Communication and IS - How effective are current training programs?.

Abstract

The need for Information Systems (IS) professionals to communicate effectively has been identified as one of the key issues of IS management in the 1990s. The communication gap between IS professionals and other personnel in organisations has been well documented and studies have shown that appropriate training can improve communication skills. The objective of this research was to establish what constitutes effective communication skills training and to produce a guideline which IS managers and trainers could use to address this problem. The major finding of this research was that IS personnel do not perceive themselves to be poor communicators despite the fact that many studies have shown that there is need for improvement. This shows that there seems to be a gap between what is expected of IS personnel and their own perceptions of their communication abilities. In order for change to take place, IS Personnel need to be aware of their shortcomings and organisations need to get more involved. Managers can facilitate the process by communicating the need for improvement to their employees and can demonstrate their commitment by recommending appropriate training.