A Fit-Gap analysis of E-Business Curricula vs Industry Needs SID DAVIS. KENG SIAU AND KUMAR DHENUVAKONDA Despite the dot-com bust, e-business continues to expand, as many large, traditional Research has estimated that e-business is expected to grow to $6. 8 rgies[8] .Forrester businesses embrace it as a key component of their competitive strate illion worldwide by the year 2004, with its impact felt in almost every segment of the global economy E-business is the conduct of business with the assistance of telecommunications and telecommunications-based tools" [4]. This definition covers a broad range of activities, from business-to-business(B2B), to business-to-customer(B2C), to intra-organiza tional commerce [9]. The plethora of opportunities opened in this cyber-frontier has taken the spirit of entrepreneurship to dizzying heights in the last decade [1]. How- ever, the Achilles heel in this new economy is the lack of If professionals with the ight skill setsa constant complaint from recruiters [3, 7]. Clearly, the e-business ig-bang caught most academic institutions by surprise, finding them unable to respond with the requisite programs or courses. However, over the last several years, we have seen a discernible upsurge in e-business programs to overcome this la ably cially in top US business schools. The nature of this res sponse varies conside among schools. Some have rejected outright the need for a separate e-business pro- gram, whereas others have embraced and staked their reputations on their new e-busi ness programs. Are these programs producing the right kinds of graduates fo industry? What are the core and optional courses in e-business programs? This study investigates the alignment of e-business academic programs with the e-business job market. A fit-gap analysis was performed to identify where e-business pro ograms are on target and the gaps that need to be filled by new e-business courses. SID DAVIS(davis@mail. unomaha edu) is assistant professor of Management Information Systems(MIS)in the College of Information Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska-Omaha(UNO) KENG SIAU (ksiau@unL.edu) is associate professor of Management Information Systems(MIS)at the University of ka, Lincoln(UNL). He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Database Management: KUMARDHENUVAKONDA(Kumar314@yahoo.com)isaprojectanalystintheIntegratedBusinessSolution Center of Sprint. Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee 02003ACM COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM December 2003/oL. 46. No. 12ve 67
A Fit-Gap Analysis of E-Business Curricula vs. Industry Needs Sid Davis, Keng Siau, and Kumar Dhenuvakonda Despite the dot-com bust, e-business continues to expand, as many large, traditional businesses embrace it as a key component of their competitive strategies [8]. Forrester Research has estimated that e-business is expected to grow to $6.8 trillion worldwide by the year 2004, with its impact felt in almost every segment of the global economy [6]. E-business is “the conduct of business with the assistance of telecommunications and telecommunications-based tools” [4]. This definition covers a broad range of activities, from business-to-business (B2B), to business-to-customer (B2C), to intra-organizational commerce [9]. The plethora of opportunities opened in this cyber-frontier has taken the spirit of entrepreneurship to dizzying heights in the last decade [1]. However, the Achilles’ heel in this new economy is the lack of IT professionals with the right skill sets—a constant complaint from recruiters [3, 7]. Clearly, the e-business big-bang caught most academic institutions by surprise, finding them unable to respond with the requisite programs or courses. However, over the last several years, we have seen a discernible upsurge in e-business programs to overcome this lag, especially in top US business schools. The nature of this response varies considerably among schools. Some have rejected outright the need for a separate e-business program, whereas others have embraced and staked their reputations on their new e-business programs. Are these programs producing the right kinds of graduates for industry? What are the core and optional courses in e-business programs? This study investigates the alignment of e-business academic programs with the e-business job market. A fit-gap analysis was performed to identify where e-business programs are on target and the gaps that need to be filled by new e-business courses. COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM December 2003/Vol. 46, No. 12ve 167 Sid Davis (davis@mail.unomaha.edu) is assistant professor of Management Information Systems (MIS) in the College of Information Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska–Omaha (UNO); www.isqa.unomaha. edu/faculty.htm Keng Siau (ksiau@unl.edu) is associate professor of Management Information Systems (MIS) at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL). He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Database Management; www.ait.unl.edu/siau/ Kumar Dhenuvakonda (Kumar314@yahoo.com) is a project analyst in the Integrated Business Solution Center of Sprint. Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. © 2003 ACM
E-Business Programs The top business schools, ranked independently by US News(33 schools)and Business Week(30 schools), were selected as our sample. Since the two rankings have a fairly high degree of overlap, and some of the schools do not offer e-business courses, we came up with a total of 38 schools in our sample(Table 1). The US News' ranking is for the top I University of Pennsylvanis Massachusetts Institute of Technology* Harvard r(Sloan) ty of North Carolina-Chapel Hill- New York University Comell (Johnson) Cities* Dartmouth(Tuck)* as-Austin(McCombs) ase Western Reserve University* nd-College Park. University of Washington* niversity(Olin) (McDonough) Emory(Goizueta Texas A&M University-College Station* niversity of Georgia Wake Forest University* (Source: US News Undergraduate Business Program Ranking 2001 Business Weck's MBA Ranking 2001) -business programs used in the analysis. Those listed twice(that is, once across both lists)are only once. All e-business programs and courses were reviewed at both graduate and undergraduate levels within each university. Total= 38 Table I. U.S. business school rankings 168 December 2003/ol.46. No. I2ve COMMUNICATIONS OFTHE ACM
E-Business Programs The top business schools, ranked independently by US News (33 schools) and Business Week (30 schools), were selected as our sample. Since the two rankings have a fairly high degree of overlap, and some of the schools do not offer e-business courses, we came up with a total of 38 schools in our sample (Table 1). The US News’ ranking is for the top 168 December 2003/Vol. 46, No. 12ve COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM Rank US News Business Week 1 University of Pennsylvania* University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) 2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology* University of Michigan-Ann Arbor* Northwestern (Kellogg)* 3 Harvard 4 University of California-Berkeley* MIT (Sloan) 5 Carnegie Mellon University* University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill* University of Texas-Austin* Duke (Fuqua) 6 Michigan 7 Columbia 8 New York University* University of Virginia* Cornell (Johnson) 9 Virginia (Darden) 10 Indiana University-Bloomington* University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign University of Wisconsin-Madison* Chicago 11 Stanford* 12 UCLA (Andersen)* 13 Purdue University-Lafayette* University of Minnesota-Twin Cities* University of Southern California* NYU (Stern) 14 Carnegie Mellon 15 UNC-Chapel Hill 16 Emory University* Ohio State University-Columbus* Washington University in St. Louis Dartmouth (Tuck)* 17 Texas-Austin (McCombs) 18 UC Berkeley (Haas) 19 Michigan State University* Pennsylvania State University-University Park Yale* 20 Indiana 21 Babson College* Case Western Reserve University* University of Arizona* University of Florida* University of Maryland-College Park* University of Notre Dame* University of Washington* Rochester (Simon)* 22 Vanderbilt (Owen)* 23 Washington University (Olin) 24 USC (Marshall) 25 Purdue (Krannert) 26 Georgetown (McDonough) 27 Maryland (Smith) 28 Arizona State University* Georgetown University* Texas A&M University-College Station* University of Georgia* University of Iowa* Wake Forest University* Emory (Goizueta) 29 Michigan State (Broad) 30 Georgia Tech (DuPree)* (Source: US News Undergraduate Business Program Ranking 2001 & Business Week’s MBA Ranking 2001) *E-business programs used in the analysis. Those listed twice (that is, once across both lists) are marked only once. All e-business programs and courses were reviewed at both graduate and undergraduate levels within each university. Total = 38. Table 1. U.S. business school rankings
undergraduate business programs, and Business Week ranks the top MBA programs. This sample, in our judgment, is representative of the ast trene ds and the future projections in the e-business educational arena, since these are the top business schools in the nation, and they set the standard for education. It should be noted that the two lists provided us with a means to select our sample; but, when performing data collection, we looked for undergraduate, graduate(MBA, EMBA, and MS), and certification e-business programs in each school-irrespective of the list in which the school appears A content analysis of the top business schools' Web sites reveals six types of e-business programs(Figure 1). Most of the existing programs are at the graduate level. Some programs are more focused (that is, an e-commerce program with sub tracks), while others are subcategories of existing programs( for example, MBA con- centration). We also observed that some schools are beginning fer certification programs in e-business. These are typically shorter programs, and the aim is to train existing IT professionals in e-business. The duration of the graduate programs vary from 1-2 years, while the certification programs are less than one year. Also, it is important to note that several schools in our sample offer only a small number of e-commerce courses(for example, 2-3), without having a formal program(that is major, concentration, or certificate) in place Based on the content analysis, we identified a total of 391 different e-commerce courses(52(13.3%)undergraduate and 339(86. 7%)graduate courses), which were classified into the 24 categories shown in Table 2. a detailed analysis of the courses offered by these schools shows that there are two broad and distinct tracks in e-busi- ness curricula. One track paves the way for an e-business career with a predominant MBA in E-business with/or without Subtracks MBA with a concentration in E-business MS in e-business with/or without Subtracks U.S. Business MS with a concentration in E-business Bachelor with a concentration in e-business Certificate Program in e-business COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM December 2003/oL. 46. No. 12ve 69
undergraduate business programs, and Business Week ranks the top MBA programs. This sample, in our judgment, is representative of the past trends and the future projections in the e-business educational arena, since these are the top business schools in the nation, and they set the standard for education. It should be noted that the two lists provided us with a means to select our sample; but, when performing data collection, we looked for undergraduate, graduate (MBA, EMBA, and MS), and certification e-business programs in each school—irrespective of the list in which the school appears. A content analysis of the top business schools’ Web sites reveals six types of e-business programs (Figure 1). Most of the existing programs are at the graduate level. Some programs are more focused (that is, an e-commerce program with subtracks), while others are subcategories of existing programs (for example, MBA concentration). We also observed that some schools are beginning to offer certification programs in e-business. These are typically shorter programs, and the aim is to train existing IT professionals in e-business. The duration of the graduate programs vary from 1–2 years, while the certification programs are less than one year. Also, it is important to note that several schools in our sample offer only a small number of e-commerce courses (for example, 2-3), without having a formal program (that is, major, concentration, or certificate) in place. Based on the content analysis, we identified a total of 391 different e-commerce courses (52 (13.3%) undergraduate and 339 (86.7%) graduate courses), which were classified into the 24 categories shown in Table 2. A detailed analysis of the courses offered by these schools shows that there are two broad and distinct tracks in e-business curricula. One track paves the way for an e-business career with a predominant COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM December 2003/Vol. 46, No. 12ve 169 MBA with a concentration in E-business MBA in E-business with/or without Subtracks MS in E-business with/or without Subtracks MS with a concentration in E-business Bachelor with a concentration in E-business Certificate Program in E-business U.S. Business Schools Figure 1. Types of e-business programs
E-Business Marketing(17.5%) Introduction to E-Business(11%) Data Communications(9.5%) E-Business Management(6%) Entrepreneurship in E-Business(6%) E-Business Economics and Markets(5%) E-Business Systems Development(5%) Operations and Supply Chain Management(5%) ness Technology (5%) Data Management(3%) E-Business Practicum(2.5%) Global E-Business Management (2%) Business Process Reengineering in E-Business(2%) face Design(2%) Legal and Regulatory Issues in E-Business(1.5%) E-Business Security (1.5%) Java and Object-Oriented Programming(1%) Business Models in E-Business(1%) Enterprise Resource Planning(0.5%) Electronic Payment Systems (0.25%) B2B(0.25%) Each percentage value represents the number of courses in a category relative to all courses in the survey Table 2. Categories of e-business courses offered in business schools focus on the business aspect, whereas the other track leads to a career emphasizing technology and Web-based systems development Business track. Within the superset of e-business, this track consists of core courses in Law, Marketing, Finance/Accounting, and Infrastructure and Technology for the 170 December 2003/ol.46. No. I2ve COMMUNICATIONS OFTHE ACM
focus on the business aspect, whereas the other track leads to a career emphasizing technology and Web-based systems development. Business track. Within the superset of e-business, this track consists of core courses in Law, Marketing, Finance/Accounting, and Infrastructure and Technology for the 170 December 2003/Vol. 46, No. 12ve COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM E-Business Marketing (17.5%) E-Business Strategy (12%) Introduction to E-Business (11%) Data Communications (9.5%) E-Business Management (6%) Entrepreneurship in E-Business (6%) E-Business Economics and Markets (5%) E-Business Systems Development (5%) Operations and Supply Chain Management (5%) E-Business Technology (5%) Data Management (3%) E-Business Practicum (2.5%) Global E-Business Management (2%) Business Process Reengineering in E-Business (2%) Interface Design (2%) Legal and Regulatory Issues in E-Business (1.5%) E-Business Security (1.5%) Java and Object-Oriented Programming (1%) Business Models in E-Business (1%) Enterprise Resource Planning (0.5%) Electronic Payment Systems (0.25%) Computer Ethics (0.25%) Intelligent Systems (0.25%) B2B (0.25%) Each percentage value represents the number of courses in a category relative to all courses in the survey. Table 2. Categories of e-business courses offered in business schools
The electives are geared towards shaping a career in the areas of E-Business E-Merchandising, E-Business Financial analysis, Cross-Functional Enter rchitecture, and E-Commerce Entrepreneurship. Often, a practicum is also included to expose students to the industry and provide hands-on work experience Technology track. This track typically starts with prerequisite/core courses in basic (such as C++/ ra), E-Business Systems Analysis and Design, Design and Implementation, and Web Development. These specializations are geared towards entering into technical positions in industry such as Web Development, Technical Consulting, Systems Integration, Web-based ERP Analysis, Wireless Telecommunications Analysis, XML Development, E-business Infrastructure and Technical Architecture, and E-Solutions Entrepreneurship Industry Needs for E-Business Skills The second aspect of our study assesses industry demand for e-business professionals and the skill sets needed for specific e-business career tracks. To perform this analysis we conducted an extensive content analysis of e-business job listings on major US Web obsitesEightcareerWebsiteswereselectedBrassRingcom,CareerBuilder.com Dice.comCollegerecruiter.comHeadhunter.net,Jobsonline.comKforce.com,ane Monster. com. These were ranked the top sites by Alexa Research and PC Data Onli in 2001 [5]. Around 1,000 online job postings were coded independently by two researchers. The two sets of classifications were then compared, and minor difference were resolved The content analysis focuses on two outcomes: identifying general categories of e-business professions(for example, Web site developer, Java programmer, data base spe- cialist), as well as the relative percentage of positions within each profession; and, the spe- cific job skills required for each type of position The analysis of the data reveals several interesting facts: out of the approximately one thousand job postings, 60% were technical job postings and 40% were in the gramming(28%), Web administration(12%), networking(12%), Web-database (7%), and technical support(1%); the management job category consists of consult ant(19%), manager(12%), analyst(8%), and other (1%)(such as technical writer, human resources). Figures 2 and 3 show the breakdown of technical and managerial For the e-business technical job postings, common skill sets include: Unix, C++ Java, SQL, Visual Basic, HTML, ASP Oracle, SQL Server, TCP/IR OO Program ming, wireless application protocol (WAP), wireless markup language(WML), XML, P Applications, LAN/WAN technologies, common object request broker archi tecture( CORBA), Cold Fusion, Photoshop, Dreamweaver/Front Page, and distrib uted component object model/ component object model (DCOM/COM) As for the e-business managerial skill sets, job postings fall into two categories: gen- eral managerial skills and e-business-specific managerial skills. With regard to general man- agerial skills, most are very similar to traditional managerial skill sets. One possible reason is that managerial skills are less domain-specific than technical skills. The most commonly listed e-business managerial skill sets are: self-motivated with proven decision-making abilities; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to communicate results of work in technical and non-technical terms ability to train and motivate personnel; abil COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM December 2003/ol. 46. No. 12ve I7I
Internet. The electives are geared towards shaping a career in the areas of E-Business Analysis, E-Merchandising, E-Business Financial Analysis, Cross-Functional Enterprise Architecture, and E-Commerce Entrepreneurship. Often, a practicum is also included to expose students to the industry and provide hands-on work experience. Technology track. This track typically starts with prerequisite/core courses in basic programming (such as C++/Java), E-Business Systems Analysis and Design, Database Design and Implementation, and Web Development. These specializations are geared towards entering into technical positions in industry such as Web Development, Technical Consulting, Systems Integration, Web-based ERP Analysis, Wireless Telecommunications Analysis, XML Development, E-business Infrastructure and Technical Architecture, and E-Solutions Entrepreneurship. Industry Needs for E-Business Skills The second aspect of our study assesses industry demand for e-business professionals and the skill sets needed for specific e-business career tracks. To perform this analysis, we conducted an extensive content analysis of e-business job listings on major US Web job sites. Eight career Web sites were selected: BrassRing.com, CareerBuilder.com, Dice.com, Collegerecruiter.com, HeadHunter.net, Jobsonline.com, Kforce.com, and Monster.com. These were ranked the top sites by Alexa Research and PC Data Online in 2001 [5]. Around 1,000 online job postings were coded independently by two researchers. The two sets of classifications were then compared, and minor differences were resolved. The content analysis focuses on two outcomes: identifying general categories of e-business professions (for example, Web site developer, Java programmer, data base specialist), as well as the relative percentage of positions within each profession; and, the specific job skills required for each type of position. The analysis of the data reveals several interesting facts: out of the approximately one thousand job postings, 60% were technical job postings and 40% were in the management category; technical job postings can be further subdivided into programming (28%), Web administration (12%), networking (12%), Web-database (7%), and technical support (1%); the management job category consists of consultant (19%), manager (12%), analyst (8%), and other (1%) (such as technical writer, human resources). Figures 2 and 3 show the breakdown of technical and managerial positions. For the e-business technical job postings, common skill sets include: Unix, C++, Java, SQL, Visual Basic, HTML, ASP, Oracle, SQL Server, TCP/IP, OO Programming, wireless application protocol (WAP), wireless markup language (WML), XML, ERP Applications, LAN/WAN technologies, common object request broker architecture (CORBA), Cold Fusion, Photoshop, Dreamweaver/Front Page, and distributed component object model/component object model (DCOM/COM). As for the e-business managerial skill sets, job postings fall into two categories: general managerial skills and e-business-specific managerial skills. With regard to general managerial skills, most are very similar to traditional managerial skill sets. One possible reason is that managerial skills are less domain-specific than technical skills. The most commonly listed e-business managerial skill sets are: self-motivated with proven decision-making abilities; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to communicate results of work in technical and non-technical terms; ability to train and motivate personnel; abilCOMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM December 2003/Vol. 46, No. 12ve 171