate the exchange of information. The importance of tertiary education has been increasing due to its contribution for development plan’s manpower requirements in quality and quantity. Developments in information systems and technology have provided significant opportunities for higher education institutions. In this research; the implementation and development of information systems and technology in higher education institutions are chosen as a problem in comparison with global scale and taking into account the development of proposals. In this context; the developed countries’ higher education institutions’ were examined, after then universities’ information systems and technologies’ current status and degree of functionality are compared, and finally the proposals were developed. For this purpose; higher education institutions’ level of readiness for e-transformation, information technologies’ contribution to today's class and on the quality of education in shaping the contribution of higher education to shape the future and global competition ready workforce, the growing importance of information technologies on distance learning and on lifelong learning, higher education institutions’ role, and contribution to development of information technology, and the contribution of the envisaged objectives of the development plan.

PurposeAn “IT mindset” significantly influences public sector information technology (IT) adoption in least developed countries (LDCs). The purpose of this paper is to explore the IT mindset concept and its relationship with IT knowledge and intention to explore IT in the workplace.Design/methodology/approachThe research used a mixed-methods approach in two phases. Qualitative work was conducted to formulate the conceptual framework and hypotheses, followed by a survey of 228 public sector officials in Bangladesh to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe study showed that an IT mindset can be conceptualised as comprising personal innovativeness with IT and IT beliefs. The IT mindset was significantly related to intention to explore IT use in the workplace and its components were influenced by an individual’s IT skills and IT awareness.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research could further explore the IT mindset concept and its antecedents and consequences in LDCs, where it is often related to successful IT adoption, and also in public and private organisations elsewhere.Practical implicationsThe study furthers understanding of barriers to IT adoption in LDCs’ public sectors. Building IT knowledge through IT skills and awareness is required to orient mindsets to IT adoption.Social implicationsImproved efficiency, productivity and transparency in the public sector through IT use have flow-on societal and economic benefits. The paper provides insights into greater facilitation of e-government and IT in the public sector.Originality/valueThe study is theoretically significant because the IT mindset concept has lacked in-depth study and requires clarification of its nature and role.

The development of modern information-communication technologies has enabled the development of electronic knowledge distribution channels that expand the effective level of general and specialist education. This trend is also present in higher education because higher education institutions and institutes increasingly rely on the use of modern information-communication technologies in their operations. The effects of the use of personal computers, the Internet and global social networks are multiple in the higher education system as well. In the process of acquiring new knowledge, developing creativity, as well as ensuring greater activity in the process of education, new learning technologies, with the use of multimedia systems, created the prerequisites for the engagement of all individual and collective resources. The most important source of the state’s competitive advantage is the ability to educate and retain highly educated personnel in the field of information technologies. From that aspect, the paper discusses information technologies as a scientific discipline and general conditions for education in the field of information technologies. The impact of technical and pedagogical changes on education in this area is analyzed with particular attention. It is known that information technologies are suitable for vocational education, and the modern environment sets specific requirements regarding the applicability of knowledge acquired in higher education institutions. The dynamic and turbulent market emphasizes the applicability of knowledge as a key requirement in the educational process. These short researches propose new educational modules that should structure teaching in the field of information technologies in accordance with the global demand in this sector. Every society strives for a more efficient and economical system of education, and therefore the issue of the use of new information technologies in education comes down to the problem of creating a theoretically ideal model of the use of these technologies at all levels of education and work.

This report is part of a series of publications on the status and development of the North-American Information Systems (IS) field and Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI), its counterpart in German speaking countries. Information systems in businesses and organizations are the main subject of research in IS and WI. Hence, both disciplines are applied fields of research. Thus, the valuation of research results and graduates by business practice are vital indicators for the disciplines’ status and success. Between 1991 and 2001 a plethora of articles were published in leading Information Systems (IS) journals and conference proceedings addressing the issue of relevance of IS research and teaching. This research report provides a comprehensive content analysis of this „relevance debate“ in the North-American Information Systems field. The perceptions, opinions, and recommendations of the contributors are presented structured according to statements of valuation, perception, explanation, and recommendation. The reconstruction of the main IS relevance debate indicates that all debate participants agree that relevance to practice plays a vital role for the IS discipline, but that the field largely lacks relevance in terms of research as well as in terms of teaching. The lack of relevance is, for example, illustrated by the general perception that research results rarely impact practice and that IT/IS professionals usually do not read academic IS journals. In order to analyse if the debate has lead to any changes in terms of practice relevance of the IS field the most recent literature and studies available on IS relevance are evaluated. Analysis results indicate that no significant changes took place. But various IS researchers still report on problems in terms of acceptance and perception of IS degree programs and research. Based on the perspectives of experienced researchers from WI and other European IS communities the concluding remarks of this report attempt to explain the apparent lack of change in the North-American IS field and provide suggestions for improving the current status of the IS field in terms of relevance.

The article explores the processes of global use of information technologies and systems, which allows creating economic benefits and promoting social and political integration, causing general prosperity and sustainable development of society. A review of the networked readiness system is provided, which provides executives with directive information on the key pillars to take into account the full use of information and communication technologies in their economic growth strategies. The essence of the modern model of the Network Readiness Index (NRI), which consists of four main pillars (technology, people, governance and impact), is revealed, each of which is formed from three sub-pillars, defining in a complex the real state of the use of information and communication technologies in a particular country. The rating of Ukraine according to the Networked Readiness Index and its main four pillars is presented. The degree of implementation of information technologies at Ukrainian enterprises by types of economic activity and their use of information and communication technologies, depending on the average number of employees, taking into account access to the Internet, the presence of a website and the purchase of cloud computing services are given. The essence and measurements of the basic principles (scientific validity, competence, timeliness, completeness of content, flexibility and homeostaticity) regarding the adoption of management decisions in the network economy are considered, which allows obtaining a synergistic effect. It is proposed to focus further research on the generation and design of a communication and information technology system, increasing investment in the information and communication technology sector and further popularizing the Internet and developing e-commerce.

This article attempts to look at factors and events that led to the birth of the information system (IS) field, and traces how the field has changed over time and evolved. It also explains why at various times different names such as MIS, IT, IS, information management, information science, etc., have been proposed to label the IS field. Each framework's architects are thought to have discovered the true core of IS. Despite significant and seemingly continuous efforts toward defining the boundary of the IS field, the boundary remains fluid. The first step in trying to understand and resolve these issues is to step back and reflect on the history of the IS field. Such an understanding would facilitate IS researchers in answering the questions about IS, differentiating the IS field from other disciplines, and developing a sense of an IS identity.

The field of information systems (IS) remains ill-defined, facing problems of recognition and identity crisis. Several papers and debates have been dedicated on this topic for over three decades. The focus of these debates have largely centered on the state of the IS field in Americas and Europe and with a limited study conducted in the Asia---Pacific context. This study attempts to assess the field in the Indian context and highlight the challenges and issues faced by IS faculties in India. Based on literature survey of the seminal papers in the field, we identified the salient topics of interest to IS researchers: identity of the IS field; diversity of the field; research approaches, methods and rigor; reference disciplines; journals and conferences; and IS course and curriculum. A two-phase study was carried out to explore the interest generated by the IS field in India. In the first phase, secondary data review of leading business schools in India was carried out to understand their focus on IS as an academic discipline. In the second phase, we conducted interviews of IS researchers from the premium business schools in India. In our study, we analyze the research focus of IS faculties in B-schools in India, analyze the composition of the faculty pool and the nature of research work undertaken by them. Our study points at the restricted focus of IS researchers in India around a few narrow areas, with a significant breadth of topics not being explored for research. We found the identity struggle of the field to be prominent, which was further compounded by the limited number of active, IS researchers. The growing importance of qualitative techniques in IS research, the challenges of developing a sound base in multiple reference disciplines and the need for making IS course interesting for business school students were some of the other significant observations. Our study also highlighted the paradox of the success of the IT industry in India leading to reduced enrollment of IS courses in B-Schools. We conclude by providing recommendations to B-school deans and directors.

As information technology (IT) has become more common in everyday use, so too have concerns about the digital divide—unequal access to and use of IT across demographic groups and countries. Understanding the extent and causes of the digital divide is important because IT skills have become increasingly vital to individuals’ economic success. Although IT is widely available in both the United States and Japan, there are notable gender differences in its actual usage between the two countries. In the United States, the gender gap in IT use has narrowed over time, and according to some measures, women are at least as likely as men to use computers. In Japan, however, sizable gender gaps in IT use persist. The contrasting patterns of IT use in the United States and Japan reflect differences in the structure of social organizations and institutions in the two countries. Studying gender differences in IT use across countries thus requires a nuanced understanding of the institutional context under which gender inequality is generated. Using the United States and Japan as contrasting examples, this article examines how gender differences in IT use evolve from gender inequality in broader cultural settings, particularly labor market institutions. Request access from your librarian to read this chapter's full text.

In this chapter we consider the educational needs of the globally diverse information technology (IT) sector and a curriculum that has been developed in order to respond to them. We begin by discussing two human resource (HR) gaps that are affecting the preparation of tomorrow’s IT workforce. The first gap is a participation gap, which is related, in part, to the under representation in recruitment and retention of students with particular demographic profiles in information systems and technology (IS&T) education. The second gap is a knowledge gap, which is related to the globalization of the IT field and the challenges of developing compatible curriculum and pedagogical practices that will prepare students for careers in such a field. We argue that diversity is a lens that can be used to both understand these HR gaps and to develop curricular responses to them. We do this by considering, as a case study, a course developed and taught in the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Pennsylvania State University that is intended to address these gaps. This course—Human Diversity in the Global Information Economy—is offered to exemplify a way of addressing the diversity dimension of the IT skill set.