Information Technology Workers Research Articles

Гендерні та вікові особливості феномену емоційного вигорання серед фахівців у галузі інформаційних технологій

The research focuses on gender and age aspects of emotional burnout among information technology (IT) professionals and examines the influence of various factors, such as gender and age, on the occurrence and development of emotional burnout in IT workers. The research analyses the relationship between gender and emotional burnout, reveals possible differences in the perception of the working environment, stressful situations, and the ability of coping strategies between men and women in the IT field. The influence of age factors on emotional burnout is also studied, it is analyzed how the levels of stress and burnout change during different stages of career growth. The research aims to identify the specifics of coping with stressful situations and effective methods of preventing emotional burnout for different groups of IT workers. Various aspects of emotional burnout are considered, including stress at work, dissatisfaction with career growth, age, and gender differences in the perception of workload and emotional well-being. The study aims to expand the understanding of the problem of emotional burnout in the context of the IT industry and provides grounds for the development of personalized strategies to support and manage emotional risks in this professional environment. In addition, specific recommendations are offered for the development of gender-sensitive and age-oriented burnout prevention programs (individual support strategies, stress management training and creation of working conditions conducive to maintaining mental health). Also presented are directions for further research in this area for a deeper understanding of gender and age aspects of burnout, studying the relationship between working conditions and emotional burnout, developing, and evaluating the effectiveness of intervention programs, as well as considering the latest technologies and changes in the work environment. These studies will contribute to the expansion of knowledge about emotional burnout and the development of more effective strategies to prevent and overcome it.

Трансформация рынка труда и запрос на новый тип ИТ-специалистов в тренде цифровой экономики

The article presents the main trends of the labor market in terms of the demand for a new type of IT specialists in the digital economy. The article forms a comprehensive understanding of the trends in the IT specialists’ labor market development in the context of the digital economy transformation and trends’ interaction with educational institutions through the acquisition of new professional competencies. To determine the relevance of the topic and identify key objectives, the authors performed a multidimensional bibliometric analysis of publication activity using six basic terms and their combinations. The article presents a statistical review of the IT personnel number in the world and Russia, the changes in the employment forms and the requirements for professional competencies in accordance with the Industry 4.0 paradigm, and confirms the hypothesis of insufficient flexibility and adaptability of the higher education system in terms of requests for a new type of IT specialists. The authors confirm the necessity for transforming the labor market and adapting to new realities on the part of both IT companies and specialists in the field. The study serves as a prerequisite for forecasting personnel needs and identifying structural changes in the digital skills of information and computer technology workers.

Optimizing organizational success: Matching the right position with the right person

The purpose of this study is to identify the core capabilities required of Information Technology workers working in IT firms. Personal competencies, technical competencies, job-related competencies, interpersonal competencies, knowledge level competencies, and management competencies were all employed in the study, and they are all linked to IT employees’ performance and help them thrive in their jobs. The existing study is primary in nature and involves retrieval of responses from IT employees through structured questionnaire ranged from 1–5 Likert scale. The sample size of the study is 176 respondents using purposive random sampling techniques. The study ‘s findings imply that in order to get a competitive advantage in the business industry, every individual in the company should be involved in improving productivity and efficiency at work. Similarly, the firm faces a difficult task in retaining people and persuading them to stay current in their fields of expertise or critical performance areas. As a result, competency mapping will aid the organisation in finding the expected skills of each employee in relation to the jobʼs actual skill set. Specific training initiatives to overcome the skill shortfall of IT employees should be taken based on the identified gaps.

Characteristics of mental disorders among information technology workers in 238 compensated cases in Japan.

This study aimed to investigate the circumstances, characteristics, and background factors of mental disorders within the information technology (IT) industry, which is known for the frequent occurrence of mental disorders from overwork and poor psychosocial work environment. The study analyzed 238 cases of mental disorders and suicides in the IT industry from fiscal years 2010 to 2018 on the database constructed by the Japan Research Center for Overwork-Related Disorders. The results showed a higher number of cases among men (n=178, 74.8%) and an increasing number among women. The data for diagnosis of mental diseases indicated a high number of depressive episodes (150 cases, 63.0%). Regarding work-induced psychological burden, 37 cases (15.5%) reported "extremely long working hours" for "special events" and 65 cases (27.3%) reported "constantly long working hours". For "specific events", 87 cases (36.6%) reportedly "caused (major) changes in the content and amount of work". Among women, 13 cases (21.7%) of "sexual harassment" (SH), which showed an increasing trend. Therefore, in the IT industry, the working hours must be properly managed. Mental health measures should also accompany improved psychosocial environment in the workplace, and prohibition of SH at work in particular.

Quality of communications infrastructure, local structural transformation, and inequality

Abstract We estimate the causal impact of communication infrastructure quality on growth and structural transformation. We use variation across US counties’ Internet speeds in 2018 and build an instrument using ARPANET, a military network that preceded the modern Internet, with its location documented in historical government reports. We find that doubling Internet speeds increases the 4-year employment growth by 3.3–6.1 percentage points. Faster Internet shifts economic activity toward high-skilled services and away from non-tradeable services while increasing inequality. Industry linkages, capital-skill complementarity, and information and communication technology workers’ sorting rationalize our results. Medium and small cities and rural areas drive our results.

Are IT Workers from Mars? An Examination of Their National Culture Dimensions

The information technology (IT) workforce is characterized by several unique and contextual factors, such as the technology, the occupation itself, and the human factors. Among the human factors, global information systems (IS) studies have examined the role of national culture to explain many workforce differences and nuances across nations. In such cross-cultural research, IS researchers have primarily utilized the published scores of national culture dimensions as provided by the preeminent social psychologist and culture scholar Geert Hofstede and have applied them to various IT populations within a country. Given that the IT profession is unique in many respects, and there is cultural heterogeneity within a country, our study embarked on independently measuring and verifying the national culture values of IT employees in 37 countries. By using the original Hofstede scales, scores were obtained on five national culture dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity, and long-term orientation. We found significant differences between the national culture scores of IT employees and those available in the literature for the general population. Our results are novel and have profound significance. There are major implications for both past and future studies in cross-cultural research as well as for practitioners who interpret and utilize the findings of such research.

Can proactively induced organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) foster positive work attitudes? Theorising the mediating role of ‘meaning of work’ for IT professionals

AbstractGiven the high employee turnover rates among information technology (IT) professionals, firms are on the lookout for ways to retain them. With this end in view, to keep their professionals committed and satisfied, many IT firms are making proactive efforts to induce a favourable organisational environment by encouraging employees towards extra‐role organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). However, there is scant evidence as to whether orchestrating proactively induced OCB results in positive work attitudes. Our study contributes by theorising the mechanisms through which OCB fosters positive work attitudes among IT professionals, which is expected to lower their turnover rates. Grounding our research in self‐perception and self‐determination theories, we hypothesize the relationships between IT professionals' OCB and their affective attitudes towards their organisation and job, as being mediated by their cognitive evaluations of the ‘meaning of their IT work’. We test the theorised model with data collected through a large‐scale two‐wave survey design from a multinational IT‐services company. The results offer a nuanced understanding of the relationship between OCB and positive work attitudes for IT professionals, which have significant implications for research and practice.

Effects of work-related electronic communication during non-working hours after work from home and office on fatigue, psychomotor vigilance performance and actigraphic sleep: observational study on information technology workers

ObjectivesThis study examined the effects of work-related electronic communication (WREC) during non-working hours in the work from home or office setting on health.MethodsThe study recruited 98 information technology workers in...

Flexible Working Arrangements and Work-Family Culture Effects on Job Satisfaction: The Mediation Role of Work-Family Conflicts among Female Employees

Objective: This study examines the relationship between flexible working arrangements and work-family culture by the mediating role of work-family conflict on the job satisfaction of female employees. Methods: This study was conducted on 295 female workers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) service companies. The data were collected from an online survey using a 6-Point Likert scale following a non-probability sampling method with a purposive sampling technique which was a sampling method based on specific predetermined standards. The data was analyzed using Lisrel 8.80 through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Findings: The results indicate that flexible working arrangements positively and significantly impact work-family conflict and job satisfaction. Additionally, Work-Family Culture has a negative and significant impact on Work-Family Conflict but a positive and significant impact on Job Satisfaction. Meanwhile, Work-family conflict significantly and negatively affects job satisfaction. Another finding is that the relationship between flexible working arrangements and job satisfaction and the impact of work-family culture can be partially mediated by work-family conflict. Originality/Value: Research on work-family variables tends to be mostly studied in the United States and Anglo Countries (U.K., Australia). However, research on this subject in Asia is limited, despite the fact that female employees in this region experience work-family conflicts more frequently. To fill this gap, this study was conducted in Indonesia, Southeast Asia. The findings of this research may also be relevant to other Asian countries that share similar characteristics. Practical/Policy implication: The company's human resources management should implement a family-friendly work culture (WFC) by encouraging and respecting employees' integration of work and family life to prevent and minimize conflict between work and family roles or called Work-Family Conflict (WFCON) during Flexible Working Arrangements (FWA).

The Prevalence and Correlated Factors of Occupational Stress, Cumulative Fatigue, and Musculoskeletal Disorders among Information Technology Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chongqing, China.

Occupational stress, cumulative fatigue, and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are major concerns in the field of occupational health. Previous studies on occupational health focused on key industries, such as medical care, while there were few related studies on Information Technology (IT) industry. Our study explored the factors influencing occupational stress, cumulative fatigue, and musculoskeletal disorders in the IT industry. We collected 1363 IT workers' valid questionnaires, of which 73.1% of participants were technicians in Chongqing, 2021. The core occupational stress scale (COSS), self-diagnosis checklist for the assessment of workers' accumulated fatigue and Chinese musculoskeletal disorders questionnaire were used to measure the occupational stress, cumulative fatigue, and musculoskeletal disorders of the respondents. Logistic regressions were used to explore the correlated factors affecting these indicators. The results showed that the prevalence of occupational stress, cumulative fatigue, and musculoskeletal disorders was 50.4%, 47%, and 72.3%, respectively. Working in the current position for 3-10 years was a common increased risk for all three indicators. Insomnia was associated with an increased risk of cumulative fatigue (Odds Ratio, OR = 2.156, p < 0.001) and musculoskeletal disorders (OR = 1.878, p < 0.001). Cumulative fatigue was also associated with an increased risk of having WMSDs (OR = 3.207, p < 0.001). According to our findings, occupational factors, such as long working years, overtime work, and personal lifestyle, are highly related to the occurrence of occupational stress, cumulative fatigue, and musculoskeletal disorders for IT industry workers. More attention should be paid to women and those with long working hours in the IT industry.

EVALUATING INTERVENTIONS AND COPING MECHANISMS FOR ALLEVIATING OCCUPATIONAL STRESS IN THE IT INDUSTRY AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON JOB PERFORMANCE

Occupational stress is a growing problem in todays businesses of all sizes. Companies dependent on IT are not exempt from this rule. The Information Technology (IT) industry in Bangalore, India main IT city, is one of the top ten most stressful workplaces in the country. Although the IT industry has embraced new technologies and innovation, workers are overburdened with tasks and experiencing high levels of stress. Stress is on the rise among IT workers because of the industrys rapid pace of change. This research aimed to determine what factors in the IT industry contribute to employees stress levels. The effects of stress on the health of IT workers are highlighted in this research. This research also makes an effort to zero in on the stress management initiatives undertaken by several IT companies. Despite efforts to lessen occupational stress among IT personnel, the studys findings reveal that many different factors contribute to mental health problems in the industry. According to the results of this survey, the majority of workers experienced both mental and physical stress as a result of their workloads. KEYWORDS: Occupational Stress, IT Industry, Job performance, Evaluation, Intervention

How COVID-19 Affected the Work Environment and Psycho-Social Health of Information Technology Workers

How COVID-19 Affected the Work Environment and Psycho-Social Health of Information Technology Workers

Cancer risk in information technology workers: a UK Biobank study.

The information technology (IT) workforce has been growing more rapidly than others, with occupational health (OH) risks of sedentary behaviour, physical inactivity and poor diet, yet studies of their non-communicable disease risk, notably cancer, are lacking. To investigate cancer risk in IT workers compared to others in employment and the nine major Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) groups. We evaluated incident diagnosed cancers in the UK Biobank cohort through national cancer registry linkage. Cox proportional hazard regression models, with 15-year follow-up, were used to compare incident cancer risk among IT workers with all other employed participants and with the nine major SOC groups. Overall, 10 517 (4%) employed participants were IT workers. Adjusting for confounders, IT workers had a slightly lower cancer incidence compared to all other employed participants (Model 2: hazard ratio = 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83-1.01). Compared to the nine major SOC groups, they had a similar (Major Groups 2, 5 and 8) or lower (Major Groups 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9) cancer incidence. Despite their occupational risks of sedentary behaviour, poor diet and physical inactivity, IT workers do not have an increased cancer incidence compared to all other employed participants and the nine major SOC groups. This study paves the way for large, longitudinal health outcome studies of this under-researched and rapidly growing occupational group.

A pilot study of transdisciplinary graduate capabilities, interpersonal communication, and technical competence: Bachelor of Applied IT and Master of Social Work student partnership

Academics at Griffith university envisioned a complementary learning and supportive relationship could be developed between Bachelor of Information Technology (BAIT) students and Master of Social Work (MSW) students. Discussions between discipline specific staff highlighted that each discipline had strengths and expertise that could assist students to overcome challenges brought about by systemic changes in tertiary education, gaps in skillsets and curriculum, and workforce expectations. Pressures included students attending university from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, the increasing importance of information technology (IT) in the classroom and workplace, as well as the requirement to communicate effectively across a range of disciplines. Working, interacting, and communicating effectively in cross-discipline and culturally diverse environments is a requisite for all graduates, however academics found there were few opportunities for students to partner across disciplinary silos. Staff from both disciplines collaborated to develop a conversational pedagogical framework to underpin a pilot program to support peer learning, using active problem-based learning with IT and social work students. The pilot program evidenced a complementary transdisciplinary, learning partnership and enabled students from IT to help students from social work develop IT skills, while social work students assisted IT students to become more confident in their interpersonal communication skills.

Unlocking Success in IT: A Systematic Exploration of Soft and Hard Skills and Their Collaborative Dynamics across Information Technology Roles

The ability to identify and develop critical soft and hard skills is paramount for professionals seeking to excel in the Information Technology (IT) industry. A groundbreaking and systematic exploration of the essential soft and hard skills required for various IT roles is presented in this paper, along with a discussion of how collaborative dynamics influence their interconnection. In this study, we propose a novel model that explains the intricate relationships between these skills and how they impact performance within and across IT roles, based on a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, in-depth interviews with industry experts, and a large-scale survey of IT professionals.&#x0D; Our findings indicate distinct soft and hard skill requirements for each IT role, emphasizing the importance of a well-rounded skill set for effective collaboration and synergy. Moreover, our research reveals the dynamic nature of the IT sector, indicating a growing need for professionals who are capable of adapting and growing their skills as technology advances.&#x0D; As IT professionals, educators, and organizations strive to understand and develop the skills necessary to succeed in the industry, the proposed model serves as a valuable resource. Furthermore, our findings contribute to the ongoing discourse regarding the future of work in IT, providing insights into the evolving nature of skills and roles, as well as the critical connections that drive innovation and progress.

SUNFIT: A Machine Learning-Based Sustainable University Field Training Framework for Higher Education

With the rapid advances in Information Technology (IT), the focus on engaging computing students to gain practical experience in the IT industry before graduation is becoming increasingly complex without incorporating pedagogical strategies of success in curricula. The goal is to enable computing major students to gain in-depth knowledge and practical understanding of the IT working environment before graduating through essential industry-driven practical skills based on international standards and best practices. Unfortunately, tracking and analyzing students’ practical skills performance during their IT field training programs, which are conducted primarily off-campus at various public and private organizations, before, during, and after the training period, is a daunting task for both the college instructors and the industry trainers. To overcome these challenges, this paper introduces a Sustainable University Field Training (SUNFIT) framework, which is a pedagogical approach towards mining the educational data using machine learning to integrate and measure the field training programs against the internationally recognized accreditation standards such as Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The study employs machine learning models aimed at continuously measuring and monitoring international ABET accreditation requirements on computing major courses’ academic data, elucidating student performance across various semesters, integrating best practices, and producing an evidence-based rationale approach for evaluating weak learning outcomes (LOs) with minimal manual intervention, as well as preventing faculty-specific portfolio errors. The proposed approach could be easily developed by academics, researchers, or even students, and for a variety of purposes, including enhancing poor student outcomes (SOs). In addition, various data mining and machine learning approaches have been investigated over field training assessment data for successful prediction in subsequent cycles. The results are promising, with Naïve Bayes obtaining the highest accuracy of 90.54% followed by J48 and PART algorithms at 87.83%.

Development and usability evaluation of an electronic health report form to assess health in young people: a mixed-methods approach

BackgroundElectronic Patient-Reported Outcomes (ePROs) have potential to improve health outcomes and healthcare. The development of health-technology applications, such as ePROs, should include the potential users and be theoretically grounded. Swedish Youth Health Clinics (YHCs) offer primarily sexual and psychological healthcare for young people aged 12 to 25 years old. Young people in healthcare settings are considered a vulnerable group. The development of a collection of Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) in an Electronic Health Report Form (eHRF) for identifying health and health-related problems in young people, was preceded by a qualitative interview study, exploring young people’s views on using an eHRF at YHCs and which questions about health an eHRF should contain. The aim of the current study was to develop and evaluate the usability of an eHRF prototype for identifying health and health-related problems in young people visiting YHCs.MethodsThis study used a participatory design. During the development, an expert panel consisting of eight researchers and one Information Technology worker, participated. A wide literature search was performed to find PROs to construct an eHRF prototype to cover health areas. A mixed methods usability evaluation included 14 participants (young people, healthcare professionals, and an expert panel).ResultsThe development resulted in an eHRF prototype, containing ten reliable and valid health questionnaires addressing mental-, physical-, and sexual health and social support, a self-efficacy question, and background questions, in total 74 items. The interviews in the usability evaluation resulted in three categories describing the usability of the eHRF: ‘Captures the overall health of young people but needs clarification’, ‘Fun, easy, and optional and will keep young people’s interest’, and ‘Potential contribution to improve the health consultation’. The quantitative results support the usability of the eHRF for YHCs.ConclusionsThe participatory approach contributed to development of the eHRF prototype to cover health areas adapted for the target population. The usability evaluation showed that the eHRF was usable and had the potential for self-reflection and contributions to cooperation between young people and healthcare professionals during the health consultation.

IT Professionals' Turnaway Intention and the Role of Technostress

The supply of global information technology (IT) workers does not meet the demand of the industry. Therefore, researchers try to distill ways to increase and retain the IT talent pipeline. Ensuring that IT professionals remain in their IT careers is an essential element of such research. The influence of technostress on job turnover is evident. Yet, we know little about the impact of technostress on career turnaway and its interaction effects on the antecedents of turnaway intention. While job turnover may negatively impact a specific organization, career turnaway has negative implications for the industry. Losing IT professionals from the field means that additional efforts toward motivating, recruiting, educating, and preparing replacement talent are needed. By examining the dynamics of technostress on IT professionals' career turnaway intention (N=512), we reveal two critical findings. First, technostress reduces the IT professional's commitment to their IT career and increases exhaustion from their IT career experience. Second, technostress moderates IT professionals' commitment to their profession and career turnaway intentions. To remedy these concerns, we provide managerial advice and provide suggestions for future research.

The effect of information technology (IT) on household income among farmers in Ghana: How does access to financial services serve as a mediator

n emerging countries, information technology (IT) and access to financial services (AFS) are critical determinants determining household income. However, little is known about how IT and AFS work together to increase home wellbeing. This research aims to look into the influence of access to financial services in mediating the impact of IT on household income in Ghana. The study investigates the role of social networks as a moderator in the IT-AFS interaction. A multi-stage sampling strategy was used to collect data from 478 farmers for this study. The study discovered that having access to technology and financial services increases household income. Due to the mediation role of access to financial services, the positive impact of access to IT on household income was also proven. The variable, social network, influenced these mechanisms. This research shows how having access to technology and financial inclusion can help people get out of poverty. This work adds to the body of knowledge. The paper includes policies for ensuring IT and AFS development to improve the welfare of rural households.

Influence of career commitment and employee competency on career management

The objective of the research on which this article is based was to comprehend the impact of career commitment and employee competency on the career management of information technology (IT) professionals in the Kathmandu Valley. The study employed an exploratory research design, drawing on social cognitive theory. Data were analysed using quantitative methods, specifically descriptive and inferential analysis, utilising a structured questionnaire. The study employed convenience sampling to collect data from 232 IT workers in Kathmandu Valley, utilising the KOBO Toolbox for data collection. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed for data analysis. The experience of stress and burnout, as well as feelings of inadequate confidence and insufficient training, are significant impediments to career management among IT professionals. The findings of the SEM analysis indicate that there exists a statistically significant relationship between career commitment and employee competency with respect to career management. The field of career management for IT professionals is currently in its nascent stage in Nepal. However, with increasing awareness among employers and individuals, its importance is steadily gaining momentum. Thus, it is imperative for HR managers to establish effective policies that facilitate the professional growth of employees.