CPR

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 50th Annual Computers and People Research Conference - ACM SIGMIS CPR 2012. For the past 50 years, ACM SIGMIS CPR has engaged the academic and practitioner communities in understanding issues pertaining to supply of information technology (IT) professionals, demand for their skills and talents, and their readiness for the workplace.

Many issues have evolved and matured with changes in technology, organizational valuation of IT, globalization, and economic downturns and upswings. During the past 50 years of CPR, several generations of IT professionals have undergone this cycle of preparation, recruitment, and retention. As baby boomers retire, a new generation of IT professionals presents yet another set of opportunities and challenges for continued research. These transitions beg the questions: what have we learned in the past 50 years and what do we envision as emerging issues for the next 50?

On this 50th anniversary, the SIGMIS CPR proceedings reflect upon these contributions to theory and research and identify new and emergent issues. The papers, panels, and posters within the proceedings address themes such as diversity and cultural issues in the attraction and retention of IT professionals, occupational commitment, curriculum issues and trends, and traditional CPR topics such as IT career development practices and the skills and abilities essential for the next decade. We hope these proceedings serve as a valuable reference for computer and people researchers and practitioners in the coming years.