Software Engineering Competencies and Employment Outcomes: Examining the Moderating Effects of Programming Language Proficiency and Age Group

Abstract

Software engineering is a constantly evolving field that is heavily reliant on the competencies of its personnel. In a developing country such as Ghana where demand for software engineering is on the rise due to efforts to digitalize the economy, there is a need for a comprehensive study on the competencies required by the software industry. The Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamoud Bawumia's, recent efforts to digitalize the country's public sectors have sparked a surge of motivation among the youth, inspiring them to pursue careers in this field. Although existing literature has investigated the competencies required by the software industry, a significant majority have been carried out in developed-country contexts. Hence, one of the driving factors of this research is the scarcity of SEC studies in Ghana and other developing countries. In addition, existing literature has not explored how these competencies affect employment outcomes. Hence, this study sought to understand the competencies that are required by software firms in Ghana as well as their influence on employment outcomes. Furthermore, the study explored the moderating effect of knowledge in programming languages and generational age on the relationship between competencies and employment. To achieve the objectives of this study, a qualitative approach based on the interpretivism paradigm was utilized, using interviews as the primary data collection method. Through a semi structured interview, data were collected from two software firms in Accra, Ghana. Both software firms had been operational for over 10 years, possessing the requisite staff strength and an extensive project portfolio. In all, six respondents, three from each firm participated in the study. The collected data were transcribed and analyzed thematically drawing from Miles and Huberman’s (1994) thematic analysis approach.