The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which line managers in manufacturing companies value six attributes related to business knowledge and competence in their information technology (IT) personnel.
Managers in manufacturing organizations located in the Southwestern United States (USA) were interviewed about their perceptions regarding the IT staff and these six attributes. The methodology utilized in this study is survey research, with personal interviews as the principal method of gathering information.
The results support the importance of these six attributes related to business knowledge and competence in IT personnel to the line managers interviewed.
The research was limited to a small number of manufacturing companies. The size of the sample should be increased.
For practicing managers, these findings may have important implications. The results of this study indicate that the hiring manager should assess the candidates’ business knowledge, especially industry‐specific experience, as well as technical IT expertise.
This study fulfils its purpose – to support the importance of the six attributes related to business knowledge and compentence in IT personnel.
