Construction of an Appropriately Professional Working Environment for IT Professionals: A Key Element of Quality IT-Enabled Services

Abstract

Nowadays, information technology (IT) is ubiquitous, and the quality of our home, work and social life is significantly dependent on the quality of IT-enabled services. Hence, IT professionals who engage in developing and maintaining IT-based information systems to provide the services have both intentional and unintentional power over a wide range of people. They have to recognise their responsibility to the general public and develop a professional outlook and attitude in order to provide quality IT-enabled services. Well-organised codes of conduct for guiding IT professionals in their professional behaviour have already been laid down; however, these codes may not function well on their own, unsupported by context. IT professionals are not necessarily an independent and unchallenged entity; they usually work for organisations within a complex environment filled with various types of stress and pressure. This context might affect individual decisions, which may result in unprofessional behaviour, even though that individual has made a conscious decision to abide by a code. Therefore, the construction of an appropriately professional working environment, designed to encourage IT professionals to develop their sense of professional ethics, could offer a useful strategy for organisations to continuously provide quality IT-enabled services.