Open AccessA Preliminary Analysis of the Competency and Skills of Japanese IT Engineers in Managerial Positions
Author(s) -
Akiko Ryu Innes-Taylor,
Atsuko Yamazaki,
Masahiro Inoue,
Naoki Matsumura,
F Hirata,
Katsutoshi Waki
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of learning and teaching
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2377-2905
pISSN - 2377-2891
DOI - 10.18178/ijlt.7.3.214-218
Subject(s) - teamwork , corporation , digitization , skills management , globalization , engineering education , engineering ethics , information technology , engineering , soft skills , knowledge management , engineering management , business , management , political science , marketing , computer science , telecommunications , finance , law , economics
As globalization and digitization progress rapidly, the world as well as the talent in demand and the skills and competencies required are changing. Under these circumstances, every corporation is under great pressure to adopt its organization to prepare for the coming future changes. Therefore, a discussion about how to develop new leaders who are capable of tackling complex problems in the future is required. Although the demand for talent in science and engineering is increasing over the course of digitalization, many engineers struggle in management jobs, especially regarding intangibles. This study aims to measure the competency of Japanese Information Technology (IT) engineers, utilizing the Progress Report on Generic Skills (PROG) assessment tool to identify the talent development opportunities in the field of engineering and science. Thus, this study demonstrates that general competencies, such as teamwork, personal, and problem-solving skills, were more often exhibited by IT engineers with a background in social sciences and liberal arts compared with those with a background in engineering and science. The results suggest that engineers have both challenges and opportunities to grow their competencies by increasing their training in non-cognitive skills.