Motivating IT professionals: The Hong Kong challenge

Abstract

The brain drain problem in Hong Kong is causing chaos in its IT profession. The reasons for this are mainly assumed to be political. Whilst a decrease of confidence is undoubtedly a major factor, there are also factors related to the satisfaction that can be obtained by professionals from the job itself. This paper describes the results of an international research study investigating the motivation potential of jobs in the computing profession. The high mismatch between the motivation potential in computing jobs in Hong Kong and the growth needs of practicing professionals would seem to be a major contributor to the exceptionally high turnover in staff; it must also contribute to reduced productivity within the computing community. The challenge for MIS managers is to develop a long term strategic IT plan involving re-organisation of services, training, investment and, especially ‘people strategy’, including job design, future staff development programmes, and compensation packages in the industry. Furthermore, Hong Kong is not a singular phenomenon: results from Korea and Thailand suggest the presence of a unique Asian factor related to the need for social growth.