Organization Support as a Moderator in Coping with the Threat of Professional Obsolescence

This study examines how IT professionals cope with the threat of professional obsolescence and how organizations may play a role in helping IT professionals cope with this threat. In answering these questions, this study draws on theories of occupational stress, specifically the theory of conservation of resources (Hobfoll 2002; Hobfoll et al. 1993), to relate the threat of professional obsolescence with IT professionals’ coping behaviors. This study extends the theory of conservation of resources by proposing organizational updating climate as a proximal contextual moderating factor in how IT professionals cope with the threat of professional obsolescence. The results obtained from a large sample of IT professionals show that IT professionals are more likely to cope by directly rather than indirectly updating their IT competencies in relation to the threat of professional obsolescence. Organization updating climate supports IT professionals’ coping by providing a supportive environment to undertake both direct as well as indirect updating. By contrast, direct updating is preferred over indirect updating in organizations where there is lower updating support. We conclude this study with a discussion of the results and their implications for research and practice.