Does postgraduate degree make any difference in job performance of information professionals?

Since 2005, various public and private sector institutions have been offering a postgraduate degree in Library and Information Management (LIM) in Pakistan and a good number of professionals working in different sectors have got MPhil degree. However, locally, no study has been conducted to measure the impact of higher education on the job performance of information professionals (IPs) in any aspect. The purpose of this paper is to measure job performance of MPhil degree (18 years of education) holder IPs.

It is a quantitative study based on the theoretical framework of job performance comprised of its four constructs, i.e. task performance, contextual performance, counterproductive work behaviors (CWB) and adaptive performance. An adopted self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from professionals who have graduated from any LIM schools of the Punjab province with at least one-year work experience after completion of MPhil degrees. For the purpose of the present study, demographic information like age, job experience and library context was also asked about to explore their impact on job performance.

Findings revealed that MPhil degree has a significant positive impact on the job performance of IPs. The professionals reported a significant positive change in their CWB regarding experience after getting a degree. Furthermore, results revealed that professionals were capable of technical skills but needed training regarding time management, teamwork and improving emotional intelligence.

This is the first study reported from Pakistan on the subject. The results of the study may help the LIM schools to review their MPhil programs for the desired results. It may also help organizations to encourage their personnel for higher education.