A tale of two shortages: an analysis of the IT professional and MIS faculty shortages

ABSTRACT

There are hundreds of articles, numerous governmental research papers and congressional acts that are focused on attending to a shortage or information technology (IT) labor. Many predict a crippling effect from such a shortage, and a minority opinion suggests that there is no shortage. In part, this difference may reflect a lack of conceptual clarity of what constitutes a shortage. This paper, then, examines the nature of what shortages are, how shortages might look in the context of IT professionals and MIS faculty, and how we might be able to ascertain the nature of the IT labor and faculty shortages. The outcome is that by understanding the specific nature of the shortage, we can then hope to provide a remedy.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION

General Terms:
Documentation, Management

Keywords:
IT professional, MIS faculty, labor shortage, longitudinal analysis