Lack of communication among information technology professionals was the topic of a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Dr. Melinda Korzaan

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. Melinda Korzaan, an associate professor of computer information systems, first aired Nov. 23 on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org ). You can listen to their conversation below.

Korzaan and colleague Nita Brooks conducted a study of the “silent treatment” in IT projects that was published in the April 2015 edition of the Journal of Information Systems Applied Research.

The professors found that members of IT project teams who run into issues they can’t solve are sometimes highly reluctant to tell their supervisors for fear of negative repercussions that would affect their employment adversely.

“The statistics show that between 5 and 15 percent of IT projects fail, and what that costs the U.S. economy is between 50 and 150 billion dollars per year,” said Korzaan.

“Basically, there’s a lot of money riding on IT projects and a lot of money that stands to be lost if these projects are not successful. So the importance of bringing problems to the forefront before they end up costing these astronomical amounts is very important.”

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, visit the searchable “Audio Clips” archives at www.mtsunews.com.

For more information about “MTSU On the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.