I Editorial Preface

It is my pleasure to welcome all of you to the inaugural issue of International Journal of Human Capital and Information Technology Professionals (IJHCITP). In this inaugural editorial we would like to outline the goals of the journal and provide the basis for why this journal is needed. The objective of this journal is to offer an outlook on the state of the IT profession from the perspective of human capital. The research questions concerning professionalism in the IT field constitute one of the most productive research lines in the last number of years. This journal will represent a vision of IT professionalism from the point of view of human capital, including in its contents theoretical frameworks, technical reports, book reviews, case studies and empirical research findings which relate to this prolific, and relatively novel research line. The development of intellectual capital of corporations represents one of the most significant challenges for today's managers, and one of the most fertile fields for business innovation. The advancement in techniques for personnel development has enabled the application of practices and processes which foster training and learning, improving the performance of individuals and groups. indicate that this asset is sustained in knowledge, and that this element provides individuals with increases in their cognitive abilities, leading to more productive and efficient potential activity. Drucker (1998) stated that knowledge is the most significant economic resource of a post-capitalist society. This has led to the formation of definitions such as Knowledge Intensive Organizations (KOI), which, according to Starbuck (1992), are those organizations in which " knowledge plays a more important role than any other of the inputs to an organization ". In this environment, KOI, in which IT-related organizations are included, according to Hurley & Green (2005) require effective measurement techniques for the development of their employees, both from the perspective of knowledge as well as competency elements (aptitudes , attitudes...). Human capital is particularly critical for competitiveness in high-tech sectors (Bartelsman et al. , 2004) and this circumstance has obliged an increase in the importance of human capital in general and its evaluation, in particular in different environments focused on the governing and management of IT. In recognition of the importance of human capital for IT, a journal dedicated to this field is appropriate and timely. Thus, IJHCITP focuses on the IT field from the outlook of industry professionals and covers multidisciplinary themes such as …

society.This has led to the formation of definitions such as Knowledge Intensive Organizations (KOI), which, according to Starbuck (1992), are those organizations in which "knowledge plays a more important role than any other of the inputs to an organization".In this environment, KOI, in which IT-related organizations are included, according to Hurley & Green (2005) require effective measurement techniques for the development of their employees, both from the perspective of knowledge as well as competency elements (aptitudes, attitudes...).Human capital is particularly critical for competitiveness in high-tech sectors (Bartelsman et al. , 2004) and this circumstance has obliged an increase in the importance of human capital in general and its evaluation, in particular in different environments focused on the governing and management of IT.
In recognition of the importance of human capital for IT, a journal dedicated to this field is appropriate and timely.Thus, IJHCITP focuses on the IT field from the outlook of industry professionals and covers multidisciplinary themes such as human resource management, sociology, psychology, and management.The journal will publish original contributions in these areas.IJHCITP intends to be a forum for exchanging new ideas and examining developments in this field.
The objective of this inaugural issue of IJH-CITP is to provide an informative overview on the importance of human capital within the IT industry, and an in-depth survey of the latest advances in these fields from multidisciplinary researchers and practitioners.There are five articles in this inaugural issue.

Editorial PrEfacE
Ricardo Colomo-Palacios, Editor-In-Chief, IJHCITP The first article is Software Based Project Management Methodology: A Field-Force Analysis by Salaheldin, Sharif and Al Alami.This article outlines the tension between key resistors (15 negative forces) and promoters (15 positive forces) related to the application of Software-based Project Management Methodology (SPMM) for controlling and managing IT projects and initiatives within Qatari government organizations.As Qatar has a well developed and ever improving IT infrastructure (represented by many e-government initiatives), there is a large choice in terms of which project management software to use.However the pertinent question that remains unanswered is what barriers and challenges hamper the usage of SPMM to increase the likelihood of accomplishing implementation objectives.Additionally, the project management literature identifies many benefits and pitfalls related to SPMM.However most of this 'good practice' comes from Western European and North American Schools.This raises the fundamental issue whether these findings are applicable, and hence relevant to SPMM challenges and issues in the Middle East.The study will add to the body of project management knowledge by testing key CSFs within the Middle East (namely Qatar) and present a case in terms of differences and similarities.
The second article discusses Collaborative Innovation for the management of IT resources.In this article, O'Sullivan and Dooley present an approach to applying innovation in any IT based organisation, be it a service department within a larger organisation or a commercial business that generates IT solutions for clients.The process of innovation in ICT based organisations is similar to innovation in any organisation and requires an in-depth understanding and practice of developing innovation goals, the management of innovative actions or projects, the empowerment of human capital or teams and the continuous monitoring of innovation performance.This article presents a methodology for applying innovation and a case study of how innovation related knowledge can be managed in any IT organisation.
The third article aims to identify technical competency levels relevant to Software Engineering in a spectrum of professional profiles which are found in Spain's main Software Development companies.Based on a qualitative study of the practices of a set of organizations, and on quantitative analysis based on a survey authors identify seven consecutive profiles.The pyramidal model for professional careers, identifying one single professional track going from Junior Programmer to IT Director, is still present in the organisations subject to the study.
In Human Capital Management Process Based on Information Technology Models and Governance, Darko Galinec presents our readers with a comprehensive approach to the process of human capital management, searching for the possibilities for innovation and improvement.Being aware of the fact that people make the difference and that human capital management (HCM) process enables insight into their capabilities and values, the author provides an analysis of the appropriate HCM tools, presenting the state of the art.In this connection, IT personnel's roles and responsibilities in the process of IT development and support are outlined.In his effort to innovate and improve the HCM process, the author examines the place and role of data warehousing in information systems integration, creating contributing conceptual model for HCM process innovation.The model is put into context of overall business intelligence (BI) framework developed by Gartner, within which the improvement is rendered possible.Opportunities for further BI initiatives of HCM process improvement are also examined, supported by IT in creating and applying appropriate models and IT personnel including proper IT governance.
Trigo, Varajão, Soto-Acosta, Barroso, Molina-Castillo and Gonzalvez-Gallego surveyed 102 Chief Information Officers (CIOs), from large Portuguese and Spanish companies, to characterize present and future IT professionals.Their study empirically investigates which skills are most important for current and future IT personnel based on the perceptions of Iberian CIOs.The results offer a comprehensive and updated set of IT professionals skills that will be useful to both public and private organizations, Universities and Technical Institutes, as well as to IT professionals.The two most important skills found were core functions in the IT department: business knowledge and user support.In contrast, traditional competences such as web development and management of emerging technologies were less demanded.
To summarize, this inaugural issue presents a state of the art of human capital studies applied to the IT profession from five interesting and grounded articles.
Academics and practitioners are invited to forward their contributions in the areas covered by IJHCITP.Potential editors are welcome for guest editing special issues in emerging areas of logistics systems and management.Please direct all your communication to the editor-inchief.Some suggested topics include (but are not limited to): would like to take this opportunity to thank Jan Travers, Kristin M. Klinger, Erika Carter, Heather A. Probst and Ashley M. Houser of IGI Global for their crucial support throughout the launch of this journal.I would like to thank all the associate editors and editorial review board members for agreeing to serve on the board of IJHCITP.Cristina… just, thank you. I