Testing the accuracy of the IT stereotype: Profiling IT managers’ personality and behavioural characteristics

Recent literature has identified many communication and leadership inadequacies amongst senior IT managers and consequent breakdowns in the IT/business relationship. This paper goes beyond the largely anecdotally based evidence presented to date; it uses psychometric testing to investigate the personal and behavioural characteristics of IT managers and compare these with reported characteristics of business managers. The results indicate significant differences related to issues of control and consequent leadership behaviour and task/relationship orientation. It is speculated that IT managers with the personality characteristics identified in this study may tend to position IT in a service rather than a strategic role and experience greater difficulties in negotiating the IT/business relationship.