Structural Shifts in Career Anchors of Information Systems Personnel: A Preliminary Empirical Analysis
Prior research on information systems personnel (ISP) examined the nature of individuals' career orientations (or career anchors), that are expected to represent a stable individual characteristic. However, the composition of individuals attracted to IS profession, as it pertains to dominant career anchors, can change to suit the environmental conditions, such as availability of jobs. This research studied this structural shift in career anchors of ISPs by administering the Career Orientations Inventory (COI) to 163 IS employees. Consistent with the findings of earlier studies, nine career orientations (Managerial Competence, Identity, Variety, Service, Geographic Security, Autonomy, Organizational Stability, Technical Competence, and Creativity) were evident in this sample. In contrast to studies conducted ten years ago, the study found a significant structural shift in the dominant anchors of ISPs. The paper presents the results of the study along with a discussion of some implications for management of ISPs.