The Importance of Good Communication Skills on “IS” Career Paths

This article examines the question “Are the same good writing and speaking skills required in general management positions also important in computer jobs?” The first part of the article examines the historical marriage between “communicating” and “computing,” while the second part examines what roles, if any, good communication skills play in advancing IS career paths. Finally, the third part describes an empirical survey to test the hypothesis that communication skills are important to computer professionals. The results of the survey strongly support the hypothesis.