Employer-Valued Multi-Quotient Competencies and Information Technology Graduate Readiness: Insights from Seven Regions in Tanzania

Abstract

The global IT sector increasingly demands graduates who combine technical expertise with interpersonal, emotional, and adaptive competencies. However, higher education in many developing contexts continues to emphasise cognitive and technical skills, creating an employability gap. This study examines employer-valued multi-quotient competencies, including Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Social Quotient (SQ), Emotional Quotient (EQ), and Adversity Quotient (AQ), and their role in shaping IT graduate readiness in Tanzania. Using a concurrent mixed-methods design, data were collected from 45 employers across five IT sub-sectors, 480 final-year students from ten higher learning institutions, and a curriculum review of those same institutions. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, factor analysis (KMO = 0.81; Bartlett’s p < .001), and regression modelling, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Findings show that although IQ remains a baseline requirement, EQ (β = 0.39, p < 0.01) and AQ (β = 0.35, p < 0.05) are better predictors of graduate readiness. Students undervalued these dimensions, and curricula embedded them inconsistently. The study contributes new empirical evidence by integrating employer, student, and curriculum perspectives, advancing understanding of multi-quotient competence as a holistic framework for aligning IT education with workforce expectations.