Do What They Say, Not What I Teach: A Strategic Look at the Information Systems Skills Gap

Abstract

There has been a great deal of research conducted to examine the alleged gap between the knowledge and skills taught to students regarding the tools used to design and implement information systems and those tools actually required in industry. However, not as much effort has been put into determining the actual use of those tools. This research examines what tools and procedures are actually being utilized in the creation of information systems in industry. Utilizing semi-structured interviews, a much different view of systems design procedures emerges than what students are led to believe are actually used. The prevalence of "home-grown" processes, or sometimes no definable processes at all, can have a serious impact on employee productivity and, ultimately, a system's ability to fulfill its strategic objectives.