Factors affecting the acceptance of certification as professional preparation for information technology professionals in Nigeria

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Title

Factors affecting the acceptance of certification as professional preparation for information technology professionals in Nigeria

Identifier

DSP2010Ejiaku

Subjects

["Africa"]

Type

["Text"]

Genre

["Dissertations"]

Format

["pdf"]

Rights

This thesis or dissertation is restricted from access because there is no internet release form on file. If you are the author and you would like to submit an internet release form allowing us to publish your thesis or dissertation online, please contact spcoll@towson.edu. Copyright protected, all rights reserved.

General Notes

Thesis approval page signed by thesis committee members and the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Research included in print copy of thesis.

Doctoral thesis research directed by Department of Computer and Information Sciences.

Extent

x, 160 pages

Language

["English"]

Repository

["Towson University. Albert S. Cook Library. Special Collections and University Archives"]

Collection Name

["Towson University Graduate Theses and Dissertations"]

Author

Ejiaku, Samuel Akujobi

Degree Date

2010

Department or Program

["Towson University. Department of Computer and Information Sciences"]

Abstract

The essence of this study is to identify some of the factors affecting the acceptance of certification as professional preparation for information technology professionals in Nigeria. By understanding these factors and their positive impacts on the acceptance of certification for Information Technology (IT) professionals and the workforce, recommendations could be made to the Nigerian policy makers to implement conditions that will foster such factors. A structured questionnaire was designed to elicit the perceptions and intention of IT professionals on certification, and a survey was conducted among various IT trainers and professionals in Nigeria. The result of the survey was analyzed using the constructs of a modified UTAUT acceptance model. The findings indicate that Nigeria IT professionals are receptive to IT certification, though in varying degrees. There is a general agreement among the respondents that being certified will increase their chances of getting a raise, getting promoted, keeping their jobs and being employed overseas. Results also indicate that Performance Expectancy and Effort Expectancy (UTAUT constructs) are the most significant predictors of attitude towards certification among Nigerian IT workers. Respondents who work in government are the most receptive, while IT professionals who are in education sector are the least receptive, with IT professionals in private business in between. The research reveals benefits of certification and suggests policy steps that could be taken by the government policy makers to create an environment which could foster improvement in workforce preparation. The research revealed a lack of facilitating conditions that discourage certification. These include ineffective government policies on information technology, lack of financial incentives in IT industry and grossly inadequate infrastructure that can facilitate IT training and certification of IT Professionals. The analysis recommends the private sector encourage certification through pay raises, reimbursement of exam fees and promotions of their certified workers. Universities might integrate certification courses in their curricula in other to help prepare students who want to be certified. The government should also improve the inadequate infrastructure (power, telecommunication, access to the Internet) in order to help create an environment that would facilitate improved workforce capability. A well trained and certified IT workforce will help position Nigeria as a country capable of providing a globally recognized certified workforce. Such a workforce may also help position Nigeria as an IT outsourcing region.

Thesis Committee Members

["Meiselwitz, Gabriele H.","Feng, Jinjuan Heidi","Wang, Yuanqiong Kathy"]

Date Published

17 October 2013

Author (Controlled)

["Ejiaku, Samuel Akujobi"]

Thesis Advisor

["Little, Joyce Currie"]

Degree Note

(D. Sc.) -- Towson University, 2010.

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