Communication Technology Professionals Research Articles

Turnover Intention Among ICT Professionals in Brazilian Public Organizations

This study investigates turnover intentions within the context of Brazilian public organizations, focusing on Information and Communications Technology professionals. Moreover, the research highlights the factors influencing turnover intentions and underscores the critical role of remote work and compensation satisfaction, particularly salary, in shaping these intentions. The desire for the flexibility inherent in remote work and the emphasis on equitable and competitive compensation packages emerge as critical drivers for retaining technology professionals. In addition to these key factors, these findings underscore organizations’ need to adopt effective retention strategies, encompassing policies that endorse remote work alternatives and establish competitive compensation norms. By addressing these factors, Brazilian public institutions can cultivate a stable and committed technology professionals workforce. Consequently, this study enriches the understanding of strategic decision-making and human resource practices, offering pertinent insights for organizational enhancement.

Employment and occupational prospects and Lifelong Learning in Greece

The present paper addresses employment and occupational prospects in Greece, in the period 2011-2022, highlighting the dynamic, stagnant and declining occupations and it also addresses employment and occupational prospects in the near future (2022-2030). The role that Lifelong Learning can play in an environment of abrupt changes is also discussed. The study reveals that in the period 2011-2022, the total employment rates in Greece increased by 1.0%, with the creation of 43,002 new jobs. A large number of jobs was created for general and keyboard clerks, health professionals and information and communication technology professionals but on the other hand, a large number of jobs were destructed. Therefore, the employment and occupational prospects in Greece in the near future require further attention. The estimates presented in this paper concern the time period 2022-2030, in a two-digit occupation code and they are derived from the application of the Oxford model (Oxford Global Economic Model - GEM), which is managed by NKUA, in the framework of its eLearning program. In this time period, according to relevant estimates, the total employment rates in Greece are expected to decrease by 3.4%, with a loss of 143,998 jobs in total. This negative development, that is expected to take place in an environment of increased production (estimates of the Oxford model), indicate a paradox that is a period of economic growth which is not followed by the creation of new jobs (jobless growth). In light of this evidence, employment and occupational prospects and Lifelong learning are interlinked and often considered a favored topic for researchers, practitioners, policy makers and politicians. As occupations, dynamic, stagnant or declining, include certain tasks and skills, their evolution (and mainly in the dynamic ones) provide the necessary information areas in which long term strategy of Lifelong Learning should target. However, there seems to be a distance between policy, strategy and action. The paper suggests a more careful mapping of the job market, the lifelong learning programmes and the trainees’ prospective profiles. It also addresses the need to focus on those who rarely participate in lifelong learning programmes and are considered to also be the dropout rates from formal educational processes.

Balancing the Scales: an Investigation of Work-Life Balance Among Women in a South African Information and Communications Telecommunications Organization

Purpose – The study’s purpose was to determine the extent to which female information and communications technology professionals are aware of work-life balance policies. Aim - The objective was to assess employee understanding of work-life poli-cies in effect at their place of employment. Methodology – To analyze female employees’ experiences with work-life balance and their awareness of work-life balance policies in their organiza-tion, data from female information and communications technology profes-sionals (n=50) were collected using a quantitative technique and cross-sectional survey design. The study used inferential statistics like Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Pearson’s product-moment correlation, and T-tests as well as descriptive statistics like Measure of Central Tendency and Dispersion to analyze the data. Findings - According to the study, the majority of employees were aware that their organization had a separate work-life balance policy. Limitations of the study – Only one organization was used to test the idea of work-life balance. There were just 50 available responses, making the sample size for the questionnaire small. Practical implications – The study calls for a re-examination of work-life bal-ance policies and practices, specifically Border Theory, in order to ensure that work-life balance can enhance productivity without inadvertently resulting in poor work-life balance. To better comprehend the management of the compa-ny, the personnel should take the time to enquire about the policies and other procedures that interest them. To inform the staff of the organization’s rules and various regulations, management must also communicate with and edu-cate them. Originality/value – Further research is needed to fully explore the topic of work-life balance in information and communications technology. Such em-pirical studies have never been conducted in the South African environment. As a result, it can be said that there is a considerable level of originality in this paper. By helping lawmakers understand how women perceive work-life balance practices, the current research has the potential to help create better job design policies.

Female information and communication technology professionals’ perceptive description of work and home intricacies

Female information and communication technology professionals’ perceptive description of work and home intricacies

Thought Leader Perspectives on the Benefits, Barriers, and Enablers for Routinely Collected Electronic Health Data to Support Professional Development: Qualitative Study.

Hospitals routinely collect large amounts of administrative data such as length of stay, 28-day readmissions, and hospital-acquired complications; yet, these data are underused for continuing professional development (CPD). First, these clinical indicators are rarely reviewed outside of existing quality and safety reporting. Second, many medical specialists view their CPD requirements as time-consuming, having minimal impact on practice change and improving patient outcomes. There is an opportunity to build new user interfaces based on these data, designed to support individual and group reflection. Data-informed reflective practice has the potential to generate new insights about performance, bridging the gap between CPD and clinical practice. This study aims to understand why routinely collected administrative data have not yet become widely used to support reflective practice and lifelong learning. We conducted semistructured interviews (N=19) with thought leaders from a range of backgrounds, including clinicians, surgeons, chief medical officers, information and communications technology professionals, informaticians, researchers, and leaders from related industries. Interviews were thematically analyzed by 2 independent coders. Respondents identified visibility of outcomes, peer comparison, group reflective discussions, and practice change as potential benefits. The key barriers included legacy technology, distrust with data quality, privacy, data misinterpretation, and team culture. Respondents suggested recruiting local champions for co-design, presenting data for understanding rather than information, coaching by specialty group leaders, and timely reflection linked to CPD as enablers to successful implementation. Overall, there was consensus among thought leaders, bringing together insights from diverse backgrounds and medical jurisdictions. We found that clinicians are interested in repurposing administrative data for professional development despite concerns with underlying data quality, privacy, legacy technology, and visual presentation. They prefer group reflection led by supportive specialty group leaders, rather than individual reflection. Our findings provide novel insights into the specific benefits, barriers, and benefits of potential reflective practice interfaces based on these data sets. They can inform the design of new models of in-hospital reflection linked to the annual CPD planning-recording-reflection cycle.

A quantitative study on salient work-life balance challenge(s) influencing female information and communication technology professionals in a South African telecommunications organisation

Orientation: There have been numerous studies on women’s WLB in various industries in South Africa. This study is unique in that it investigates work-life balance among female ICT professionals in South Africa who work in a male-dominated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) sector.Research purpose: The study aimed to investigate the salient WLB challenges influencing female ICT professionals in a South African telecommunications organisation.Motivation of the study: In male-dominated sectors, understanding the factors that influence women in combining work and family life is invaluable in gaining a competitive advantage by having a committed and diverse workforce and understanding how women cope with WLB challenges.Research approach/design and method: Data were collected using a quantitative approach employing a cross-sectional survey design from female Information Communications and Technology professionals (n = 50). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, Measure Central Tendency and Dispersion, and Exploratory Factor Analysis were used in analyzing the data.Main findings: The main findings indicated the challenges of the different age groups, with the age group 21–25 exhibiting the highest score for the ability to combine work and family roles successfully.Practical/managerial implications: This study may lead to practical applications to support human resource management practitioners towards comprehending the impact of work-life balance practices, either directly or indirectly, especially females.Contribution/value-add: This study will fill the unexplored area of improving work-life balance by highlighting a unique insight into how females cope with their work-life challenges in their chosen careers.

Avaliação de usabilidade de aplicativo móvel para pacientes com cateter central de inserção periférica

to evaluate usability of the Meu PICC (My PICC) app for follow-up of outpatients using peripherally inserted central catheters through the validated System Usability Scale instrument. a cross-sectional study that applied the System Usability Scale to 30 patients using peripherally inserted central catheters, ten nurses and eight Information and Communication Technology professionals to assess usability of the app. a statistical difference was observed between age and usability (p=0.006), as well as a negative correlation between app use time and usability (p=0.002). As per the System Usability Scale adjectival classification, 40.0% and 33.3% of the patients considered the app as the best possible to be imagined and as excellent, respectively. In relation to the nurses, 70.0% considered the app as the best possible to be imagined and 20.0% as excellent; of the Information and Communication Technology professionals, 50.0% considered the app as the best possible to be imagined and the other 50.0%, as excellent. the usability assessment showed that patients, nurses and ICT professionals considered the app useful for monitoring patients using PICCs and evaluated it as appropriate, evaluating it as the best possible to be imagined or as excellent. These results corroborate use of the Meu PICC app in the monitoring of outpatient use of PICCs.

Understanding Knowledge Sharing Among ICT Professionals

This study aims to examine the knowledge-sharing intention (KSI) of information and communications technology (ICT) professionals in Saudi Arabia. A comprehensive theoretical model was constructed for this study that took into consideration individual cognition, personality traits, and social interaction. Data was collected from 240 ICT professionals and engineers from 19 companies. Data analysis and research model assessment were conducted based on structural equation modelling (SEM) in conjunction with SmartPLS software. Results indicate that social influence, attitude toward knowledge sharing, perceived reputation enhancement, and perceived reciprocal benefit have a significant impact on the variations in the knowledge-sharing behavioural intention of ICT professionals. The study results are both theoretically and empirically valuable, and organisations may find the study results useful for the creation of policies that can foster a culture of knowledge sharing.

Varieties of flexibilisation? The working lives of information and communications technology professionals in the United Kingdom and Germany

AbstractOne feature of ‘flexibilisation’ concerns the growth of more individualised employment arrangements and career trajectories less connected to employing organisations. Informed by the Varieties of Capitalism approach, which emphasises the embeddedness of employment practices within discrete types of capitalist market economy, and based on rich qualitative data from interviews with 32 self‐employed and directly employed ICT professionals in the United Kingdom and Germany, we investigate comparative variation in their experience of flexibilisation. The research findings not only indicate some commonality, particularly in respect of perceptions of independence, but also highlight notable differences with regard to work pressures and insecurity. The paper advances theory by characterising two discrete varieties of flexibilisation, a ‘liberalised’ form evident in the United Kingdom and a more ‘regulated’ type apparent in Germany, contributing to a better understanding of comparative differences in flexibilisation.

The Selection of MOOCs While Planning a Career of an it Specialist in Russia

Digitalization, which has been so much talked about, contributes to the development of many industries in Russia and in the world, but at the same time dictates new requirements for digital personnel and their competencies. To keep pace with emerging trends and information technology and plan for future careers, information and communication technology (ICT) professionals should continually update their skill sets and develop new competencies with the help of the MOOC platforms that suggest appropriate courses. However, given the wide variety of platforms and courses, one can get confused about what to choose for the future development, which courses to take and what profession to follow. The authors conduct a research on user requirements, existing MOOC recommendation systems and their functions, and propose a recommendation system that allows users to select an existing MOOC platform based on assignments and skills for ICT career planning in Russia. The article proposes a modern approach that helps IT professionals plan their future development path based on MOOC recommendations corresponding to their development needs.

What are the career implications of “seeing eye to eye”? Examining the role of leader–member exchange (LMX) agreement on employability and career outcomes

AbstractAre there career benefits to leaders and followers agreeing about the quality of their leader–member exchange (LMX) relationship? Is LMX disagreement always detrimental for a follower's career? Can the examination of LMX agreement as a substantive variable help us cast new light on some of the inconclusive findings of past research on LMX and career outcomes? These questions motivate our research. Using theories of social exchange and sponsorship, and responses from 967 leader–follower dyads of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) professionals in seven European countries, we examined the role of LMX agreement on subjective and objective career outcomes. After conducting polynomial regression combined with response surface analysis, we found that both follower‐rated and leader‐rated employability were higher when the leader agreed with the follower at a high level of LMX (vs. a low level of LMX). In case of disagreement, strong support was found for leader‐rated employability being higher when the leader's perceptions of LMX exceeded those of their follower. Furthermore, follower‐rated employability was found to mediate the relationship between LMX (dis)agreement and perceived career success, promotions, salary, and bonuses. Support was also found for the mediating role of leader‐rated employability in the case of perceived career success, promotions, and salary but not for bonuses. Our findings highlight the importance of LMX (dis)agreement for career outcomes and further point to the possibility of employability offering an alternative explanation for the mixed findings of past LMX–career research.

Assessing digital records authenticity in a Botswana government accounting system: an archival diplomatics perspective

The purpose of this paper was to assess whether Botswana’s Government Accounting and Budgeting System (GABS), an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, generates digital records and maintains them as authentic over time. GABS was deployed by the Accountant General’s Department (AGD) in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MFED), to manage accounting and financial management processes right from budgeting to expenditure. Business applications such as ERPs generate digital records whose authenticity over time may not be guaranteed because by design, they are not recordkeeping systems. This qualitative study used concepts influenced by archival diplomatics as a theoretical lens to assess the authenticity of records generated and stored in GABS . Data was collected through systems analysis and interviews with purposively selected information and communication technology (ICT) professionals at AGD. The study found out that GABS generates authentic digital records as theorised by archival diplomatics. The records are thus authentic enough to support auditing processes in the public sector of Botswana.

Leadership styles, work engagement and outcomes among information and communications technology professionals: A cross-national study

The present study examined relationships among leadership styles, work engagement and work outcomes designated by task performance and innovative work behavior among information and communication technology professionals in two countries: Ethiopia and South Korea. In total, 147 participants from Ethiopia and 291 from South Korea were made to fill in the self-reporting questionnaire intended to assess leadership styles, work engagement, task performance, and innovative work behavior. To test the proposed hypotheses, multiple linear regression analysis was utilized. The results showed that transformational leadership style had a significant positive relationship with employees' work engagement and innovative work behavior, while transactional leadership style had a significant positive relationship with employees' task performance. However, laissez-faire leadership style had a significant negative relationship with task performance. Work engagement had significant positive relationships with the indicators of work outcomes. Besides, work engagement partially mediated the relationship between leadership styles and work outcomes. The observed associations and mediation were consistent across the two national samples considered, indicating the soundness of the assumptions across countries. The findings provide insights into how leadership styles correspond with employees’ work outcomes.

Academic Success Assessment through Version Control Systems

Version control systems’ usage is a highly demanded skill in information and communication technology professionals. Thus, their usage should be encouraged by educational institutions. This work demonstrates that it is possible to assess if a student can pass a computer science-related subject by monitoring its interaction with a version control system. This paper proposes a methodology that compares the performance of several machine learning models so as to select the appropriate predicting model for the assessment of the students’ achievements. To fit predicting models, three subjects of the Degree in Computer Science at the University of León are considered to obtain the dataset: computer organization, computer programming, and operating systems extension. The common aspect of these subjects is their assignments, which are based on developing one or several programs with programming languages such as C or Java. To monitor the practical assignments and individual performance, a Git repository is employed allowing students to store source code, documentation, and supporting control versions. According to the presented experience, there is a huge correlation between the level of interaction for each student and the achieved grades.

Engaging with change: Information and communication technology professionals’ perspectives on change at the mid-point in the UK/EU Brexit process

BackgroundInformation and Communication Technology (ICT) has been a key agent of change in the 21st century. Given the role of ICT in changing society, this research explores the responses and attitudes to change over time from ICT professionals and ICT academics in dealing with the potentially far reaching political challenge triggered by the UK’s 2016 European Union Referendum and its decision to leave the European Union (Brexit). Whilst the vote was a UK based decision its ramifications have global implications and as such the research was not confined to the UK. This article presents the second phase of the research at the mid-point in the UK/European Union (EU) Brexit process, thus complementing the findings gathered immediately after the Referendum decision. The fundamental question being researched was: What are ICT professionals’ personal and professional perspectives on the change triggered by Brexit in terms of opportunities and threats?Methods and findingsData was collected through a survey launched in March 2018, one year on from the UK’s triggering of Article 50 and marking the mid-point in the two-year Brexit process. The survey replicated the one delivered at the point of the Referendum decision in 2016 with some developments. In addition, two appreciative inquiry focus groups were conducted. The research sought to understand any shifting perspectives on the opportunities and threats that would exist post-Brexit for ICT professionals and academics. 59% of survey participants were negative regarding the Brexit decision. Participants noted the position post-Brexit for the UK, and the remaining 27 EU Member States (EU27), was still very uncertain at this stage. They observed that planned change versus uncertainty provides for very different responses. In spite of the uncertainty, the participants were able to consider and advocate for potential opportunities although these were framed from national perspectives. The opportunities identified within the appreciative inquiry focus groups aligned to those recorded by survey participants with similar themes highlighted. However, the optimum conditions for change have yet to be reached as there is still not an informed position, message and clear leadership with detailed information for the ICT context. Further data will be gathered after the UK exit from the EU, assuming this occurs.

Prospects of ICT for digital growth and national development in Nigeria

The study was aimed at identifying the prospects of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for digital growth and National development. The research adopted a descriptive research methodology where a field survey was conducted. The population of the study comprised of Information and communication technology professionals in Nigeria. Furthermore, 100 information and communication technology professionals were purposively sampled from the academia and the industry, thus making the sample size 100. The instrument for primary data collection was a ten-point questionnaire. The result from the study identified artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, ubiquitous computing, Internet of Things, big data analytics and block chain technology as key ICTs technologies that are driving the digital economy, fostering digital growth and national development. The study further revealed the prospects of ICTs for digital growth and National Development in Nigeria to include; increase in revenue, elimination of the black economy, reduction in corruption; increase in trust, privacy and integrity. These prospects however are hindered by some challenges identified in the study to include; Poor infrastructure, Policy implementation issues, high cost of ICTs, irregular access to ICTs, bureaucratic bottle necks, skills gaps and cyber security issues. The study therefore recommended in-depth analysis into finding solutions for the challenges facing digitalization in Nigeria as a way of ensuring Nigeria queues in fully into the fourth industrial revolution. Keywords: Digital Growth, ICT, National Development, Digital Economies, Fourth Industrial Revolution, Nigeria

How Urban Storm- and Wastewater Management Prepares for Emerging Opportunities and Threats: Digital Transformation, Ubiquitous Sensing, New Data Sources, and Beyond - A Horizon Scan.

Ubiquitous sensing will create many opportunities and threats for urban water management, which are only poorly understood today. To identify the most relevant trends, we conducted a horizon scan regarding how ubiquitous sensing will shape the future of urban drainage and wastewater management. Our survey of the international urban water community received an active response from both the academics and the professionals from the water industry. The analysis of the responses demonstrates that emerging topics for urban water will often involve experts from different communities, including aquatic ecologists, urban water system engineers and managers, as well as information and communications technology professionals and computer scientists. Activities in topics that are identified as novel will either require (i) cross-disciplinary training, such as importing new developments from the IT sector, or (ii) research in new areas for urban water specialists, for example, to help solve open questions in aquatic ecology. These results are, therefore, a call for interdisciplinary research beyond our own discipline. They also demonstrate that the water management community is not yet prepared for the digital transformation, where we will experience a data demand, i.e. a "pull" of urban water data into external services. The results suggest that a lot remains to be done to harvest the upcoming opportunities. Horizon scanning should be repeated on a routine basis, under the umbrella of an experienced polling organization.

Attitudes of health professionals to using routinely collected clinical data for performance feedback and personalised professional development.

To learn the attitudes of health professionals, health informaticians and information communication technology professionals to using data in electronic health records (eHRs) for performance feedback and professional development. Qualitative research in a co-design framework. Health professionals' perceptions of the accessibility of data in eHRs, and barriers to and enablers of using these data in performance feedback and professional development were explored in co-design workshops. Audio recordings of the workshops were transcribed, de-identified, and thematically analysed. A total of nine co-design workshops were held in two major public hospitals in Sydney: three for nursing staff (ten participants), three for doctors (15 participants), and one each for information communication technology professionals (six participants), health informaticians (four participants), and allied health professionals (13 participants). Key themes related to attitudes of participants to the secondary use of eHR data for improving health care practice. Six themes emerged from the discussions in the workshops: enthusiasm for feeding back clinical data; formative rather than punitive use; peer comparison, benchmarking, and collaborative learning; data access and use; capturing complex clinical narratives; and system design challenges. Barriers to secondary use of eHR data included access to information, measuring performance on the basis of eHR data, and technical questions. Our findings will inform the development of programs designed to utilise routinely collected eHR data for performance feedback and professional development.

Predicting academic success through students’ interaction with Version Control Systems

Abstract Version Control Systems are commonly used by Information and communication technology professionals. These systems allow monitoring programmers activity working in a project. Thus, Version Control Systems are also used by educational institutions. The aim of this work is to evaluate if the academic success of students may be predicted by monitoring their interaction with a Version Control System. In order to do so, we have built a Machine Learning model which predicts student results in a specific practical assignment of the Operating Systems Extension subject, from the second course of the degree in Computer Science of the University of León, through their interaction with a Git repository. To build the model, several classifiers and predictors have been evaluated. In order to do so, we have developed Model Evaluator (MoEv), a tool to evaluate Machine Learning models in order to get the most suitable for a specific problem. Prior to the model development, a feature selection from input data is done. The resulting model has been trained using results from 2016–2017 course and later validated using results from 2017–2018 course. Results conclude that the model predicts students’ success with a success high percentage.

Learning Climate Perceptions as a Determinant of Employability: An Empirical Study Among European ICT Professionals.

This study investigated the role of age in the relationship between perceptions of learning climate and self- and supervisor-rated employability among European Information and Communication Technology (ICT) professionals. The psychological climate for learning was operationalized by three indicators, namely the perceptions that employees have of the learning value of their job, supervisor support for learning, and the organizational support for learning. As hypothesized, a Structural Equation Model demonstrated that the relationship between age and perceptions of learning climate was negative. The model also showed a strong positive relationship between learning climate and self-reported and supervisor-rated employability. Furthermore, learning climate perceptions appeared important for employability irrespective of life or career stage. An explorative bootstrapping-based test suggested that older workers with managerial responsibilities profit less from psychological learning climate for self-reported and supervisor-rated employability than older workers at non-managerial levels. These findings have important implications for human resource practices that aim to increase lifelong employability.