TM 615 Information Technology Strategies

6:50 – 9:10 p.m. Thursdays

Charleston: Room 211 AC

Huntington: Room 166 Science Building

Instructor: Kay Hinzman

Credit: 3 Semester Hours

Course Objective:

Information technology managers face challenges and opportunities unique to their field. This class will take a practical look at the profession. We will examine I.T. organizations of all sizes and management positions at all levels. We will be concerned with the full spectrum of responsibilities – from bits-and-bytes and hardware/software to team building, customer relations, and motivation. The goal is to increase your value as a technology and business leader.

Attendance:

The more involved one becomes in the learning experience, the greater the outcome. Class attendance plays a vital role in the learning experience. Consequently, attendance has a significant impact on grades. However, circumstances such as foul weather, illness, business or family obligations, etc. may occasionally take priority over attending class. When such occasions occur, you are expected to provide the instructor with prior notification when possible, and to turn in assignments on the due date. Should class need to be cancelled, I will let you know as soon as possible. However, written assignments will be due on the assigned date even if class does not meet.

Philosophy:

We learn best when we are relaxed. Dress comfortably. Food and drinks are permitted – bring your dinner if you don’t have the opportunity to eat prior to class. Get to know each other. Share you experiences and opinions. Don’t let the instructor do all the talking. No question is a stupid question though I may give a stupid answer. Do quality work but don’t kill yourself. If we’re not having fun, we’re doing something wrong.

Grading:

Assignments must be turned in on the assigned date and time to receive credit unless other arrangements have been established with the instructor.

Grades will be derived from the following elements:

Class participation 10

Why I do (or don’t) want to be a CIO 5

Technology manager interview 10

Article: The changing role of IT 5

Mid-term exam 20

Article: Technology forecasting 5

Article: People management 5

Capstone Project progress report 5

Case Study 15

Final exam 20

Total 100

Assignments:

Class participation:

Your class participation grade will be derived from how involved you become. During each class meeting, students will have an opportunity to share news, observations, what’s going on in your life, and interesting tidbits of information relating to information technology strategies. There will be activities in addition to those mentioned on the syllabus. When you arrive for each class meeting, I expect you to be somewhat knowledgeable about that night’s topic. You should know enough about it to have developed informed assessments of your own. Sources of information can be the textbook, other literature, prior education or personal experience.

Why I do (or don’t) want to be a CIO:

Read the article “In-depth: The Evolving Role of the CIO” (http://www.techrepublic.com – you’ll need to enroll in free membership). You may supplement with additional articles if you wish. Prepare a short paper (2-5 pages) on why you do (or don’t) want to be a CIO. Papers will be turned in at the beginning of class Jan. 18. You will also give an oral presentation in class (no more than 5 minutes). Cover issues discussed in the article as well as others that are important to you.

Technology manager interview:

Interview an I.T. manager or someone who is responsible for an organization’s technology strategies. You will prepare a written report (about 5 pages) to be turned in at the beginning of class Feb. 1 and oral presentation (about 10 minutes) to be presented during that class meeting. I recommend that you include a company profile: what business they are in, their customers and suppliers, their products, size, locations, corporate mission, management philosophy, etc. Tell about the person you interviewed: their position, realm of responsibility, how they affect the organization, how they develop and present strategies, how decisions are made, their management style, what are their greatest challenges, what they find most rewarding, their professional satisfaction, their technology predictions, advice to budding IT managers, etc. Relate your findings to the material that has been covered in class and/or to other readings.

Article: The changing role of IT:

Read and discuss a recent article concerning the changing role of IT in business. The article may come from periodicals or the Internet. A copy of the article should be attached to your report and be turned in at the beginning of class Feb. 15. Discuss the content of the article, and give your opinion of the author’s views. The written report should be about 3 pages, and your oral presentation should be about 5 minutes.

Mid-term exam:

The mid-term exam will be a take-home test. It will be distributed Feb. 22 and will be due by 9:00 a.m. March 2. It may be submitted by e-mail. Class will not meet March 1 in order to give students time to complete the exam.

Article: Technology forecasting:

Read and discuss a recent article that predicts or forecasts trends in technology. It must have been published within the last 12 months. The technologies discussed must be significant to technology managers. Requirements are the same as for the previous article. Papers are due at the beginning of class March 8 and presentations will be made during that class meeting.

Article: People management:

Read and discuss an article concerning people management as it relates to IT. Requirements are the same as for other articles. Papers are due at the beginning of class March 29 and presentations will be made during that class meeting.

Capstone Project progress report:

Prepare a written and oral report of progress you have made toward your capstone project. You are not expected to begin actual work on the capstone project, but you should have made some progress toward selecting a topic and how it will be developed. Include information about meetings with you advisor or others who have assisted. Express any concerns or outstanding issues. The length of your report and presentation is your decision and are due April 12.

Case Study:

Study the IT strategies of an organization. It may be large or small, commercial or non-profit. If it is local, you may gather material via interviews, surveys, meetings, etc. If it is national or international, you will probably need to rely on published materials. You will give an oral presentation (about 20 minutes) to be presented April 19 or April 26. You will prepare a written report (at least 10 pages) which is due at the beginning of class April 19. Include opinions from industry experts and your own conclusions. Include referenced material. You should cover all topics that have been discussed in class. Content may include, but is not limited to:

· Profile of the organization – its mission, products, size, standing in the industry, its market area, competitors, etc.

· An organizational chart of the company– where IT is placed, who is the CIO, CTO, and/or technology managers. Why are they placed there? Who are the key decision-makers?

· Is the company successful? Why or why not?

· An organizational chart of the technology division/department. Describe its structure, responsibilities, goals, decision-making processes, management style, etc.

· Is the IT group successful? Why or why not?

· Which strategies have worked and which have failed?

· What changes have the IT organization experienced? What brought about these changes?

· How much clout does IT have with senior management?

· How much does IT have to do with the organization’s competitiveness?

· What are the IT strategies – past, present and future? Analyze its strategies. What would you change?

· Do IT practices follow the advice of experts (give references)?

· How does IT align with other business units?

· What technologies does the organization use? How are they controlled?

· How forward thinking is the organization? How technologically advanced?

· How does the organization acquire and dispose of technologies?

Final exam:

The final exam will be a take-home test. It will be distributed April 26 and will be due by 9:00 a.m. May 4. It may be submitted by e-mail. Class will not meet May 3 in order to give students time to complete the exam.

Date	In-class Activities	Written Assignments Due	Textbook	Topic(s)
Jan. 11	Orientation			The Evolving Role of the CIO Aligning IT	Foundations of IT Management
Jan. 18	Presentation of why you do (or don’t) want to be a CIO	Why you do (or don’t) want to be a CIO	Chapters 1 and 2	Management in the Information Age Information Technology’s Strategic Importance
Jan. 25	Capstone Project discussion		Chapters 3 and 4	Developing the Organization’s IT Strategy Information Technology Planning
Feb. 1	Presentation of Technology Manager Interviews	Technology Manager Interview	Chapters 5 and 6	Hardware and Software Trends Modern Telecommunications Systems	Technology and Industry Trends
Feb. 8			Chapter 7	Legislative and Industry Trends
Feb. 15	Presentation of the changing role of IT	Article on the changing role of IT	Chapters 8 and 9	Application Portfolio Management Managing Application Development	Managing Application Portfolio Resources
Feb. 22			Chapters 10 and 11	Alternatives to Traditional Development Managing Network Applications
Mar. 1	MID-TERM EXAM
Mar. 8	Presentation of article on technology forecasting	Article on technology forecasting	Chapters 12 and 13	Developing and Managing Customer Expectations Problem, Change, and Recovery Management	Tactical and Operational Consider-ations
Mar. 15			Chapter 14 and 15	Managing Systems Network Management
Mar. 22	SPRING BREAK
Mar. 29	Presentation of article on people management	Article on people management	Chapter 16	Measuring IT Investments and Their Returns	Controlling Information Resources
Apr. 5			Chapter 17	IT Controls and Asset Protection
Apr. 12	Presentation of capstone project progress report	Capstone Project progress report	Chapter 18	People, Organizations and Management Systems	Preparing for IT Advances
Apr. 19	Presentation of case study	Case Study	Chapter 19	The Chief Information Officer’s Role
Apr. 26	Presentation of case study
May 3	FINAL EXAM