International Journal of Management & Information Systems – December 2017 Volume 21, Number 2 Copyright by author(s); CC-BY 27 The Clute Institute Dynamic SQL Knowledge As A Mechanism For Increasing Individual Absorptive Capacity Tanya Beaulieu, Utah State University, USA Pam Dupin-Bryant, Utah State University, USA David Olsen, Utah State University, USA ABSTRACT Technology continues to evolve rapidly, and organizations need to constantly evolve to keep up with the latest innovations in hardware, software, and processes to strategically select and manage technology. Underlying these firm capabilities are the employees that monitor, plan, and implement technology improvements, thereby it is critical that organizations have employees that can contribute to firm absorptive capacity and who can strategically take advantage of technology innovations. In this theoretical paper, we examine what type of curriculum MIS undergraduate programs might implement to prepare students for careers in the dynamically evolving realm of technology-infused organizations. We posit that students need to go beyond the adage of “learning how to learn”, but instead need to have the skills and the mindset to compete in a technology-enabled environment. Specifically, we examine a learning module on Dynamic SQL delivered in an advanced database course, and analyze why introducing a rigorous and complex learning module can develop and expand students’ absorptive capacity resulting in a competitive advantage when entering the workforce. Keywords: Dynamic SQL, Absorptive Capacity, Competitive Advantage, Database, Pedagogy, Curriculum INTRODUCTION nnovation is a driving force for an organization’s survival and growth (Audretsch, Keilbach, & Lehmann, 2006; Cohen & Levinthal, 1990) and can lead to disruptive environments which fundamentally change how value is generated and competitive advantage is maintained (Christensen, 2013). Nowhere is this more relevant than with technology. In less than 25 years, we have seen software development approaches migrate from a low level of maturity (Paulk, Curtis, Chrissis, & Weber, 1993), to the advent of the waterfall method, only to be replaced by agile methodologies which is now being driven by the DevOps movement. Infrastructure is not immune to this dynamic environment where in-house data centers are rapidly migrating to cloud computing made possible by virtualization of servers, applications, and networks. Big data and analytics are becoming increasingly important, but force a different way of thinking about data as structured data and relational databases give way to NoSQL and Hadoop supported data lakes. Fueled by innovations such as virtualization, Information Technology (IT) services are becoming increasingly distributed and the very nature of the IT workforce must adapt. IT workers will be moving out of core business organizations and instead work for IT service providers. Employees left in non-IT businesses will need to network with an ever increasing array of providers to pick and choose how technology is formulated to work for their needs. Similarly, IT service firms will be working with an increasing number of heterogeneous clients, with varying needs. Employees for IT Service firms and Non-IT firms alike will need to respond to this dynamic hypercompetitive pace of technology-induced change (Antero, 2012). Therefore, technology workers face unique challenges to keep informed and remain relevant. In this paper, we are inspired by the question: How can we develop in our students the technology capabilities needed for an innovative technology infused workplace? Through the lens of capabilities and absorptive capacity I