Answering 2 Questions Based On Article Then 3 Other Questions Using Different Article Of Your Choice That Is Current
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Discussion 2 BU 302
Report Issue
How important do you feel the role emotional intelligence plays in employee performance? Which of the four dimensions of emotional intelligence do you struggle with the most? What steps have you taken or will you take in the immediate future to strengthen that weaker dimension. Be specific.
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Case study.
Case study – evaluating the waterfall and agile methodologies to approach a selected project within an organization. Compare the options and identify the benefits and risks. Adapt the project created in the first week to waterfall and agile using the Microsoft Project tool.
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Discussion 1
Is the death penalty needed? Should it remain or be abolished. Watch the video and then give me your thoughts on this very important issue.
DIRECTIONS: Your initial post should be completed using the +PIN tab on the top right side of this page. Initial posts MUST be at least 100 words. You must also respond to AT LEAST two other student posts with a minimum of 30 words each!
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Historical Issues; Work-Family Relationships; Societal Relations
Below are the 10 “Substance Areas” of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), a professional organization whose mission it is to “To provide an educational forum for family researchers, educators, and practitioners to share in the development and dissemination of knowledge about families and family relationships, establish professional standards, and work to promote family well-being” (http://www.ncfr.org/).
During the eight weeks of this senior seminar students will, with the guidance of their instructor, select and conduct a review of peer reviewed research literature related to the 10 substance areas (Note: All articles must be retrieved from the APUS online library). The phrase “peer reviewed” means that a publication contains articles reviewed and deemed academically sound and scientifically rigorous by the author’s peers in the field. Sources such as blogs, personal websites, popular magazines, newspapers, or any of the Wikis that are out there are NOT acceptable.
Students will select, from the larger body of child and family development literature, two peer reviewed research journal articles per substance area and review, summarize, and critique them in one paper per area. The critiques should describe the research method and results, as well as implications for future research. Each article review should be between 1 and 1½ pages – double-spaced, equating to 2-3 pages per substance area. The format for this assignment should be:
Substance Area Name
Research article 1 (include the title of the article
Critique of 1-1.5 pages
Rsearch article 2 (include the title of the article)
Critique of 1-1.5 pages
Use this format for each of your Substance Areas. The text for each review must start at the 1 inch margin on the left-hand side of your paper.
These must be submitted in the order listed below. Do NOT submit these as separate files. All five content areas are to be submitted as one file.
Be sure to review the rubric provided for you in the assignment area to make certain that you are covering all the requirements.
Assignment 3, due in Week 4:
Substance Areas 1-5 reviews must be completed by the end of Week 4 of the course and compiled into a midterm literature review packet to be submitted by the end of the week. This assignment is due in your Student Folder by 11:59 PM EST on Sunday of Week 4.
Assignment 5, due in Week 7:
By 11:59 PM EST on Sunday of Week 7, your Substance Areas 6 – 10 reviews must be compiled and combined with the previous five articles and submitted as one literature review file with descriptions at the end of the paper about what was learned while conducting the course-long review.
NOTE: This final paper forms the major writing assignment of this capstone course and as such should exemplify higher level writing skills and demonstration of knowledge relevant to degree discipline. It must be in compliance with university academic standards and formatting rules of the American Psychological Association (APA) – 6th Edition. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ is an excellent web-source for reviewing APA rules and fine tuning one’s APA formatting skills. A link to this website is located in the APUS online library.
NCFR SUBSTANCE AREAS
FAMILIES IN SOCIETY
e.g., Structures & Functions; Cultural Variations; Dating, Courtship, Marital Choice; Kinship; Cross-Cultural and Minority Families; Changing Gender Roles; Demographic Trends;
Historical Issues; Work-Family Relationships; Societal Relations
e.g., Prenatal; Infancy; Early and Middle Childhood; Adolescence; Adulthood; Aging.
Sexual Response; Sexual Dysfunction; Influence on Relationships
e.g., Goal Setting and Decision-Making; Development and Allocation of Resources; Social Environment Influences; Life Cycle and Family Structure Influences; Consumer Issues and Decisions.
e.g., Parenting Rights and Responsibilities; Parenting Practices/Processes; Parent/Child Relationships; Variation in Parenting Solutions; Changing Parenting Roles Over the Life Cycle.
e.g., Family and the Law; Family and Social Services; Family and Education;
Family and the Economy; Family and Religion; Policy and the Family.
e.g., Formation of Values; Diversity of Values in Pluralistic Society; Examining Ideologies; Social Consequences of Value Choices; Ethics and Technological Changes; Ethics of Professional Practice
e.g., Planning and Implementing; Evaluation; Education Techniques; Sensitivity to Others; Sensitivity to Community Concern.
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Part 2 NCFR Review (Week 7)
Report Issue
Below are the 10 “Substance Areas” of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), a professional organization whose mission it is to “To provide an educational forum for family researchers, educators, and practitioners to share in the development and dissemination of knowledge about families and family relationships, establish professional standards, and work to promote family well-being” (http://www.ncfr.org/).
During the eight weeks of this senior seminar students will, with the guidance of their instructor, select and conduct a review of peer reviewed research literature related to the 10 substance areas (Note: All articles must be retrieved from the APUS online library). The phrase “peer reviewed” means that a publication contains articles reviewed and deemed academically sound and scientifically rigorous by the author’s peers in the field. Sources such as blogs, personal websites, popular magazines, newspapers, or any of the Wikis that are out there are NOT acceptable.
Students will select, from the larger body of child and family development literature, two peer reviewed research journal articles per substance area and review, summarize, and critique them in one paper per area. The critiques should describe the research method and results, as well as implications for future research. Each article review should be between 1 and 1½ pages – double-spaced, equating to 2-3 pages per substance area. The format for this assignment should be:
Substance Area Name
Research article 1 (include the title of the article
Critique of 1-1.5 pages
Rsearch article 2 (include the title of the article)
Critique of 1-1.5 pages
Use this format for each of your Substance Areas. The text for each review must start at the 1 inch margin on the left-hand side of your paper.
These must be submitted in the order listed below. Do NOT submit these as separate files. All five content areas are to be submitted as one file.
Be sure to review the rubric provided for you in the assignment area to make certain that you are covering all the requirements.
Assignment 3, due in Week 4:
Substance Areas 1-5 reviews must be completed by the end of Week 4 of the course and compiled into a midterm literature review packet to be submitted by the end of the week. This assignment is due in your Student Folder by 11:59 PM EST on Sunday of Week 4.
Assignment 5, due in Week 7:
By 11:59 PM EST on Sunday of Week 7, your Substance Areas 6 – 10 reviews must be compiled and combined with the previous five articles and submitted as one literature review file with descriptions at the end of the paper about what was learned while conducting the course-long review.
NOTE: This final paper forms the major writing assignment of this capstone course and as such should exemplify higher level writing skills and demonstration of knowledge relevant to degree discipline. It must be in compliance with university academic standards and formatting rules of the American Psychological Association (APA) – 6th Edition. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ is an excellent web-source for reviewing APA rules and fine tuning one’s APA formatting skills. A link to this website is located in the APUS online library.
NCFR SUBSTANCE AREAS
FAMILIES IN SOCIETY
e.g., Structures & Functions; Cultural Variations; Dating, Courtship, Marital Choice; Kinship; Cross-Cultural and Minority Families; Changing Gender Roles; Demographic Trends;
Historical Issues; Work-Family Relationships; Societal Relations
e.g., Prenatal; Infancy; Early and Middle Childhood; Adolescence; Adulthood; Aging.
Sexual Response; Sexual Dysfunction; Influence on Relationships
e.g., Goal Setting and Decision-Making; Development and Allocation of Resources; Social Environment Influences; Life Cycle and Family Structure Influences; Consumer Issues and Decisions.
e.g., Parenting Rights and Responsibilities; Parenting Practices/Processes; Parent/Child Relationships; Variation in Parenting Solutions; Changing Parenting Roles Over the Life Cycle.
e.g., Family and the Law; Family and Social Services; Family and Education;
Family and the Economy; Family and Religion; Policy and the Family.
e.g., Formation of Values; Diversity of Values in Pluralistic Society; Examining Ideologies; Social Consequences of Value Choices; Ethics and Technological Changes; Ethics of Professional Practice
e.g., Planning and Implementing; Evaluation; Education Techniques; Sensitivity to Others; Sensitivity to Community Concern.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
IT STraTegy: ISSueS and PracTIceS
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IT STraTegy: ISSueS and PracTIceS
T h i r d E d i t i o n
James D. McKeen Queen’s University
Heather A. Smith Queen’s University
Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montréal Toronto
Delhi Mexico City São Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo
Editor in Chief: Stephanie Wall Acquisitions Editor: Nicole Sam Program Manager Team Lead: Ashley Santora Program Manager: Denise Vaughn Editorial Assistant: Kaylee Rotella Executive Marketing Manager: Anne K. Fahlgren Project Manager Team Lead: Judy Leale Project Manager: Thomas Benfatti Procurement Specialist: Diane Peirano Cover Designer: Lumina Datamantics Full Service Project Management: Abinaya Rajendran at Integra Software Services, Pvt. Ltd. Cover Printer: Courier/Westford Composition: Integra Software Services, Pvt. Ltd. Printer/Binder: Courier/Westford Text Font: 10/12 Palatino LT Std
Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text.
Copyright © 2015, 2012 and 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 07458. Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write to: Rights and Permissions Department.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McKeen, James D. IT strategy: issues and practices/James D. McKeen, Queen’s University, Heather A. Smith, Queen’s University.—Third edition. pages cm ISBN 978-0-13-354424-4 (alk. paper) ISBN 0-13-354424-9 (alk. paper) 1. Information technology—Management. I. Smith, Heather A. II. Title. HD30.2.M3987 2015 004.068—dc23 2014017950
ISBN–10: 0-13-354424-9 ISBN–13: 978-0-13-354424-4
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CoNTENTS
Preface xiii
About the Authors xxi
Acknowledgments xxii
Section I Delivering Value with IT 1
Chapter 1 DeVelopIng anD DelIVerIng on The IT Value propoSITIon 2 Peeling the Onion: Understanding IT Value 3
What Is IT Value? 3
Where Is IT Value? 4
Who Delivers IT Value? 5
When Is IT Value Realized? 5
The Three Components of the IT Value Proposition 6 Identification of Potential Value 7 Effective Conversion 8 Realizing Value 9
Five Principles for Delivering Value 10 Principle 1. Have a Clearly Defined Portfolio Value Management
Process 11
Principle 2. Aim for Chunks of Value 11
Principle 3. Adopt a Holistic Orientation to Technology Value 11
Principle 4. Aim for Joint Ownership of Technology Initiatives 12
Principle 5. Experiment More Often 12 Conclusion 12 • References 13
Chapter 2 DeVelopIng IT STraTegy for BuSIneSS Value 15 Business and IT Strategies: Past, Present, and Future 16
Four Critical Success Factors 18
The Many Dimensions of IT Strategy 20
Toward an IT Strategy-Development Process 22
Challenges for CIOs 23 Conclusion 25 • References 25
Chapter 3 lInkIng IT To BuSIneSS MeTrICS 27 Business Measurement: An Overview 28
Key Business Metrics for IT 30
v
vi Contents
Designing Business Metrics for IT 31
Advice to Managers 35 Conclusion 36 • References 36
Chapter 4 BuIlDIng a STrong relaTIonShIp wITh The BuSIneSS 38 The Nature of the Business–IT Relationship 39
The Foundation of a Strong Business–IT Relationship 41
Building Block #1: Competence 42
Building Block #2: Credibility 43
Building Block #3: Interpersonal Interaction 44
Building Block #4: Trust 46 Conclusion 48 • References 48
Appendix A The Five IT Value Profiles 50
Appendix B Guidelines for Building a Strong Business–IT Relationship 51
Chapter 5 CoMMunICaTIng wITh BuSIneSS ManagerS 52 Communication in the Business–IT Relationship 53
What Is “Good” Communication? 54
Obstacles to Effective Communication 56
“T-Level” Communication Skills for IT Staff 58
Improving Business–IT Communication 60 Conclusion 61 • References 61
Appendix A IT Communication Competencies 63
Chapter 6 BuIlDIng BeTTer IT leaDerS froM The BoTToM up 64 The Changing Role of the IT Leader 65
What Makes a Good IT Leader? 67
How to Build Better IT Leaders 70
Investing in Leadership Development: Articulating the Value Proposition 73
Conclusion 74 • References 75
MInI CaSeS Delivering Business Value with IT at Hefty Hardware 76
Investing in TUFS 80
IT Planning at ModMeters 82
Contents vii
Section II IT governance 87
Chapter 7 CreaTIng IT ShareD SerVICeS 88 IT Shared Services: An Overview 89
IT Shared Services: Pros and Cons 92
IT Shared Services: Key Organizational Success Factors 93
Identifying Candidate Services 94
An Integrated Model of IT Shared Services 95
Recommmendations for Creating Effective IT Shared Services 96
Conclusion 99 • References 99
Chapter 8 a ManageMenT fraMework for IT SourCIng 100 A Maturity Model for IT Functions 101
IT Sourcing Options: Theory Versus Practice 105
The “Real” Decision Criteria 109
Decision Criterion #1: Flexibility 109
Decision Criterion #2: Control 109
Decision Criterion #3: Knowledge Enhancement 110
Decision Criterion #4: Business Exigency 110
A Decision Framework for Sourcing IT Functions 111
Identify Your Core IT Functions 111
Create a “Function Sourcing” Profile 111
Evolve Full-Time IT Personnel 113
Encourage Exploration of the Whole Range of Sourcing Options 114
Combine Sourcing Options Strategically 114
A Management Framework for Successful Sourcing 115
Develop a Sourcing Strategy 115
Develop a Risk Mitigation Strategy 115
Develop a Governance Strategy 116
Understand the Cost Structures 116 Conclusion 117 • References 117
Chapter 9 The IT BuDgeTIng proCeSS 118 Key Concepts in IT Budgeting 119
The Importance of Budgets 121
The IT Planning and Budget Process 123
viii Contents
Corporate Processes 123
IT Processes 125
Assess Actual IT Spending 126
IT Budgeting Practices That Deliver Value 127 Conclusion 128 • References 129
Chapter 10 ManagIng IT- BaSeD rISk 130 A Holistic View of IT-Based Risk 131
Holistic Risk Management: A Portrait 134
Developing a Risk Management Framework 135
Improving Risk Management Capabilities 138
Conclusion 139 • References 140
Appendix A A Selection of Risk Classification Schemes 141
Chapter 11 InforMaTIon ManageMenT: The nexuS of BuSIneSS anD IT 142 Information Management: How Does IT Fit? 143
A Framework For IM 145
Stage One: Develop an IM Policy 145
Stage Two: Articulate the Operational Components 145
Stage Three: Establish Information Stewardship 146
Stage Four: Build Information Standards 147
Issues In IM 148
Culture and Behavior 148
Information Risk Management 149
Information Value 150
Privacy 150
Knowledge Management 151
The Knowing–Doing Gap 151
Getting Started in IM 151 Conclusion 153 • References 154
Appendix A Elements of IM Operations 155
MInI CaSeS Building Shared Services at RR Communications 156
Enterprise Architecture at Nationstate Insurance 160
IT Investment at North American Financial 165
Contents ix
Section III IT-enabled Innovation 169
Chapter 12 InnoVaTIon wITh IT 170 The Need for Innovation: An Historical
Perspective 171
The Need for Innovation Now 171
Understanding Innovation 172
The Value of Innovation 174
Innovation Essentials: Motivation, Support, and Direction 175
Challenges for IT leaders 177
Facilitating Innovation 179 Conclusion 180 • References 181
Chapter 13 BIg DaTa anD SoCIal CoMpuTIng 182 The Social Media/Big Data Opportunity 183
Delivering Business Value with Big Data 185
Innovating with Big Data 189
Pulling in Two Different Directions: The Challenge for IT Managers 190
First Steps for IT Leaders 192 Conclusion 193 • References 194
Chapter 14 IMproVIng The CuSToMer experIenCe: an IT perSpeCTIVe 195 Customer Experience and Business value 196
Many Dimensions of Customer Experience 197
The Role of Technology in Customer Experience 199
Customer Experience Essentials for IT 200
First Steps to Improving Customer Experience 203 Conclusion 204 • References 204
Chapter 15 BuIlDIng BuSIneSS InTellIgenCe 206 Understanding Business Intelligence 207
The Need for Business Intelligence 208
The Challenge of Business Intelligence 209
The Role of IT in Business Intelligence 211
Improving Business Intelligence 213 Conclusion 216 • References 216
x Contents
Chapter 16 enaBlIng CollaBoraTIon wITh IT 218 Why Collaborate? 219
Characteristics of Collaboration 222
Components of Successful Collaboration 225
The Role of IT in Collaboration 227
First Steps for Facilitating Effective Collaboration 229 Conclusion 231 • References 232
MInI CaSeS Innovation at International Foods 234
Consumerization of Technology at IFG 239
CRM at Minitrex 243
Customer Service at Datatronics 246
Section IV IT portfolio Development and Management 251
Chapter 17 applICaTIon porTfolIo ManageMenT 252 The Applications Quagmire 253
The Benefits of a Portfolio Perspective 254
Making APM Happen 256
Capability 1: Strategy and Governance 258
Capability 2: Inventory Management 262
Capability 3: Reporting and Rationalization 263
Key Lessons Learned 264 Conclusion 265 • References 265
Appendix A Application Information 266
Chapter 18 ManagIng IT DeManD 270 Understanding IT Demand 271
The Economics of Demand Management 273
Three Tools for Demand management 273
Key Organizational Enablers for Effective Demand Management 274
Strategic Initiative Management 275
Application Portfolio Management 276
Enterprise Architecture 276
Business–IT Partnership 277
Governance and Transparency 279 Conclusion 281 • References 281
Contents xi
Chapter 19 CreaTIng anD eVolVIng a TeChnology roaDMap 283 What is a Technology Roadmap? 284
The Benefits of a Technology Roadmap 285
External Benefits (Effectiveness) 285
Internal Benefits (Efficiency) 286
Elements of the Technology Roadmap 286
Activity #1: Guiding Principles 287
Activity #2: Assess Current Technology 288
Activity #3: Analyze Gaps 289
Activity #4: Evaluate Technology Landscape 290
Activity #5: Describe Future Technology 291
Activity #6: Outline Migration Strategy 292
Activity #7: Establish Governance 292
Practical Steps for Developing a Technology Roadmap 294
Conclusion 295 • References 295
Appendix A Principles to Guide a Migration Strategy 296
Chapter 20 enhanCIng DeVelopMenT proDuCTIVITy 297 The Problem with System Development 298
Trends in System Development 299
Obstacles to Improving System Development Productivity 302
Improving System Development Productivity: What we know that Works 304
Next Steps to Improving System Development Productivity 306
Conclusion 308 • References 308
Chapter 21 InforMaTIon DelIVery: IT’S eVolVIng role 310 Information and IT: Why Now? 311
Delivering Value Through Information 312
Effective Information Delivery 316
New Information Skills 316 New Information Roles 317
New Information Practices 317
xii Contents
New Information Strategies 318
The Future of Information Delivery 319 Conclusion 321 • References 322
MInI CaSeS Project Management at MM 324
Working Smarter at Continental Furniture International 328
Managing Technology at Genex Fuels 333 Index 336
PREFACE
Today, with information technology (IT) driving constant business transformation, overwhelming organizations with information, enabling 24/7 global operations, and undermining traditional business models, the challenge for business leaders is not simply to manage IT, it is to use IT to deliver business value. Whereas until fairly recently, decisions about IT could be safely delegated to technology specialists after a business strategy had been developed, IT is now so closely integrated with business that, as one CIO explained to us, “We can no longer deliver business solutions in our company without using technology so IT and business strategy must constantly interact with each other.”
What’s New in This Third Edition?
• Six new chapters focusing on current critical issues in IT management, including IT shared services; big data and social computing; business intelligence; manag- ing IT demand; improving the customer experience; and enhancing development productivity.
• Two significantly revised chapters: on delivering IT functions through different resourcing options; and innovating with IT.
• Two new mini cases based on real companies and real IT management situations: Working Smarter at Continental Furniture and Enterprise Architecture at Nationstate Insurance.
• A revised structure based on reader feedback with six chapters and two mini cases from the second edition being moved to the Web site.
All too often, in our efforts to prepare future executives to deal effectively with the issues of IT strategy and management, we lead them into a foreign country where they encounter a different language, different culture, and different customs. Acronyms (e.g., SOA, FTP/IP, SDLC, ITIL, ERP), buzzwords (e.g., asymmetric encryption, proxy servers, agile, enterprise service bus), and the widely adopted practice of abstraction (e.g., Is a software monitor a person, place, or thing?) present formidable “barriers to entry” to the technologically uninitiated, but more important, they obscure the impor- tance of teaching students how to make business decisions about a key organizational resource. By taking a critical issues perspective, IT Strategy: Issues and Practices treats IT as a tool to be leveraged to save and/or make money or transform an organization—not as a study by itself.
As in the first two editions of this book, this third edition combines the experi- ences and insights of many senior IT managers from leading-edge organizations with thorough academic research to bring important issues in IT management to life and demonstrate how IT strategy is put into action in contemporary businesses. This new edition has been designed around an enhanced set of critical real-world issues in IT management today, such as innovating with IT, working with big data and social media,
xiii
xiv Preface
enhancing customer experience, and designing for business intelligence and introduces students to the challenges of making IT decisions that will have significant impacts on how businesses function and deliver value to stakeholders.
IT Strategy: Issues and Practices focuses on how IT is changing and will continue to change organizations as we now know them. However, rather than learning concepts “free of context,” students are introduced to the complex decisions facing real organi- zations by means of a number of mini cases. These provide an opportunity to apply the models/theories/frameworks presented and help students integrate and assimilate this material. By the end of the book, students will have the confidence and ability to tackle the tough issues regarding IT management and strategy and a clear understand- ing of their importance in delivering business value.
Key Features of This Book
• A focus on IT management issues as opposed to technology issues • Critical IT issues explored within their organizational contexts • Readily applicable models and frameworks for implementing IT strategies • Mini cases to animate issues and focus classroom discussions on real-world deci-
sions, enabling problem-based learning • Proven strategies and best practices from leading-edge organizations • Useful and practical advice and guidelines for delivering value with IT • Extensive teaching notes for all mini cases
A Different ApproAch to teAching it StrAtegy
The real world of IT is one of issues—critical issues—such as the following:
• How do we know if we are getting value from our IT investment? • How can we innovate with IT? • What specific IT functions should we seek from external providers? • How do we build an IT leadership team that is a trusted partner with the business? • How do we enhance IT capabilities? • What is IT’s role in creating an intelligent business? • How can we best take advantage of new technologies, such as big data and social
media, in our business? • How can we manage IT risk?
However, the majority of management information systems (MIS) textbooks are orga- nized by system category (e.g., supply chain, customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning), by system component (e.g., hardware, software, networks), by system function (e.g., marketing, financial, human resources), by system type (e.g., transactional, decisional, strategic), or by a combination of these. Unfortunately, such an organization does not promote an understanding of IT management in practice.
IT Strategy: Issues and Practices tackles the real-world challenges of IT manage- ment. First, it explores a set of the most important issues facing IT managers today, and second, it provides a series of mini cases that present these critical IT issues within the context of real organizations. By focusing the text as well as the mini cases on today’s critical issues, the book naturally reinforces problem-based learning.
Preface xv
IT Strategy: Issues and Practices includes thirteen mini cases—each based on a real company presented anonymously.1 Mini cases are not simply abbreviated versions of standard, full-length business cases. They differ in two significant ways:
Teaching with mini cases is, thus, very different than teaching with standard cases. With mini cases, students must determine what is really going on within the organiza- tion. What first appears as a straightforward “technology” problem may in fact be a political problem or one of five other “technology” problems. Detective work is, there- fore, required. The problem identification and prioritization skills needed are essential skills for future managers to learn for the simple reason that it is not possible for organi- zations to tackle all of their problems concurrently. Mini cases help teach these skills to students and can balance the problem-solving skills learned in other classes. Best of all, detective work is fun and promotes lively classroom discussion.
To assist instructors, extensive teaching notes are available for all mini cases. Developed by the authors and based on “tried and true” in-class experience, these notes include case summaries, identify the key issues within each case, present ancillary information about the company/industry represented in the case, and offer guidelines for organizing the class- room discussion. Because of the structure of these mini cases and their embedded issues, it is common for teaching notes to exceed the length of the actual mini case!
This book is most appropriate for MIS courses where the goal is to understand how IT delivers organizational value. These courses are frequently labeled “IT Strategy” or “IT Management” and are offered within undergraduate as well as MBA programs. For undergraduate juniors and seniors in business and commerce programs, this is usually the “capstone” MIS course. For MBA students, this course may be the compulsory core course in MIS, or it may be an elective course.
Each chapter and mini case in this book has been thoroughly tested in a variety of undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs at Queen’s School of Business.2
1 We are unable to identify these leading-edge companies by agreements established as part of our overall research program (described later). 2 Queen’s School of Business is one of the world’s premier business schools, with a faculty team renowned for its business experience and academic credentials. The School has earned international recognition for its innovative approaches to team-based and experiential learning. In addition to its highly acclaimed MBA programs, Queen’s School of Business is also home to Canada’s most prestigious undergraduate business program and several outstanding graduate programs. As well, the School is one of the world’s largest and most respected providers of executive education.
xvi Preface
These materials have proven highly successful within all programs because we adapt how the material is presented according to the level of the students. Whereas under- graduate students “learn” about critical business issues from the book and mini cases for the first time, graduate students are able to “relate” to these same critical issues based on their previous business experience. As a result, graduate students are able to introduce personal experiences into the discussion of these critical IT issues.
orgAnizAtion of thiS Book
One of the advantages of an issues-focused structure is that chapters can be approached in any order because they do not build on one another. Chapter order is immaterial; that is, one does not need to read the first three chapters to understand the fourth. This pro- vides an instructor with maximum flexibility to organize a course as he or she sees fit. Thus, within different courses/programs, the order of topics can be changed to focus on different IT concepts.
Furthermore, because each mini case includes multiple issues, they, too, can be used to serve different purposes. For example, the mini case “Building Shared Services at RR Communications” can be used to focus on issues of governance, organizational structure, and/or change management just as easily as shared services. The result is a rich set of instructional materials that lends itself well to a variety of pedagogical appli- cations, particularly problem-based learning, and that clearly illustrates the reality of IT strategy in action.
The book is organized into four sections, each emphasizing a key component of developing and delivering effective IT strategy:
• Section I: Delivering Value with IT is designed to examine the complex ways that IT and business value are related. Over the past twenty years, researchers and prac- titioners have come to understand that “business value” can mean many different things when applied to IT. Chapter 1 (Developing and Delivering on the IT Value Proposition) explores these concepts in depth. Unlike the simplistic value propo- sitions often used when implementing IT in organizations, this chapter presents “value” as a multilayered business construct that must be effectively managed at several levels if technology is to achieve the benefits expected. Chapter 2 (Developing IT Strategy for Business Value) examines the dynamic interrelationship between business and IT strategy and looks at the processes and critical success factors used by organizations to ensure that both are well aligned. Chapter 3 (Linking IT to Business Metrics) discusses new ways of measuring IT’s effectiveness that pro- mote closer business–IT alignment and help drive greater business value. Chapter 4 (Building a Strong Relationship with the Business) examines the nature of the business–IT relationship and the characteristics of an effective relationship that delivers real value to the enterprise. Chapter 5 (Communicating with Business Managers) explores the business and interpersonal competencies that IT staff will need in order to do their jobs effectively over the next five to seven years and what companies should be doing to develop them. Finally, Chapter 6 (Building Better IT Leaders from the Bottom Up) tackles the increasing need for improved leadership skills in all IT staff and examines the expectations of the business for strategic and innovative guidance from IT.
Preface xvii
In the mini cases associated with this section, the concepts of delivering value with IT are explored in a number of different ways. We see business and IT executives at Hefty Hardware grappling with conflicting priorities and per- spectives and how best to work together to achieve the company’s strategy. In “Investing in TUFS,” CIO Martin Drysdale watches as all of the work his IT depart- ment has put into a major new system fails to deliver value. And the “IT Planning at ModMeters” mini case follows CIO Brian Smith’s efforts to create a strategic IT plan that will align with business strategy, keep IT running, and not increase IT’s budget.
• Section II: IT Governance explores key concepts in how the IT organization is structured and managed to effectively deliver IT products and services to the orga- nization. Chapter 7 (IT Shared Services) discusses how IT shared services should be selected, organized, managed, and governed to achieve improved organizational performance. Chapter 8 (A Management Framework for IT Sourcing) examines how organizations are choosing to source and deliver different types of IT functions and presents a framework to guide sourcing decisions. Chapter 9 (The IT Budgeting Process) describes the “evil twin” of IT strategy, discussing how budgeting mecha- nisms can significantly undermine effective business strategies and suggesting practices for addressing this problem while maintaining traditional fiscal account- ability. Chapter 10 (Managing IT-based Risk) describes how many IT organizations have been given the responsibility of not only managing risk in their own activities (i.e., project development, operations, and delivering business strategy) but also of managing IT-based risk in all company activities (e.g., mobile computing, file sharing, and online access to information and software) and the need for a holistic framework to understand and deal with risk effectively. Chapter 11 (Information Management: The Nexus of Business and IT) describes how new organizational needs for more useful and integrated information are driving the development of business-oriented functions within IT that focus s
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Organization Leader And Decision Making
Report Issue
Read the Hefty Hardware Case Study on pages 76-79 in the textbook. Answer the Discussion Questions at the end of the Case Study. Your responses must be complete, detailed and in APA format. See the sample assignment for expected format and length. The grading rubric is included below.
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What Is a Literature Review?
BUSI 610
Literature Review Instructions
What Is a Literature Review?
A literature review is a survey and a discussion of the literature in a given area of study. It is a concise overview of what has been studied, argued, and established about a topic; it is generally organized chronologically or thematically. A literature review is also written in essay format.
A literature review is not an annotated bibliography because it groups related works together and discusses trends and developments rather than focusing on one item at a time. It is also not a summary; rather, a literature review evaluates previous and current research in regards to how relevant and/or useful it is and how it relates to your own research. Therefore, a literature review is more than an annotated bibliography or a summary because you are organizing and presenting your sources in terms of their overall relationship to your problem statement.
A literature review is written to highlight specific arguments and ideas in a field of study. By highlighting these arguments, the writer attempts to show what has been studied in the field and also where there are weaknesses, gaps, or areas needing further study. The literature review must also demonstrate to the reader why the writer’s research is useful, necessary, important, and valid.
Literature reviews can have different types of audiences, so consider why and for whom you are writing your review. For example, many literature reviews are written as a chapter for a thesis or dissertation in order to support a proposal or are written in order to help the writer develop a base of knowledge in a particular business area.
Asking the following questions will assist you in sifting through your sources and organizing your literature review. Remember, your Literature Review organizes the previous research in light of what you are planning to do in your own project.
· What’s been done in this topic area to date? What are the significant discoveries, key concepts, arguments, and/or theories that scholars have put forward? Which are the important works?
· On which particular areas of the topic has previous research concentrated? Have there been developments over time? What methodologies have been used?
· Are there any gaps in the research? Are there areas that have not been looked at closely yet but should be? Are there new ways of looking at the topic?
· Are there improved methodologies for researching this subject?
· What future directions should research in this subject take?
· How will your research build on or depart from current and previous research on the topic? What contribution will your research make to the field?
How Do I Organize and Structure the Literature Review?
There are several ways to organize and structure a literature review. Two common ways are chronologically and thematically. You will be using the thematic structure in this review. In a thematic review, you will group and discuss your sources in terms of the themes or topics they cover. This method is often a stronger one organizationally, and it can also assist you in resisting the urge to summarize your sources. By grouping themes or topics of research together, you will be able to demonstrate the types of topics that are important to your research. For example, if the topic of the literature review is improving productivity in organizations, then there might be separate sections of research involving service-oriented businesses, production-oriented businesses, non-profit organizations, governmental organizations, etc. Within each section of a thematic literature review, it is important to discuss how the research relates to other studies (how is it similar or different, what other studies have been done, etc.) as well as to demonstrate how it relates to your own work. This is what the review is for; do not leave this connection out!
What is the Final Format?
As previously stated, the paper will be written in current APA format, must be a minimum of 16 pages (not including the title page, abstract, and references), and must utilize at least 15 scholarly references. The final format must include the following:
· Title page;
· Abstract;
· Outline;
· Introduction (no longer than 1 page);
· Findings (a minimum of 13 pages);
· Conclusions, recommendations, and suggestions for further study (a minimum of 2 pages); and
· References that are current (less than 3 years) or important for historical background.
What is the Process?
During the first module/week, the student will choose a topic to research from the list provided by the instructor. After the topic has been chosen/provided, you will begin your project. Listed below is a recommended outline of steps that will assist you in writing a thematically organized literature review.
What Additional Points Must I Consider?
The following are some points to address when writing about specific works you are reviewing. In dealing with a paper/argument/theory, you need to assess it (clearly understand and state the claim) and analyze it (evaluate its reliability, usefulness, and validity). Look for the following points as you assess and analyze the readings. You do not need to state them all explicitly, but keep them in mind as you write your review:
· Be specific and be succinct. Briefly state specific findings listed in an article, specific methodologies used in a study, or other important points. Literature reviews are not the place for long quotes or an in-depth analysis of each point.
· Be selective. You are attempting to reduce a lot of information into a small space. Mention just the most important points (those most relevant to the review’s focus) in each work you review.
· Is it a current article? How old is it? Have its claims, evidence, or arguments been superseded by more recent work? If it is not current, is it important for historical background?
· What specific claims are made? Are they stated clearly?
· What support is given for those claims?
· What evidence and what type (experimental, statistical, anecdotal, etc.) are offered? Is the evidence relevant? Sufficient?
· What arguments are given? What assumptions are made and are they warranted?
· A word of caution: It is absolutely essential that you understand your article. If you do not understand the article, do not use it. Also, do not depend on the abstract or the conclusion for a full understanding of what the article says; you can often be misled.
How Do I Find the Literature?
Just as there are many avenues for the literature to be published and disseminated, there are many avenues for searching for and finding the literature. There are, for example, a variety of general and subject-specific indexes that list citations to publications (books, articles, conference proceedings, dissertations, etc.). The Liberty University Online Student Library Services website has links to the library catalog as well as many indexes and databases in which to search for resources; it also provides you with subject guides that list resources appropriate for specific academic disciplines. When you find appropriate books, articles, etc., look in its bibliographies for other publications and also for other authors writing about the same topics. For research assistance tailored to your topic, please email the Liberty University Online Librarian.
Tips on Identifying and Organizing Your Findings
There is no way to predict what themes you will find. The themes could include definitions, topics, theories, agreements, and even disagreements in the literature. Design a descriptive code word or a few phrases to define each theme (some people even use different colored highlighters to assist them in organization). With 15 articles and 16 pages of content, you will likely have anywhere between 4–6 major themes for your Literature Review: Final. However, it is highly unlikely that each of the 15 articles that you read will contain all the themes that you have identified. Below is an example of 10 hypothetical articles with 4 hypothetical themes.
Article
Theme
1
A
2
A, B
3
D
4
B
5
A, D
6
A, C
7
B, C
8
A, B, C
9
A, B, C, D
10
B, C
The chart is not very helpful except as a prelude to further organization. Your Literature Review must be written thematically, not chronologically. You will not be reviewing one article after another in your Literature Review; rather, you will be investigating the themes contained in those articles. Therefore, the organization of your articles will look similar to the following example:
Theme
Articles Cited
A
1, 2, 5, 8, 9
B
2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10
C
6, 7, 8, 9, 10
D
3, 5, 9
You may be pondering as to which theme will go first. Ultimately, the order of the themes is your decision, but keep the thematic organization logical. The themes provide the subheadings for the content of your Literature Review; therefore, this is an efficient way to organize and write your paper.
Submit the Literature Review: Final by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of Module/Week 7.
Page 4 of 4
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