Attracting Students to the IS Major: The Role of IT Sophistication in Introductory IS Courses

The Information Systems (IS) discipline is facing an enrollment crisis. Despite the steady decline in IS enrollments, the demand for information technology (IT) professionals continues to increase. Using a survey of 151 students enrolled in introductory IS courses at two universities, this study investigates the role that the level of technological sophistication plays in attracting students to the IS discipline. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, the study finds that the degree to which students perceive the IT taught in introductory IS courses as sophisticated affects student aspiration to pursue an IS degree. Specifically, IT sophistication enhances students’ confidence in their ability to successfully perform as an IS major (i.e., self-efficacy) and elevates students’ expectations that valued rewards will be received by majoring in IS (i.e., outcome expectations). In turn, strong self-efficacy and outcome expectations foster student interest in the IS discipline. Interest serves as the primary mechanism through which goals to choose the IS major emerge.