Expectations and Influencing Factors of IS Graduates and Education in Thailand: A Perspective of the Students, Academics and Business Community

Abstract

PART I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of Study The revolution that Thailand is experiencing has occurred largely during the past 35 years from agricultural based society to industrial era and the eventual transition towards the new millennium--the Revolution. In the face of intense competition and other business pressures on organizations in 1990s, quality initiatives and continuous, incremental process improvement, though still essential, will no longer suffice. Today, firms must seek not fractional, but multiplicative levels of improvement with countless opportunities and challenges for millions of individuals. In particular, the challenges to managers responsible for introducing information-based technology have been exceptionally high. The concept of computerization has advanced tremendously in terms of hardware, software and people-ware, which has evolved significantly to sophisticated (IT). The application of information technology as a strategic competitive lever is based on the premise of attaining maximum information utilization as an enabling tool to create value and differentiating factors for superior advantage over competitors. [Benjamin et. al (1984), McFarlan (1984), Parson (1983), Porter et. al (1985), Cecil et. al (1990), Jackson (1989)]. Effective use of computers in business today is therefore an evolving art, not a science. The formula that worked for businesses yesterday might not be so effective today--and could succumb to demise by tomorrow. Many individuals entering the workplace today have directly experienced this technological phenomenon. Employees completing their careers have seen the whole spectrum of events unfold during their lifetimes. For many people, information technology has been a complicating factor, perhaps something to be feared, or at least to be viewed with apprehension. For others, the growth of information technology has been an unmitigated blessing. The technology was a major part of their formal education; it forms the basis of their employment. It is a platform on which their future depends. For nearly everyone, it has brought change. The National Economic Development Plan 8 has therefore embraced the direction to tune up the undeniably attention on IT personnel development in the contemporary educational system in Thailand. This aim to lay down the human-ware foundation for the future economic development as well as to capture the appreciation of impact information technology and the transitioning revolution will have on Thailand. 1.2 Problem Statement As Thailand moves forward into the next century with fluid business environment that is changing dynamically, the entire economy calls for the imperative of recognizing the important role of information technology to keep pace with the new millennium revolution. This rapid pace has meant an unprecedented growth of job opportunities, fueled by an ever increasing need for skilled IT managers, which is driven by the growth of computer applications such as decision support systems, expert systems, computer-aided design, computer aided manufacturing and information based business process. IT managers must anticipate these changes to prepare executives in the firm with their technological vision in formulating corporate strategies and future structural changes. To this end, it is indisputable that opportunities for skilled IT managers are bright. Therefore, it is important to systematize pertinent Information Technology curriculum course to prepare the profession for future challenges, which forms the major thrust of this research to understand the knowledge, skills, capability expected of an IS graduate and the influencing factors that could encourage IS education. The problem statement of this research is thus to understand the requisite expectation of knowledge expectations, skill expectations, capability expectation of an IS graduate and the facilities expectation that can contribute to the development of an IS graduate. …