Title:	IT ALIGNMENT INTELLIGENCE: THE ROLE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN BUSINESS AND IT ALIGNMENT
Author(s):	Eben van Blerk, Andre de la Harpe, Johannes Cronje
ISBN:	978-989-8704-11-5
Editors:	Piet Kommers, Pedro Isaías, Claire Gauzente, Miguel Baptista Nunes, Guo Chao Peng and Mário Macedo
Year:	2014
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Emotional intelligence, Strategic alignment, IT alignment intelligence, Business-IT alignment, Business analyst, System analyst, Project manager
Type:	Full Paper
First Page:	3
Last Page:	12
Language:	English
Cover:
Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	Above average analytical and mathematical ability are highly sought-after human attributes required from IT professionals at work in the systems development life cycle (SDLC). These attributes are perceived to be ingredients for a successful career in Information Technology (IT). When companies hire IT professionals, they often focus on the ‘hard’ skills needed to perform the work (Joseph, Ang, Chang & Slaughter, 2010). There is a growing awareness that technical skills alone are insufficient for success in IT. Technical skills and experience have become an entry level requirement. Being technically competent is no longer enough. For IT professionals, to improve business, a wider set of skills are required. This research set out to determine what the human attributes are that contribute most to the improvement of business, namely IT alignment. Data for this research was obtained from nineteen organisations doing information systems development in the Cape Town area in South Africa. It was found that emotional intelligence of business analysts, systems analysts and project managers does play a role in the non-delivery of business needs by the IT department. Further human attributes found to contribute to business-IT alignment, were experience, communication skills, professionalism, and collaboration skills. A taxonomy of IT alignment intelligence for business analysts, systems analysts and project managers is proposed.
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