Development staff characteristics and service stability in leading Australian-owned information technology firms

This paper reports empirical findings from an initial series of field case studies aimed at identifying and modelling the organisational characteristics and cultural qualities of excellence in leading Australian-owned information technology firms. Senior staff in 15% of the top Australian IT firms were asked to identify and describe those key characteristics they looked for in hiring and keeping their staff. The analysis of staffing characteristics identified several differences from the commonly held view of the "typical" IS staffer. The paper concludes with observations and recommendations for further research in subsequent case studies.