IT Service Management (ITSM) Education and Research: Global View

Abstract

This article provides an overview of Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) and investigates the education and research activities in this discipline from a global perspective. The objectives of the study are to inform the training organizations (e.g., universities, training institutes) on the current status of the educational activities in ITSM at undergraduate and graduate levels; and to guide the researchers by providing quantitative data on the research activities conducted in the field. In the educational arena, the statistical data showed that, stand-alone undergraduate/graduate programs are becoming popular among the high school graduates with elevated expectations of the market place, in addition to the appreciation of the IT service management area by the IT sector and the public. The results of the research findings provide guidelines for curriculum developers in the design and implementation of courses for the de facto interdisciplinary ITSM degree/certificate training programs and motivate and guide the researchers by providing the most recent quantitative data on the ITSM field. It is one of the first studies to provide education and research trends in ITSM area. The present study adds to this important stream of emerging research area and contributes by advancing the understanding of ITSM education and research issues. This paper advances the current state of knowledge on ITSM education and explores recent research trends in this area which is becoming standard towards providing quality IT services in enterprises. © 2015 TEMPUS Publications.