THE IS EXPECTATION GAP - INDUSTRY EXPECTATIONS VERSUS ACADEMIC PREPARATION

Recent changes in information systems technologies, applications, and personnel require us to reconsider the skills for tomorrow's IS profes sionals. This study uses data from four groups-IS managers, end-user m anagers, IS consultants, and IS professors-to identify the key skills and knowledge that will be required of future IS professionals. These requirements were then compared with current IS academic programs. The results reveal that despite a shared vision of the future IS professi onal, there is an ''expectation gap '' between industry needs and acad emic preparation. Industry and universities must work together to clos e this gap. Universities need to place more emphasis on the integratio n of technologies, applications, data, and business functions and less on traditional and formal system development. Firms need to send cons istent messages to universities about their expectations while recogni zing that the mission of university business programs is career educat ion, not job training.