Information technology staffing strategies: On the road to 'agility'

摘要

Faced with the complex and constantly changing nature of Information Technology (IT), many managers recognize the competitive value of IT human capital. Indeed, recent findings suggest that such managers report that one of their top priorities for the 21st century involves the leveraging of IT through different staffing strategies (Segars, 2000; Bartlett, 2002; Wilson, 2005). IT staffing strategies are critical because of the value-creating potential of IT human resources that may be realized by considering the enhanced capabilities and reduced costs associated with the right staffing strategy for the organization. IT value can be realized, for example, through added insight into client customization, potential alliances, target client markets, and reduced transaction processing fees. In contrast, the selection of a particular IT staffing strategy can be problematic if it constrains a firm's agility or flexibility in terms of their ability to adapt to the pace and dynamic nature of IT and its value-creating potential.;My central research question concerns the association between organizational and economic factors and IT staffing strategies. Drawing from transaction cost theory, resource-based theory, resource-dependence theory, and human capital theory, I propose a staffing model that focuses on possible contingencies and theory-based factors that may influence the selection of flexible or agile IT staffing strategies. I examine IT staffing strategies broadly, not focusing on a particular IT staffing strategy such as internal development, offshoring, or forming alliances. Such research can help in understanding how firms array different IT staffing strategies and what some of the critical determinants are of those different strategies. This research develops a framework and methodology in order to explore the relationships between IT knowledge, technological uncertainty, and behavioral uncertainty, frequency of occurrence, core competency, IT labor supply, and strategic orientation of an organization in relation to six IT staffing strategies (three internal strategies and three external strategies).;In evaluating the Information Technology Staffing Strategy Model (ITSS) a comprehensive literature review was conducted to develop a survey instrument. The research methodology was a mail survey involving 187 respondent firms. The analysis consisted of testing of model fit and hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of the study provide evidence that organizational and environmental factors used in the IT staffing strategy model do influence the choice of IT staffing strategy. Additionally, the significant findings from the SEM analysis indicate support for several of the hypothesized relationships for the staffing strategies. This dissertation contributes to business and academia by providing a framework, which can be used as a tool to assist in the staffing strategy decision. Furthermore, this research provides a new staffing strategy measurement instrument, which can be used for future research.