| Because of the emphasis on quality products and services in industry, educational institutions must prepare students for work in a quality culture. Since Information Technology/Information Systems (IT/IS) personnel are required to work in many different functional areas of a business, they must possess the understanding and skills necessary to support an organizational quality effort. The primary purpose of this study was to determine what quality-culture competencies should be emphasized in an IT/IS curriculum. Secondary purposes were to determine the quality-culture competencies expected of IT/IS personnel in U.S. quality organizations; to determine the quality-culture competencies emphasized in IT/IS degree programs at supplier colleges and universities to U.S. quality organizations; and to determine the level of agreement that existed between the quality-culture competencies emphasized in IT/IS degree programs and the competencies expected of the IT/IS personnel in U.S. quality organizations.;The research was completed with 94 U.S. quality organizations and with 28 colleges and universities, identified by the quality organization representatives as suppliers of IT/IS graduates. A pilot study was conducted. Two quality-culture competency questionnaires, one for industry participants and one for academic participants, were used for the direct-mail survey. The questionnaires solicited the opinions of IT/IS personnel and IT/IS chairpersons regarding the degree of importance placed on quality-culture competencies in the IT/IS workplace and in IT/IS degree programs.;Data received from industry respondents were analyzed using analysis of variance with the competency ratings as dependent variables and demographic profile data as independent variables. Results for the demographic factors type of organization, type of IT/IS organization, and geographic region were statistically significant (p ≤ .05), indicating that they may have influenced the competency ratings. Data received from academic respondents were analyzed using analysis of variance with the competency ratings as dependent variables and geographic region as the independent variable. The results were not statistically significant.;For the comparison analysis, pairwise t tests and effect sizes were calculated to determine the magnitude of differences in the mean competency ratings in the two groups. The results were significant (p ≤ .05), indicating lack of agreement about competency emphasis. |
