Abstract:
This study seeks to contribute to a better understanding of what role, if any,
tertiary formal education contributes to the effectiveness of IS managers. The
research question guiding this study is ‘How does the possession or otherwise
of formal educational qualifications impact on the assessment by IS managers
of their own effectiveness?’ This is a qualitative research using an interview
method that allows participants to provide contextual information to describe
specific outcomes. A non-probability sampling technique is used with a quota
sampling size of 12. The inclusion characteristics were to be an IS manager,
employed in IS/IT/ICT department and to work in the Wellington region of New
Zealand. The significant findings in this study is that all participating IS
managers perceived that formal education positively contributed to their
managerial effectiveness. They perceived that formal education helped them to
improve or gain new skill and provided them with formal tools and frameworks
that they utilised in their jobs. Sampling within other industries and larger
random samples could be undertaken to see if this research has given results
that are representative of the IS industry and its recognition of formal education.
