A framework of the use of certifications by hiring personnel in it hiring decisions

Abstract

IT certification represents a common and growing practice with significant implications for managing in-house IT workers and outsourcing contracts. Prior research is of limited value in understanding its use in common personnel decisions, such as hiring, and its role in the IS profession because of possible sponsor bias, conflicting findings, and inattention to the hiring process or the value of certification from the perspective of hiring personnel. Using an inductive approach, we developed a framework for understanding the use of IT certification in hiring. Contextual and proximate factors are identified, as are the various ways that IT certification is used. Our study provides a bridge between the beliefs of hiring personnel and existing theories to better understand a phenomenon of growing importance. Research questions for further empirical investigation are explored, showing that our conceptual framework provides a base for future research.