An Ideology of IT Occupational Culture: The ASPIRE Values

摘要

Many have conjectured that people in the IT occupation are different from non-IT business users and that such differences can lead to negative organizational outcomes. This study investigates how to measure these differences by developing a new, expanded theoretical framework of IT occupational culture (ITOC). This framework includes: Artifacts, Values, and Tacit Assumptions. Values form the core of any culture, and a cohesive set of cultural values is termed an "ideology." Using a mixed methodology, research was conducted in two parts to develop and measure an ideology of ITOC. A qualitative investigation based on interview data provided evidence of six core values in the ideology: Autonomy in Decision-Making, Structure in Environment, Precision in Communication, Innovation in Technology, Reverence for Technical Knowledge, and Enjoyment at the Workplace (ASPIRE). The quantitative investigation sought to validate the values and ultimately reduced the number of values to five based on factor analysis of survey data: Autonomy in Decision-Making, Structure/Precision, Innovation in Technology, Reverence for Technical Knowledge, and Enjoyment at the Workplace. IT respondents rated these values significantly higher than non-IT business personnel. Our findings have implications for practitioners and researchers and can provide a path to bridge the gap between IT and business users.