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Background and Context. Dispositions are personal qualities including values, beliefs, and attitudes that impact an individual's actions and behaviors. Dispositions help a person identify why and when things need to be done and motivate them to follow through in action using their knowledge and skills. A person may have the appropriate skills and knowledge to perform a task and yet may not be able to perform due to the lack of suitable disposition. Objective. As part of a larger multi-institutional project aimed at improving computing education through a competency-based approach, we plan to create a research-informed competency model that includes knowledge, skills, and dispositions valued by computing professionals in the field. The objective of this paper is to report our findings on dispositions based on the National Research Council (NRC) framework. Method. We collected data from conducting a systematic literature review (SLR) and interviewing computing professionals from the United States. For the SLR, we started with 4949 articles from prominent databases (ERIC, SCOPUS, ACM, IEEE) which were filtered down to 52 research papers using rigorous inclusion-exclusion criteria. For conducting the semi-structured interviews, we used criterion and chain-link sampling to recruit 31 computing professionals, including software developers, network administrators, systems analysts, web developers, engineering managers, and others. Findings. Based on the aggregate findings from the SLR and interviews, in this paper we present the dispositions that are deemed necessary by computing professionals or employers to any computing career. The dispositions were categorized into the themes of Collaborative Orientation, Conscientiousness, Intellectual Openness, Self-Regulation, and Lifelong Learning Orientation. Implications. We discuss the importance of incorporating dispositions in computing curricula, interrelationship between skills and dispositions, and possible pedagogical techniques that can be used to cultivate dispositions. 

Competencies (knowledge, skills, and dispositions) enable employers and educators to speak a common language regarding what computing graduates are expected to demonstrate on the job. This study focuses on competencies required by managers in the computing industry, based on semi-structured interviews of ten individuals in managerial roles, such as directors, project managers, and product managers with prior experience in computing-related roles. Constant Comparative for Naturalistic Inquiry was used to analyze the data. The most frequently discussed managerial skills included leadership, project management, hiring and evaluating candidates, and mentorship. In addition, professional skills such as communication, problem-solving, and lifelong learning were mentioned, along with essential dispositions that support the development of these skills, e.g., collaborative mindset, lifelong learning orientation, and self-regulation. Participants also emphasized the need to make judgments, build relationships, and collaborate within or outside their team. Career readiness in the computing industry is not limited to entry-level jobs; professionals should have the opportunity to navigate their preferred career path—whether they aspire to move down a technical or managerial path. This study can contribute to both students’ and educators’ understanding of the managerial career path and what types of competencies and experiences should be included in computing education programs to set them up for success across their career path. Implications for pedagogical approaches will also be discussed. 

Employability should be a primary objective for computing programs, as the majority of IT and other computing graduates go to work in industry upon graduation. Furthermore, students want to be prepared for a career, not just an entry-level job. However, literature has shown a gap between employers’ needs and undergraduates’ preparation in non-technical areas. Competencies (skills, knowledge, and dispositions) can be a common language used by both employers and educators. The more we learn about competencies employers expect, the more we can ensure programs match their expectations. This study focuses on competencies required by managers, by interviewing ten directors/managers, project managers, and product managers who had prior experience in computing-related roles. Each was asked to discuss competencies most important to their current position. Emerging themes identified the most important managerial skills (project management, evaluation of candidates, mentorship, managers’ own technical skills and knowledge, adjusting management style as needed, and appropriately assigning team members), professional skills (communication, problem solving, and relationship building), and dispositions (lifelong learning; adaptability/flexibility; being self-driven; self-awareness; being helpful, positive and pleasant; valuing communication and collaboration; having passion for technical work; and perseverance). Implications for education are discussed. This study is part of a larger NSF-funded project related to investigating the competencies required by computing professionals, and the design of educational resources to promote the development of these competencies.