Jack J. Baroudi – Communications of the ACM

Research and Advances May 1 1988

MIS personnel historically have exhibited a disturbingly high rate of turnover, and the job of the MIS manager is increasingly oriented to personnel and staffing problems. The MIS careers literature consistently suggests that what is needed to improve this situation is (1) more attention to formal career planning, and (2) the implementation of a dual career ladder system within the DP/IS organization. A look at the broader literature on organizational careers suggests that these suggestions may not in fact make sense. By considering only a subset of the relevant concepts about careers, we have reached conclusions that are quite possibly erroneous, and have made suggestions that will not likely help. Until further research on MIS personnel and their career needs is accomplished, we will have no valid basis for prescribing solutions to MIS careers problems. Suggestions for needed research are outlined.

Computing Applications

Author Archives

Research and Advances Jun 1 1986

Impact of the technological environment on programmer/analyst job outcomes

Recent research has shown that key DP/IS personnel job outcomes (e.g., turnover, organizational commitment, job satisfaction) are affected by job design, leadership characteristics, and role variables. This study investigates another class of variables, the technological environment faced by DP/IS personnel, that might impact these job outcomes. The technological environment includes (1) development methodologies employed, (2) project teams and reporting relationships, and (3) work characteristics. Variables from all classes were found to impact DP/IS job outcomes. Over 11 percent of the variance in DP/IS job satisfaction is explained by these variables.

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances Mar 1 1986

An empirical study of the impact of user involvement on system usage and information satisfaction

"User involvement" in information system development is generally considered an important mechanism for improving system quality and ensuring successful system implementation. The common assumption that user involvement leads to system usage and/or information satisfaction is examined in a survey of 200 production managers. Alternative models exploring the causal ordering of the three variables are developed and tested via path analysis. The results demonstrate that user involvement in the development of information systems will enhance both system usage and the user's satisfaction with the system. Further, the study provides evidence that the user's satisfaction with the system will lead to greater system usage.

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Oct 1 1983

The measurement of user information satisfaction

This paper critically reviews measures of user information satisfaction and selects one for replication and extension. A survey of production managers is used to provide additional support for the instrument, eliminate scales that are psychometrically unsound, and develop a standard short form for use when only an overall assessment of information satisfaction is required and survey time is limited.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

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