MIS professionals: Education and performance

Abstract

Individuals from various disciplines have joined the MIS profession and have been successful in varying degrees. Our study involved identifying the educational background of MIS professionals (managers and non-managers), analyzing the performance of these professionals, and investigating the perceptions of both managers and non-managers with regard to the factors that contribute to professional advancement. According to the results of this study, MIS professionals come from different backgrounds and have different levels of education. Also, it seems that a significant number of MIS professionals are performing well on-the-job though they possess no formal academic training in traditional computer-related disciplines. Both MIS managers and non-managers agree that nontechnical skills are more important than technical skills for higher professional advancement; however, both also feel that technical skills are required for professional success in certain MIS areas. There are no major differences between the responses given by MIS managers and non-managers in those factors that contribute to successful MIS careers.