Are Information Systems People Different? An Investigation of How They Are and Should Be Managed

This study, based on seven different samples involving 1005 employees, examines whether IS and non-IS people are or should be managed differently. How IS and non-IS people are managed is measured by three sets of managerial activities: (1) enriching the job, (2) attending to interpersonal relations, involving the employee, and reinforcing work behavior, and (3) attending to production and targeting work behavior. Two research questions are asked: (1) Do work-unit environments differ for IS and non-IS people? (2) Is the relationship of work-unit environment to productivity different for IS and non-IS people? The findings of this study support the conclusion that IS and non-IS employees at the same occupational level are not and should not be managed differently.