Chunmian Ge
Skip Abstract Section
Abstract
The starting salary of a fresh graduate is considered a potential indicator of career advancement. Yet few studies have examined the determinants of starting salaries of information technology (IT) graduates. Further, existing studies have focused on how demographics affect either the salary or the kind of job the graduate enters into, but rarely both. In this paper, we explore both and examine if entry into an IT job mediates the effects of demographics on the starting salaries of fresh IT graduates. Our model is tested using data from annual surveys of undergraduate students majoring in IT at a large public university in Singapore over a 5-year period. We find that gender and foreigner status influence both starting salary and fresh graduates' entry into an IT vs. non IT job. Further, the effect of gender on the starting salaries of IT graduates is partially mediated by their entry into an IT job. In other words, part of the reason for a gender difference in starting salary could be attributed to female IT majors being less likely to enter IT jobs upon graduation than their male counterparts. On the other hand, foreign IT graduates are more likely to enter IT jobs, yet their starting salaries are found to be lower than local graduates. The implications of the results for research and practice are discussed.
- Adams, S. 2013. "College Degrees with the Highest Starting Salaries," in: Forbes.Google Scholar
- Ahuja, M.K. 2002. "Women in the Information Technology Profession: A Literature Review, Synthesis and Research Agenda," European Journal of Information Systems (11:1), pp. 20--34.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Akbulut, A.Y., and Looney, C.A. 2007. "Inspiring Students to Pursue Computing Degrees," Communications of the ACM (50:10), pp. 67--7 Google ScholarDigital Library
- Ang, S., Slaughter, S., and Ng, K.Y. 2002. "Human Capital and Institutional Determinants of Information Technology Compensation: Modeling Multilevel and Cross-Level Interactions," Management Science (48:11), pp. 1427--1445. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., and Begley, T.M. 2003. "The Employment Relationships of Foreign Workers Versus Local Employees: A Field Study of Organizational Justice, Job Satisfaction, Performance, and OCB," Journal of Organizational Behavior (24:5), pp. 561--583.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Armstrong, D.J., Riemenschneider, C.K., Reid, M.F., and Nelms, J.E. 2011. "Challenges and Barriers Facing Women in the IS Workforce: How Far Have We Come?" Proceedings of the 49th SIGMIS Annual Conference on Computer Personnel Research, San Antonio, USA. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Baron, R.M., and Kenny, D.A. 1986. "The Moderator-Mediator Variable Distinction in Social Psychological Research: Conceptual, Strategic, and Statistical Considerations," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (51:6), pp. 1173.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Becker, G.S. 1993. Human Capital, A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, National Bureau of Economic Research, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Google Scholar
- Becker, G.S. 1985. "Human Capital, Effort, and the Sexual Division of Labor," Journal of Labor Economics (3:1), pp. 33--58.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Bertrand, M., Goldin, C., and Katz, L.F. 2010. "Dynamics of the Gender Gap for Young Professionals in the Financial and Corporate Sectors," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics (2:3), pp. 228--255.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Blau, F.D., and DeVaro, J. 2007. "New Evidence on Gender Differences in Promotion Rates: An Empirical Analysis of a Sample of New Hires," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society (46:3), pp. 511--550.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Bloomberg, 2014. "Highest-Paid Software Engineers: Countries" Retrieved 1 July 2014 from http://www.bloomberg.com/visual-data/best-and-worst/highest-paid-software-engineers-countriesGoogle Scholar
- Booth, A.L. 2009. "Gender and Competition," Labour Economics (16:6), pp. 599--606.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Bretts, B. 1993. "She Shall Overcome," in: Computerworld. pp. 67--70.Google Scholar
- Byrne, G., Lorraine S., and Elisha B. 2006. "Gender and the Australian IT Industry," in: Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology, Idea Group Reference, Hershey, PA: pp 467--473.Google Scholar
- Chao, E.L., and Rones, P.L. 2007. "Women in the Labor Force: A Databook." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Report No.: 1002.Google Scholar
- Chen, G., and Klimoski, R.J. 2003. "The Impact of Expectations on Newcomer Performance in Teams as Mediated by Work Characteristics, Social Exchanges, and Empowerment," Academy of Management Journal (46:5), pp. 591--607.Google Scholar
- Chevalier, A. 2007. "Education, Occupation and Career Expectations: Determinants of the Gender Pay Gap for UK Graduates," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics (69:6), pp. 819--842.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Claburn, T. 2013. "H-1b Workers Not Best or Brightest, Study Says," in: InformationWeek.Google Scholar
- CNET. 2008. "Bill Gates to Congress: Let Us Hire More Foreigners" Retrieved 1 July 2014 from http://www.cnet.com/news/bill-gates-to-congress-let-us-hire-more-foreigners/Google Scholar
- Croson, R., and Gneezy, U. 2009. "Gender Differences in Preferences," Journal of Economic Literature (47:2), pp. 448--474.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Fang, X., Lee, S., Lee, T.E., and Huang, W. 2004. "Critical Factors Affecting Job Offers for New MIS Graduates," Journal of Information Systems Education (15), pp. 189--204.Google Scholar
- Feeny, D.F., and Willcocks, L.P. 1998. "Core IS Capabilities for Exploiting Information Technology," Sloan Management Review (39:3), pp. 9--21.Google Scholar
- Florida, R., and Gates, G. 2004. "Technology and Tolerance: The Importance of Diversity to High-Technology Growth," Research in Urban Policy (9), pp. 199--219.Google Scholar
- Fortin, N.M. 2008. "The Gender Wage Gap among Young Adults in the United States: The Importance of Money Versus People," Journal of Human Resources (43:4), pp. 884--918.Google Scholar
- Gefen, D., Rigdon, E., and Straub, D.W. 2011. "An Update and Extension to SEM Guidelines for Administrative and Social Science Research" MIS Quarterly (35:2), pp. iii-xiv Google ScholarDigital Library
- Götz, O., Liehr-Gobbers, K., and Krafft, M. 2010. "Evaluation of Structural Equation Models Using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) Approach," in Handbook of Partial Least Squares. Springer, pp. 691--711.Google Scholar
- Goldin, C., and Polachek, S. 1987. "Residual Differences by Sex: Perspectives on the Gender Gap in Earnings," The American Economic Review (77:2), pp. 143--151.Google Scholar
- Grove, W.A., Hussey, A., and Jetter, M. 2011. "The Gender Pay Gap beyond Human Capital Heterogeneity in Noncognitive Skills and in Labor Market Tastes," Journal of Human Resources (46:4), pp. 827--874.Google Scholar
- Hair, J. F, Marko S., Christian M R., and Jeannette A M. 2012. "An assessment of the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling in marketing research," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (40:3), pp. 414--433.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Heinze, N., and Hu, Q. 2009. "Why College Undergraduates Choose IT: A Multi-Theoretical Perspective," European Journal of Information Systems (18:5), pp. 462--475.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Hellevik, O. 2009 "Linear versus logistic regression when the dependent variable is a dichotomy," Quality & Quantity (43:1), pp. 59--74.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Huang, Q., and Sverke, M. 2007. "Women's Occupational Career Patterns over 27 Years: Relations to Family of Origin, Life Careers, and Wellness," Journal of Vocational Behavior (70:2), pp. 369--397.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Igbaria, M., and Baroudi, J.J. 1995. "The Impact of Job Performance Evaluations on Career Advancement Prospects: An Examination of Gender Differences in the IS Workplace," MIS Quarterly (19:1), pp. 107--123. Google ScholarDigital Library
- IIE, 2012. "Report on International Educational Exchange," Retrieved 1 July 2014 from http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Publications-and-Reports/IIE-Bookstore/Open-Doors-2012Google Scholar
- Joseph, D., Boh, W.F., Ang, S., and Slaughter, S.A. 2012. "The Career Paths Less (or More) Traveled: A Sequence Analysis of IT Career Histories, Mobility Patterns, and Career Success," MIS Quarterly (36:2), pp. 427--452. Google ScholarDigital Library
- KPMG, 2013. "Technology Industry Outlook Survey", Retrieved 1 July 2014 from http://www.kpmg.com/SG/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/Advisory-Technology-2013-Technology-Industry-Outlook-Survey.pdfGoogle Scholar
- Krishna, S., Sahay, S., and Walsham, G. 2004. "Managing Cross-Cultural Issues in Global Software Outsourcing," Communications of the ACM (47:4), pp. 62--66. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Kuhn, K., and Joshi, K. 2009. "The Reported and Revealed Importance of Job Attributes to Aspiring Information Technology: A Policy-Capturing Study of Gender Differences," The Data Base for Advances in Information Systems (40:3), pp. 40--60. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Loury, L.D. 1996. "Gender Earnings Gap among College-Educated Workers," Industrial and Labor Relations Review (50; 4), pp. 580.Google Scholar
- Lyness, K.S., and Heilman, M.E. 2006. "When Fit is Fundamental: Performance Evaluations and Promotions of Upper-Level Female and Male Managers," Journal of Applied Psychology (91:4), pp. 777--785.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Macpherson, D.A., and Hirsch, B.T. 1995. "Wages and Gender Composition: Why Do Women's Jobs Pay Less?" Journal of Labor Economics (13:2), pp. 426--471.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Matloff, N. 2003. "On the Need for Reform of the H-1b Non-Immigrant Work Visa in Computer-Related Occupations," University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform (36), pp. 4.Google Scholar
- McConnell, S. 2003. Professional Software Development: Shorter Schedules, Better Projects, Superior Products, Enhanced Careers. Boston: Addison Wesley. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Mithas, S., and Lucas, H.C. 2010. "Are Foreign IT Workers Cheaper? US Visa Policies and Compensation of Information Technology Professionals," Management Science (56:5), pp. 745--765. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Moore, J. E., Yager, S. E., Sumner, M., and Crow, G. B. 2001. "Facilitating career changes into IT," Communications of the ACM (44:7), pp. 70--73. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Needleman, S.E. 2008. "Ivy Leaguers' Big Edge: Starting Pay," in: The Wall Street Journal.Google Scholar
- Nezlek, G., and DeHondt, G. 2011. "Gender Wage Differentials in Information Systems: 1991-2008 a Quantitative Analysis," International Journal of Social and Organizational Dynamics in IT (IJSODIT) (1:1), pp. 13--29.Google ScholarCross Ref
- O'Neill, J. 2003. "The Gender Gap in Wages, Circa 2000," The American Economic Review (93:2), pp. 309--314.Google Scholar
- Pande, R. 2006. "Digital divide, gender and the Indian experience in IT," in: Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology, pp 191--199, Idea Group Reference, Hershey, PA.Google Scholar
- Panko, R.R. 2008. "IT Employment Prospects: Beyond the Dotcom Bubble," European Journal of Information Systems (17:3), pp. 182--197.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Park, E. J. W. 2007. Unworthy of A Nation Built by Immigrants: The Political Mobilization of H-1B Workers. U. Tambar, ed. Movement of Global Talent: The Impact of High Skill Labor Flows from India and China. Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, pp. 75--88Google Scholar
- PayScale 2013. "2013--2014 PayScale College Salary Report" Retrieved 1 July 2014, from http://www. payscale.com/college-salary-report-2013/full-list-of-schoolsGoogle Scholar
- Quan, J.J., Dattero, R., and Galup, S.D. 2007. "Information Technology Wages and the Value of Certifications: A Human Capital Perspective," Communications of the Association for Information Systems (19), pp. 21--26.Google Scholar
- Riemenschneider, C. K., Armstrong, D. J., and Moore, J. E. 2009. "Meeting the demand for IT workers: a call for research," European Journal of Information Systems (18:5), pp. 458--461.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Salzman, H., Kuehn, D., and Lowell B.L. 2013. "Guestworkers in the high-skill U.S. labor market: An analysis of supply, employment, and wage trends." Economic Policy Institute Briefing Paper (359).Google Scholar
- Sandvig, J.C., Tyran, C.K., and Ross, S.C. 2005. "Determinants of Graduating MIS Student Starting Salary in Boom and Bust Job Markets," Communications of the Association for Information Systems (16), pp. 604--624.Google Scholar
- Singh, S. 2003. "US Visas are Not a TCS-Specific Issue," in: Businessworld (India).Google Scholar
- Slaughter, S.A., Ang, S., and Fong Boh, W. 2007. "Firm-Specific Human Capital and Compensation Organizational Tenure Profiles: An Archival Analysis of Salary Data for IT," Human Resource Management (46:3), pp. 373--394.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Tan, M., and Igbaria, M. 1994. "Turnover and Remuneration of Information Technology Professionals in Singapore," Information & Management (26:4), pp. 219--229. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Tattersall A., Keogh C., Richardson H.J. and Adam A. 2006. "Women and the IT workplace - issues from North West England," in: Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology, Idea Group Reference, Hershey, PA: pp. 1252--1257.Google Scholar
- Thatcher, J., Dinger, M., and George, J.F. 2012. "Information Technology Worker Recruitment: An Empirical Examination of Entry-Level IT Job Seekers' Labor Market," Communications of the Association for Information Systems (31:1), pp. 1.Google Scholar
- Trauth, E.M. 2002. "Odd Girl Out: An Individual Differences Perspective on Women in the IT Profession," Information Technology & People (15:2), pp. 98--118.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Trauth, E.M., Cain, C.C., Joshi, K., Kvasny, L., and Booth, K. 2012. "Embracing Intersectionality in Gender and IT Career Choice Research," Proceedings of the 50th Annual Conference on Computers and People Research, Milwaukee, USA. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Trauth, E.M., Quesenberry, J.L., and Huang, H. 2008. "A multicultural analysis of factors influencing career choice for women in the information technology workforce," Journal of Global Information Management (16:4), pp 1--23.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Trauth, E.M., Quesenberry, J.L., and Huang, H. 2009. "Retaining Women in the US IT Workforce: Theorizing the Influence of Organizational Factors," European Journal of Information Systems (18:5), pp. 476--497.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Truman, G.E., and Baroudi, J.J. 1994. "Gender Differences in the Information Systems Managerial Ranks: An Assessment of Potential Discriminatory Practices," MIS Quarterly (18:2), pp. 129--142. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Weinberger, C.J. 1998. "Race and Gender Wage Gaps in the Market for Recent College Graduates," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society (37:1), pp. 67--84.Google ScholarCross Ref
- WetFeet. 2009. Careers in Information Technology. Philadelphia: PA.Google Scholar
- Wilson, M. 2004. "A Conceptual Framework for Studying Gender in Information Systems Research," Journal of Information Technology (19:1), pp. 81--92.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Yap, M., and Konrad, A.M. 2009. "Gender and Racial Differentials in Promotions: Is There a Sticky Floor, a Mid-Level Bottleneck, or a Glass Ceiling?" Relations industrielles/Industrial Relations (64:4), pp. 593--619.Google ScholarCross Ref
Index Terms
- Investigating the Determinants of Starting Salary of IT Graduates
Recommendations
Determinants of Turnover Intentions: Comparing IC and IS Personnel
Personnel is one of the most important resources for the performance of Information Systems IS and Information Center IC organizations. The scarcity of new employees, the difficulty of training and a high turnover make personnel management in these ...
Skill requirements of IT&T professionals and graduates: an Australian study research-in-progress
SIGCPR '00: Proceedings of the 2000 ACM SIGCPR conference on Computer personnel researchThe IT&T (Information Technology and Telecommunications) Skills Taskforce recently released the results of their study on IT&T skill requirements in Australia, predicting that in the current financial year, Australian employers will be seeking an excess ...
IT employee retention: employee expectations and workplace environments
SIGMIS CPR '09: Proceedings of the special interest group on management information system's 47th annual conference on Computer personnel researchIT employee retention is a serious problem facing many organizations. Building on person-environment fit theory and utilizing survey data drawn from 21 state government IT departments, in this paper we examine the relationship between voluntary turnover ...
Comments