article

“Seeding the line”: understanding the transition from IT to non-IT careers

Authors:

Blaize Horner Reich,

Michelle Lynn Kaarst-BrownAuthors Info & Claims

MIS Quarterly, Volume 23, Issue 3

Pages 337 - 364

https://doi.org/10.2307/249467

Published: 01 September 1999 Publication History

Abstract

As organizations face increased competitive pressures and technological changes, their attention is focusing on how to attain strategic benefits from information technology investments, including investments in people. From a human resources perspective, one debate centers on how to attract and retain information technology (IT) professionals. Somewhat paradoxically, it is suggested that to retain IT professionals, organizations must provide both technical and business oriented career opportunities.This paper presents a case study of one organization, The Mutual Group, in which more than 70 IT professionals permanently moved into non-IT, business unit jobs during the 1980's and early 1990's. Using interviews and surveys of 51 former IT professionals, this research investigated the characteristics of the individual, the organization, the first non-IT job, and the transition period.We conclude from our findings that IT professionals who moved to non-IT jobs in the line made the transition without the benefit of deliberate preparation, formal transition programs, or safety nets to reduce the risk. Some conditions existed at The Mutual Group that may have assisted them, including: good relations between IT and the line, friends and mentors in line units, and a willingness to take risks in pursuit of new challenges.One contribution of this paper is that is begins to fill a gap in the career mobility literature, based on individuals and their stories of change. It also attempts to understand the role of context in one organization that is a recognized leader in the use of IT for competitive advantage.

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Cited By

Shaikh FSetor TJoseph D(2023)IT Self-Employment: A Protean Career ViewProceedings of the 2023 Computers and People Research Conference10.1145/3579168.3632728(1-6)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3579168.3632728
Lappas T(2020)Mining Career Paths from Large Resume DatabasesACM Transactions on Knowledge Discovery from Data10.1145/337998414:3(1-38)Online publication date: 13-May-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3379984
Oehlhorn CLaumer SMaier CJoseph DVan Slyke CAllen JQuesenberry JWiesche M(2019)Sustaining the IT WorkforceProceedings of the 2019 on Computers and People Research Conference10.1145/3322385.3322394(20-27)Online publication date: 12-Jun-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3322385.3322394
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Index Terms

“Seeding the line”: understanding the transition from IT to non-IT careers
1. Information systems
2. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing profession
      1. Computing occupations

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Published In

cover image MIS Quarterly

MIS Quarterly Volume 23, Issue 3

Sept. 1999

148 pages

ISSN:0276-7783

Editor:
Allen Lee
Virginia Commonwealth Univ.

Issue’s Table of Contents

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Society for Information Management and The Management Information Systems Research Center

United States

Publication History

Published: 01 September 1999

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Cited By

Shaikh FSetor TJoseph D(2023)IT Self-Employment: A Protean Career ViewProceedings of the 2023 Computers and People Research Conference10.1145/3579168.3632728(1-6)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3579168.3632728
Lappas T(2020)Mining Career Paths from Large Resume DatabasesACM Transactions on Knowledge Discovery from Data10.1145/337998414:3(1-38)Online publication date: 13-May-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3379984
Oehlhorn CLaumer SMaier CJoseph DVan Slyke CAllen JQuesenberry JWiesche M(2019)Sustaining the IT WorkforceProceedings of the 2019 on Computers and People Research Conference10.1145/3322385.3322394(20-27)Online publication date: 12-Jun-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3322385.3322394
Mourmant GVoutsina K(2017)Awakening the Dormant DreamACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems10.1145/3130515.313052248:3(110-137)Online publication date: 2-Aug-2017
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3130515.3130522
Joia LMangia U(2017)Career transition antecedents in the information technology areaInformation Systems Journal10.1111/isj.1208727:1(31-57)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2017
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Joseph DAng SSlaughter S(2015)Turnover or Turnaway? Competing Risks Analysis of Male and Female IT Professionals' Job Mobility and Relative Pay GapInformation Systems Research10.1287/isre.2014.055826:1(145-164)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2015
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Gopalakrishnan GHalgin DBorgatti SBruckman ACounts SLampe CTerveen L(2013)Voluntary turnover in a distributed work settingProceedings of the 2013 conference on Computer supported cooperative work10.1145/2441776.2441815(329-340)Online publication date: 23-Feb-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2441776.2441815
Joseph DBoh WAng SSlaughter S(2012)The career paths less (or more) traveledMIS Quarterly10.5555/2481639.248164536:2(427-462)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2012
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Zhang XRyan SPrybutok VKappelman L(2012)Perceived obsolescence, organizational embeddedness, and turnover of it workersACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems10.1145/2398834.239883743:4(12-32)Online publication date: 2-Nov-2012
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Nissen M(2006)Dynamic Knowledge Patterns to Inform DesignJournal of Management Information Systems10.2753/MIS0742-122222030822:3(225-263)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2006
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