A cognitive view of how IT professionals update their technical skills

ABSTRACT

Frequent technological advances require IT professionals to update skills to ensure adequate performance. Yet relatively little research has studied skill obsolescence among IT professionals. This study builds upon work on skill obsolescence among engineers to understand how IT professionals respond to the threat of obsolescence and take actions to update technical skills. Interviews with five IT professionals were conducted as a pilot study. This data collection will be extended to include 15-20 technical IT professionals. The preliminary analysis of the data indicates that there are different conceptualizations of obsolescence and that these conceptualizations result in different sorts of coping strategies, ranging from planful problem-solving, to situation redefinition, and denial/distancing. Our continuing research will look for the drivers and consequences of adhering to these views of obsolescence.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.7 THE COMPUTING PROFESSION
      K.7.1 Occupations

General Terms:
Management, Performance

Keywords:
cognitive schemata, coping, professional obsolescence, skill updating