Building a research agenda on people related challenges to technology organisations: discussion

Abstract

The phenomenal growth of the IT industry in the last two decades has brought with it a unique set of human resource challenges. Many of the organisations in the industry have reached a certain level of maturity and growth in scale, scope and size of businesses. It is well known that rapid growth organisations face specific human resource challenges. Some of these challenges include a conscious but deliberate balance between control and commitment, bureaucratisation and autonomy, process conformity and innovation in the processes, systems, policy and philosophy of the organisation. All these aspects raise interesting research questions. While there is a lot of anecdotal data available from the industry, empirical literature on the subject is sparse and inadequate. In a bid to rise to the challenge and identify the key research questions which have implications for the industry, IIMB Management Review invited a panel of specialist practitioners and academics to discuss the relevant issues pertaining to the people management challenges in environments mediated intensely by information, communication and technology. The discussion covered workforce related issues such as attrition, retention and capability building, leadership development, individual and organisational change, evolving career paradigms and skillsets in a global setting, managing groups and interpersonal relations, cross cultural management and the importance of cultural context, among others.