The skills’ gap of management staff in Poland : results of a research of IT companies

Abstract

PURPOSE: This article attempts to answer the following questions: What key competences and skills should characterise managers in the information technology (IT) sector; is there a skills’ gap, that is, a discrepancy between the desired and actual skills of IT managers; and what activities can contribute to minimising the identified skills’ gap?

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Answering the above-mentioned research questions required reviewing the literature on the subject and conducting research. The research covered 504 managers representing all levels of management in IT companies operating in Poland. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis, based on which conclusions were drawn.

FINDINGS: It has been found that the smallest skills’ gap includes: using technological solutions efficiently, cooperating with others, disposing of the knowledge possessed and drawing conclusions based on one’s own mistakes. The greatest skills’ gap occurs in the areas of obtaining funds from outside an enterprise, making accurate assessments of the emotions occurring in a team, and making accurate personnel decisions as well as correcting mistakes, synthetic thinking and managing finances properly.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The presented results on the skills’ gap is part of a wider research project aimed at identifying and assessing the levels of the key competences of managers employed in IT companies. In order to minimise the identified skills’ gap, specific actions were recommended to be taken to improve these skills.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The value of the conducted research procedure is the identification of key skills of tactical and operational level managers of IT companies and their arrangement due to the size of the gap between the actual and desired state. Actions to improve key managerial skills were also identified. These activities may help increase the effectiveness and competitiveness of Polish IT companies.