IT Workers: Human Capital Issues in a Knowledge Based Environment

The goal of this book is to serve as a gathering of knowledge and ideas at the intersection of the human resource management (HRM) and management information systems (MIS)/information technology (IT) fields. In striving toward achieving this goal we have relied on authors who responded to our call for work within this intersection. As described more fully below, the chapters clustered into four topic areas: (1) effective management of IT workers, (2) IT workers and their careers, (3) diversity in IT, and (4) organizational issues. Thus, this book focuses on selected areas within the intersection of these fields rather than covering the entire intersection. Of course, the broad goal of this book could not be completely fulfilled – and even if it were, such knowledge would be continually overtaken by the ongoing evolution of people, technology, and their interactions. However, in the process of undertaking this project, we have had the opportunity to make some observations about the current state of knowledge regarding IT workers, the human capital that makes it possible for organizations in a knowledge-based economy to plan, create, integrate, operate, and maintain their various IT-based systems.