Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
skip to main content
research-article

A framework of the use of certifications by hiring personnel in it hiring decisions

Published: 04 March 2011 Publication History

Abstract

IT certification represents a common and growing practice with significant implications for managing in-house IT workers and outsourcing contracts. Prior research is of limited value in understanding its use in common personnel decisions, such as hiring, and its role in the IS profession because of possible sponsor bias, conflicting findings, and inattention to the hiring process or the value of certification from the perspective of hiring personnel. Using an inductive approach, we developed a framework for understanding the use of IT certification in hiring. Contextual and proximate factors are identified, as are the various ways that IT certification is used. Our study provides a bridge between the beliefs of hiring personnel and existing theories to better understand a phenomenon of growing importance. Research questions for further empirical investigation are explored, showing that our conceptual framework provides a base for future research.

References

[1]
2000 Training and Certification Study, 2000. Gartner Consulting, retrieved December 22, 2010 from http://www.prometric.com/itstudy.
[2]
2001 Training and Certification Study, 2001. Gartner Consulting, retrieved December 22, 2010 from http://www.prometric.com/NR/rdonlyres/ecuxe6htwxvwawrtq3rvvhcfdpzolxokhf6i7i5r5xgr3pqeu47tbrdd46imcivbpv3slj3bh73yxstwwt5yuo4mv5b/Gartnerstudy2001_findings.pdf.
[3]
Adelman, C. 2000. A Parallel Postsecondary Universe: The Certification System in Information Technology, U.S. Department of Education: Washington, DC, pp. 1--43.
[4]
Ajzen, I. 1985. "From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior," in Action-control: From cognition to behavior, J. Kuhl & J. Beckman (eds.), Heidelberg, Germany: Springer, pp. 11--39.
[5]
Ajzen, I. 2001. "Nature and Operation of Attitudes," Annual Review of Psychology (52), pp. 27--58.
[6]
Ajzen, I 2006. Theory of planned behavior diagram, retrieved March 3, 2009 from Icek Ajzen: Homepage: http://people.umass.edu/aizen/tpb.diag.html.
[7]
Ajzen, I., and Fishbein, M. (eds.). 1980. Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
[8]
Ajzen, I., and Fishbein, M. 2005. "The influence of attitudes on behavior," in Handbook of attitudes, D. Albarracín, B. T. Johnson and M. P. Zanna (eds.), Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
[9]
Ajzen, I., and Madden, T. J. 1986. "Prediction of Goal-Directed Behavior: Attitudes, Intentions, and Perceived Behavioral Control," Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (22), pp. 453--474.
[10]
Akhavan, P., Jafari, M. and Fathian, M. 2006. "Critical success factors of knowledge management systems: a multi-case analysis," European Business Review (18:2), pp. 97--113.
[11]
Al-Rawi, A. Bouslama, F. and Lansar A. 2006. "Preparing Undergraduate Students for IT Certification," Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology (3), pp. 33--44.
[12]
Al-Rawi, A. Lansar A., and Bouslama, F. 2005. "A Holistic Approach to Develop IS Curricula: Focusing on Accreditation and IT Certification," Journal of Information Technology Education (4), pp.307--327.
[13]
Alliger, G. M. and Janak, E. A. 1989. "Kirkpatrick's Levels of Training Criteria: Thirty Years Later," Personnel Psychology (42:2), pp. 331--342.
[14]
Anderson, J. E., Barrett, K. S., and Schwager, P. H. 2002. "Information Systems Certification: The Perspective of the Human Resource Manager," Proceedings of the Eighth Americas Conference on Information Systems.
[15]
Armitage, C. J. and Conner, M. 2000. "Efficacy of the theory of planned behavior: a meta-analytic review," British Journal of Social Psychology (40), pp. 471--499.
[16]
Bandura, A. 1994. "Self-efficacy," in Encyclopedia of human behavior (4), V. S. Ramachaudran (ed.), New York: Academic Press, pp. 71--81.
[17]
Benefits and Productivity Gains Realized Through IT Certification, an IDC White Paper. 1999. Framingham, MA: International Data Corporation.
[18]
Boone, C. and Matthews, K. 2001. Evaluating the Benefits of Check Point Certification, an IDC White Paper, Framingham, MA: International Data Corporation.
[19]
Brewer, R. and Segal, R. 1999. Evaluating the Benefits and Market Perceptions of Novell Certification, an IDC White Paper, Framingham, MA: International Data Corporation.
[20]
Carmines E. G. and Zeller, R. A. (eds.) 1979. Reliability and Validity Assessment, Newbury Park: SAGE Publications.
[21]
Cegielski, C. G., Rebman, C. M., and Reithel, B. J. 2003. "The Value of Certification: An Empirical Assessment of the Perceptions of End-users of Local Area Networks," Information Systems Journal (13:1), pp. 97--108.
[22]
Cegielski, C. 2004. "Who Values Technology Certification?" Communications of the ACM (47:10), pp. 103--105.
[23]
Chan, P. 2001. "Increasing Demand for IT Certification," New Straits Times-Management Times (Feb. 22, 2001).
[24]
Chau, P. Y. K., and Hu, P. J-H. 2001. "Information Technology Acceptance by Individual Professionals: A Model Comparison Approach," Decision Sciences (32:4), pp. 699--719.
[25]
Childs, K. 2002. "Conquering the IT Job Market - Find the Right Job For You!" Certification Magazine (4).
[26]
Crook, C. and Kumar, R. 1998. "Electronic Data Interchange: A Multiple Industry Investigation Using Grounded Theory," Information and Management (34:2), pp. 75--90.
[27]
Darling-Hammond, L., Berry, B., and Thoreson A. 2001. "Does Teacher Certification Matter? Evaluating the Evidence," Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis (23:1), pp. 57--77.
[28]
Deephouse, D. L. 1996. "Does isomorphism legitimate?" Academy of Management Journal (39:4), pp. 1024--1039.
[29]
Dimaggio, P. J. and Powell, W. W. 1983. "The iron cage revisited-Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields," American Sociological Review (48:2), pp. 147--160.
[30]
Dohner, S. 2001. "Industry Research: The Value of Certification," Galton Technologies presentation at the Results 2001 Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.
[31]
Draper, J. 2000. Has Certification Lost Its Luster? Certification Magazine (2:5), May.
[32]
Fink, D. and Shoeib, A. 2003. "Action: the most critical phase in outsourcing information technology," Logistics Information Management (16:5), pp. 302--311.
[33]
Fisher, R., and Ury, W. L. 1981. Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
[34]
Gabelhouse, G. 2001. "Certification: Something of Value," Certification Magazine (3:12).
[35]
Gabelhouse, G. 2002. "Certification, Salaries & the IT Market," Certification Magazine (4:12), pp. 26--34.
[36]
Giddens, A. 1986. The constitution of society : outline of the theory of structuration, University of California Press: Berkeley.
[37]
Gilhooly, K. 2001. "Certifications: Who Needs 'em?" Computerworld. (35:1), September 10, 2001, p. 38.
[38]
Glaser, B. G. 1992. Basics of Grounded Theory Analysis: Emergence vs. Forcing, Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press.
[39]
Glaser, B. G., and Strauss, A. L. 1967. The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research, New York: Aldine Publishing Company.
[40]
Golden-Biddle, K. and Locke, K. D. 1997. Composing qualitative research, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
[41]
Harrison, D. A., Mykytyn, P. P. Jr., and Riemenschneider, C. K. 1997. "Executive decisions about adoption of information technology in small business: Theory and empirical tests," Information Systems Research (8:2), pp. 171--195.
[42]
Hitchcock, L. 2005. "Industry Certification: Value, Validity, and a Place for SoDIS®," ACM SIGCSE Bulletin (37:4), December 2005, pp. 59--63.
[43]
Hunsinger, D. S. and Smith. M. A. 2005. "Predicting Hiring Managers' Intentions to Use IT Certification in the Selection Process," Journal of Information Technology Management (16:4), pp. 1--18.
[44]
Hunsinger, D. S. and Smith, M. A. 2008. "Factors that Influence Information Systems Undergraduates to Pursue IT Certification," Journal of Information Technology Education (7), pp. 247--265.
[45]
Ingram, K. L., Cope, J. G., Harju, B. L, and Wuensch, K. L. 2000. "Applying to Graduate School: A Test of the Theory of Planned Behavior," Journal of Social Behavior and Personality (15:2), pp. 215--225.
[46]
Kirkpatrick, D. L. 1959. "Techniques for Evaluating Training Programs," Journal for the American Society of Training Directors (13:11), pp. 3--9, 21--26.
[47]
Kirkpatrick, D. L. 1960. "Techniques for Evaluating Training Programs." Journal for the American Society of Training Directors (14:1), pp. 13--18, 28--32.
[48]
Kraiger, K., Ford, J. K., and Salas E. 1993. "Application of Cognitive, Skill-Based, and Affective Theories of Learning Outcomes to New Methods of Training Evaluation," Journal of Applied Psychology (78:2), pp. 311--328.
[49]
Martin, P. Y. and Turner, B.A. 1986. "Grounded theory and organizational research," Journal of Applied Behavioral Science (22:2), pp. 141--157.
[50]
Martinez, A. 2001. Certification: The Year 2001 in Review, GoCertify retrieved December 22, 2010 from http://www.gocertify.com/article/certification2001.shtml.
[51]
Maznevski, M. L. and Chudoba, K. M. 2000. "Bridging space over time: Global virtual team dynamics and effectiveness," Organization Science (11:5), pp. 473--492.
[52]
McCarthy, K. 2002. Money Matters: The 2002 Salary Survey, Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine, retrieved December 22, 2010, from http://mcpmag.com/articles/2002/01/01/salary-survey-2002.aspx.
[53]
Morimoto, R., Ash, J., and Hope, C. 2005. "Corporate Social Responsibility Audit: From Theory to Practice," Journal of Business Ethics (62:4), pp. 315--325.
[54]
Orlikowski, W. J. 1993. "CASE Tools as Organizational Change: Investigating Incremental and Radical Changes in Systems Development," MIS Quarterly (17:3), pp. 309--340.
[55]
Orlikowski, W. J. and Baroudi, J. 1989. "The Information Systems Profession: Myth or Reality?" Office: Technology and People 4(1), p. 13.
[56]
Orlikowski, W. J. 2000. "Using Technology and Constituting Structures: A Practice Lens for Studying Technology in Organizations," Organization Science (11:4), pp. 404--428.
[57]
Peace, A. G., Galletta, D. F., and Thong, J. Y. L. 2003. "Software Piracy in the Workplace: A Model and Empirical Test," Journal of Management Information Systems (20:1), pp. 153--177.
[58]
Porter, M. E. 1980. Competitive Strategy, The Free Press: New York.
[59]
Randall, M., and Zirkle. C. 2005. "Information Technology Student-Based Certification in Formal Education Settings: Who Benefits and What Is Needed," Journal of Information Technology Education (4), pp. 287--306.
[60]
Rowe, J. 2003. "IT certifications: lessons from other industries," Certification Magazine, April 2003, retrieved December 22, 2010 from http://www.certmag.com/read.php?in=171.
[61]
Schaffhauser, D. 2002. "2002 Salary Survey - Second Annual TCPmag.com Cisco Salary Survey," TCPMag.com, retrieved December 22, 2010, from http://tcpmag.com/salarysurveys/print.asp?EditorialsID=198.
[62]
Segal, R. and Chen, S. 1998. Financial Benefits to Supporters of Microsoft Professional Certification, an IDC White Paper. Framingham, MA: International Data Corporation.
[63]
Sosbe, T. 2001. "Certification Training: Real Results, Real Value," Certification Magazine (3:12).
[64]
Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. 1990. Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory, Procedures, and Techniques, Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications.
[65]
Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. 1998. Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory, Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications.
[66]
Suddaby, R. 2006. "From the editors: What grounded theory is not," Academy of Management Journal (49:4), pp. 633--642.
[67]
Sutton, S. 1998. "Predicting and explaining intentions and behavior: How well are we doing?" Journal of Applied Social Psychology (28:15), pp. 1317--1338.
[68]
Tittel, E. 2001. "Certification Essentials," retrieved April 22, 2003 from http://www.leapit.com/html/cert_essentials/c01-01.htm.
[69]
Venkatesh, V. 2001. "A Longitudinal Investigation of Personal Computers in Homes: Adoption Determinants and Emerging Challenges," MIS Quarterly (25:1), pp. 71--102.
[70]
Weber, M. 1978. Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology, G. Ross and C. Wittich (eds.), a translation of Max Weber, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, Grundriss und verstehenden Soziologie, Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
[71]
Zeng, F. F. 2004. "A New Approach to Integrate Computer Technology Certifications into Computer Information System Programs," Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition.

Cited By

View all
  • (2024)PERSONNEL CERTIFICATION AS A COMPANY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGYThree Seas Economic Journal10.30525/2661-5150/2024-5-75:1(45-51)Online publication date: 30-Apr-2024
  • (2021)Ready to Work: Evaluating the Role of Community Cultural Wealth during the Hiring Process in Computing2021 Conference on Research in Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT)10.1109/RESPECT51740.2021.9620686(1-11)Online publication date: 23-May-2021
  • (2020)Preparing for the Hybridization of the Accounting Profession: A CISA Boot Camp Case StudyAIS Educator Journal10.3194/1935-8156-15.1.2515:1(25-58)Online publication date: 29-Sep-2020
  • Show More Cited By

Recommendations

Comments

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems
ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems  Volume 42, Issue 1
February 2011
112 pages
ISSN:0095-0033
EISSN:1532-0936
DOI:10.1145/1952712
Issue’s Table of Contents

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 04 March 2011
Published in SIGMIS Volume 42, Issue 1

Check for updates

Author Tags

  1. employee selection
  2. hiring
  3. personnel
  4. staffing
  5. testing

Qualifiers

  • Research-article

Contributors

Other Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

  • Downloads (Last 12 months)23
  • Downloads (Last 6 weeks)4
Reflects downloads up to 14 Jan 2025

Other Metrics

Citations

Cited By

View all
  • (2024)PERSONNEL CERTIFICATION AS A COMPANY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGYThree Seas Economic Journal10.30525/2661-5150/2024-5-75:1(45-51)Online publication date: 30-Apr-2024
  • (2021)Ready to Work: Evaluating the Role of Community Cultural Wealth during the Hiring Process in Computing2021 Conference on Research in Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT)10.1109/RESPECT51740.2021.9620686(1-11)Online publication date: 23-May-2021
  • (2020)Preparing for the Hybridization of the Accounting Profession: A CISA Boot Camp Case StudyAIS Educator Journal10.3194/1935-8156-15.1.2515:1(25-58)Online publication date: 29-Sep-2020
  • (2019)Examining the Efficacy of Commercial Cyber Security Certifications for Information Security Analysts2019 4th International Conference on Information Systems Engineering (ICISE)10.1109/ICISE.2019.00008(1-5)Online publication date: May-2019
  • (2019)Determinants of behavioral intentions towards a professional certification scheme at European levelEuropean Journal of Training and Development10.1108/EJTD-01-2019-000143:7/8(719-735)Online publication date: 2-Sep-2019
  • (2018)Assessing alignment between information technology educational opportunities, professional requirements, and industry demandsEducation and Information Technologies10.1007/s10639-017-9678-y23:4(1547-1584)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2018
  • (2014)Profissionais e profissionalização em Tecnologia da Informação: indicativos de controvérsias e conflitosCadernos EBAPE.BR10.1590/1679-3951988912:2(321-338)Online publication date: Jun-2014
  • (2013)An investigation of the impact of recertification requirements on recertification decisionsProceedings of the 2013 annual conference on Computers and people research10.1145/2487294.2487310(79-86)Online publication date: 30-May-2013
  • (2012)Legacy job titles in ITProceedings of the 50th annual conference on Computers and People Research10.1145/2214091.2214097(5-10)Online publication date: 31-May-2012

View Options

Login options

View options

PDF

View or Download as a PDF file.

PDF

eReader

View online with eReader.

eReader

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Share this Publication link

Share on social media