Occupational Culture and Commitment in the IT Profession: A Multi-Country Perspective

Studies about Information Technology (IT) professionals have shown that occupational commitment can be influenced by several factors. However, there is little empirical evidence about the relationship between the adaptation of the cultural features of the IT occupation and the level of commitment to this occupation. In a previous research study conducted by Guzman, Stanton and associates (2006), a survey instrument was developed and initially tested on the sample of American college students in IT-related majors. In this study, the same instrument was adapted and tested on a sample of IT professionals in an international setting Bolivia, Palestine, China, Colombia and Poland. The reliability of survey instrument turned out to be very consistent with the previous results and the adaptation to the features of the IT occupational culture (i.e. stereotyping, jargon language, unusual demands, need for continuous updating, and pervasiveness) were demonstrated to be good predictors of the commitment to the occupation. Furthermore, we also found interesting differences across countries, especially in terms of the nature and level of commitment.