Development and validation of an instrument to differentiate technologists from non-technologists

Couger (1990) has pointed out that many non-IS people have moved into the IS =ea over the past 10 years, At the same time, IS employees are being shifted into user areas. This has resulted in a blurring of the distinctions between IS and non-IS employees. Therefore, research studies that concentrate on the split between IS and non-IS employees maybe confounded by the heterogeneous groups of employees in these two areas. A more uaefui way to divide groupa of employees for study may be as technologists and non-technologists. Rockart and Scott Morton (1984) develop.d and described a model that shows that technology and the external technological environment would be expected to impact individuals and the roles they ii,dfiil in the workplace. Since technology would impact the jobs of technologists more directly than those of non-technologists, it ia important for future research to be able to distinguish between these two groups of employees. This papez deacribea the development and validation of an instrument that is designed to differentiate technologists from non-technologists. The instrument utilizes both the traits and roles of technologists to distinguish them from nontechnologists. ‘Nvo independent samples were selected the first was used to develop the factor structure of the instrmnen~ the second to validate that factor structure and to assess diamimimmt and predictive validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assessthe factor structure and d~criminant validity of the irtstrumm, dismiminan t analysis was used to assessthe predictive vaiidi~. The result is a short instrument that can easily be administered and is both valid and reliable.

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