The Innovation Diffusion Paradox in Undergraduate Information Technology Student Outcomes

Abstract

Information technology (IT) graduates and professionals must be prepared with the social skills required to communicate, advance, and enable technologies to influence or enable transformative and innovative change. This study examines the context of innovation in 4-year colleges and industry, finding that industry needs graduates able to innovate, while colleges are producing graduates who are risk-averse, tend to favor the status quo, and have not been trained in innovation. It presents a framework that addresses how IT undergraduate programs can formulate student outcomes to successfully generate, incubate, grow, and integrate innovation into the workplace.