Syllabus - Brandeis University

Brandeis University Division of Graduate Professional Studies Rabb School of Continuing Studies Course Syllabus I. Course Information

RMGT 103 Strategic IT: Organizational Strategy Distance Learning Course Week: Wednesdays through Tuesdays Instructor’s Name and Contact Information Name: Title: Email: Phone: Cell Phone: Office Hours/Availability:

Phil Holberton Adjunct Professor [email protected] 781.259.9719 781.608.1966 e-mail or text me to set up time.

Email or Text is always the best and fastest way to reach me. If you need to call, please leave a message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. You must submit assignments online to the appropriate LATTE Assignment drop box, not through email. Welcome to Strategic IT: Organizational Strategy Please familiarize yourself with these materials and feel free to ask me any questions that you may have. I will work with you all to help you learn and apply these new skills, and I encourage you to ask questions when you are unsure and answer questions when you have the responses; in explaining how to approach problems, we learn more ourselves. We can all learn from each other, and I hope that we’ll have open and enriching discussions as we move forward! I look forward to reading your biographies (Discussion Topic: Week 1 – Introductions-->) and getting to know you as well. Feel free to post a picture of yourself along with your Introduction. Document Overview This syllabus contains all relevant information about the course: its objectives and outcomes, the grading criteria, the texts and other materials of instruction, and of weekly topics, readings, assignments, and due dates. Consider this your roadmap for the course. Please read through the syllabus carefully and be sure to ask any questions that you may have. Course Description This course looks at strategic issues for the IT organization within the context of the larger organization and the relationship between the two. This course is designed to help today’s and

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Strategic IT: Organizational Strategy – Course Syllabus Page 2 of 11

tomorrow’s IT Directors/CIOs effectively exploit information systems technologies within the context of a company’s business needs. Related Programs: Required Graduate-Level required course for MS in IT Management, elective in MSE and MS in Program and Project Management. For maximum value, take this course after Perspectives in Information Technology. Prerequisites: Students preferably should have taken 1) RMGT 101 Perspectives on Information Technology; 2) RPJM 101 Foundations of Project Management; 3) RMGT 102 Strategic Information Technology – Operational Strategy; and 4) Three - Five years working experience in a business environment; participation in a leadership role is a decided plus. Materials of Instruction Required Texts - Austin, Nolan, O’Donnell; The Adventures of an IT Leader ISBN #978-1-42214660-6 This book can be purchased through the Brandeis Bookstore, Amazon or Harvard Business School Press Other Required Reading The following Harvard Business School cases can be purchased at the Harvard Business School Publishing website. The easiest (and cheapest) way to do so is to access them via this link: https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/23617853 1. McAfee, Andrew Mastering the Three Worlds of Information Technology - Nov 1, 2006; # R0611 [Harvard Business School] 2. Nolan, et al Note on Information Technology and Strategy March 1, 1993 # 1-193137 [Harvard Business School] 3. Compeau, et al: Richter: Information Technology at Hungary’s Largest Pharma #907E21 [Harvard Business School] 4. Applegate, et al; F-Secure Corporation: Software as a Service (SaaS) in the Security Solutions Market # 09099-PDF-ENG [Harvard Business School] 5. Andrew: Overview: Making Innovation Pay #2819BC [Harvard Business School Publishing] 6. McAfee, Andrew Mount Auburn Hospital: Physician Order Entry # Product#: 603060 [Harvard Business School] 7. Austin: Volkswagen of America: Managing IT Priorities Product # 9-606-003 [Harvard Business School] 8. McAfee: Enterprise IT at Cisco (2004) Product # 605015 [Harvard Business School] 9. Weill: Leadership Principles for IT Governance # 8097BC [Harvard Business School Publishing] Online Course Content This section of the course will be conducted completely online using Brandeis’ Latte site, available at https://moodle2.brandeis.edu. The site contains the course syllabus, assignments, our Discussions bulletin board, links/resources to course-related professional organizations and sites, and weekly checklists, objectives, outcomes, topic notes, self-tests, and discussion questions. Access information is emailed to enrolled students before the start of the course. To begin participating in the course, review Week 1 Checklist.

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Overall Course Objectives The course is intended to provide students with the opportunity to: •

Develop skills to lead IT more effectively within the context of a larger organization.

•

Provide a strategic understanding of the role of IT within the organization.

•

Understand the use of IT within the business.

Overall Course Outcomes At the end of this course the student will be able to: • • • • • • • • •

Appraise the use of IT as a strategic tool for the business Argue alternative financial business value computations – ROI, etc. Explore and judge an IT Organizational Strategy Critique and justify organizational strategy for a major systems implementation initiative Assess and critique a change in Managing IT Theorize the use of IT in supporting business alignment Argue the appropriate role of CIO in an organization Organize an appropriate IT governance structure Appraise and Evaluate the role of Innovation in IT

Articles and Case Method This course is taught with the article and case method, meaning our forum time will be spent analyzing articles, research papers & case material related to the subject matter of the course. This method lends itself especially well to material that is subjective, ambiguous, and not easily measured. In these areas, there are few answers that are strictly right or wrong. IT Leaders review facts and opinions and need to make decisions regarding courses of action. There are rarely any formulaic responses to any given set of circumstances. The study of articles and research papers allows you to do your own analysis and draw your own conclusions. When we discuss the material online, you have an opportunity to test your own ideas and read how others view the same material. The value that you get from this is directly related to the effort that you put into it, particularly in your preparation. There are no rules for preparing, but here are some suggestions: 1. Read the assigned material first for the necessary background in the subject matter. 2. Review any discussion questions provided. 3. Go through the material a second time, more carefully, noting the details that seem most important. 4. Identify the key issues, as if you were going to summarize the material for someone else. 5. Develop a point of view about the key issues (i.e., decide if you agree or disagree) 6. Organize the facts that support your conclusions or recommendations. Good preparation takes longer than you think! Expect to spend a minimum of two – three hours per week reading, analyzing, and thinking about the material before participating in the forum discussions.

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Assignments and Grading Criteria Overall Grading Criteria Numeric course grade out of 400 points: Points

Component

200 (50%)

Class participation – up to 20 points per week

100 (25%)

Case Analysis

100 (25%)

Individual Term Project

400 (100%)

Total points

Description of Course Deliverables Details of all assignments can be found in the Assignment Details document located on the Assignments page of the Latte course. Discussions/ Online Participation (50% of the course grade) Given the lack of a traditional classroom environment, all student participation will be done online via Latte. Discussion questions can be found in the Forums. To earn full credit for the Participation component of the grade, students will be expected to complete the following during weeks 1 through 10 of the course: 1. Make sure that you post in the discussions on a minimum of 3 days each week. (1 day for the initial post and at least 2 days for follow-on posts) 2. Respond to each week’s discussion question (DQ) by end of day Saturday (midnight EST, with a 6-hour grace period to accommodate students in various time zones). These responses should be 300 - 500 words and include your own insights into the topics. Any relevant sources used within the post should be cited (with hyperlinks) appropriately. This initial posting is worth up ½ of the week’s grade. There is not a premium awarded for longer posts. In fact, if anything, longer posts detract from the overall quality as they often become verbose. 3. Post (at least) a minimum of 2 other substantive responses to other students’ comments on two different days each week by end of day Tuesday (midnight EST) each week. Students who post three or more substantive follow-up responses to other students’ posts will be eligible for an A- or better. These other posts will be responses to the discussion topic messages of others. Posting three or more responses does not necessarily guarantee an A- or better. The assumption is that you will read through the posts of your classmates to enhance your learning; respond to those of your choice, based upon your own experiences and insights. It is important that your responsive posts add value, provide additional research, comments from your own experiences, etc. Saying, “I agree” with a gratuitous comment will not suffice. Adding value to the discussion requires additional cited research and/or examples from your own experiences where there was some 'learning' relative to the topic. Additionally, posts should stand on their own two legs – if you reference another conversation, copy and paste the relevant portion into your post to assist the reader in understanding your point. Highlighting it with a different color and/or different fonts are techniques to help the reader grasp the relationship.

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Discussion Evaluation: Each week students are required to post an original response to one discussion question by Saturday, and (at least) two substantive replies to the posts of others required by Tuesday. Quality of response (See Assignment Details and Grading Guidelines for Discussion Forums for more information.) • Answers questions asked • Includes shared industry experiences and/or relates concepts to the topic notes and readings as appropriate – additional ideas supported by cited research. • Grammar/format/sources noted as appropriate • Sufficient detail - original responses are requested to be 250-500 words Timeliness of response • Points are deducted for an original response that is late and follow-on posts that are not posted on separate days. Maximum points earned for each on-time substantive response. • Substantive (beyond an "I agree" post) with follow-on points or personal examples to extend the conversation – do additional research and be sure to include hyperlinks to the referenced materials. Homework Assignment – Individual Case Study (due Week 5 - 25% of course Grade) See Assignment Details document in the Additional Course Materials block for details of the homework assignments. Homework assignments should be posted in the appropriate Assignment dropbox. Term Project – (due Week 10 – 25% of course Grade) Each student will select a subject important to him or her and prepare a Term Paper for submission. Your topic must relate to some aspect of organizational IT management. By the end of Week 5 each student will submit the working title and brief description (also know as an abstract 4-5 sentences) of their project for Instructor evaluation and approval. There will be an assignment drop box to submit this. With respect to the Term Project, I encourage you to plan your time effectively as the due date (week 10) has a habit of sneaking up on us, unexpectedly. Week 5 – Mt Auburn case – Homework Assignment – Individual Case Study Week 6 – Richter case – Focus of a Discussion Forum – week 6 Week 7 – Volkswagen case - Focus of a Discussion Forum – week 7 Week 8 – F-Secure case – Focus of a Discussion Forum – week 8 Week 9 – Cisco case – Focus of a Discussion Forum – week 9

II. Weekly Information Week 1

Introduction and Overview of Major IT Issues Objectives

At the end of week 1, students will have an understanding of: • The overall objectives for course • The business issues • The organizational issues

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Strategic IT: Organizational Strategy – Course Syllabus Page 6 of 11 Readings

Assignments / Assessments / Self-Assessments

McAfee – Mastering the Three Worlds of information Technology Nolan, et al Note on Information Technology and Strategy Survey Analysis: CFOs' Top Imperatives From the 2013 Gartner FEI CFO Technology Study • The Adventures of an IT Leader - Chapter One • Week One Notes Week 1 Discussion Topics • Post a response to the topic by Saturday. A minimum of two substantive replies is due by Tuesday. All discussion due dates assume midnight EST. • Note: Refer to the Description of Assignments/Online Participation section above for discussion expectations and evaluation methods & Grading Guidelines for Discussion Forums located in the main Latte Block Assignment • Letter to Instructor why you should earn an A in this course – submit through Assignment Drop Box by Tuesday Midnight • • •

The complete text of discussion questions required for each week may be found in each week’s discussion Forum. IT Governance

Week 2 Objectives Readings


Week 3

At the end of week 2, students will have an understanding of: • Organize an appropriate IT governance structure • Weill: Leadership Principles for IT Governance • Raghupathi: Corporate Governance of IT: A Framework for Development • IT Governance Institute: Board Briefing on IT Governance (Optional • Reading) • Harvard: 10 Principles of IT Governance • Textbook – Chapter Nine (IT and the board of directors) • Week Two Notes Week 2 Discussion Topics • Post a response to the topic by Saturday. Minimum of two substantive replies are due by Tuesday – yet on different days. All discussion due dates assume midnight EST. Please refer to Grading Rubric located in Main Latte Block Role of the CIO in the Business

Objectives

Readings


Week 4 Objectives

Readings

At the end of week 3, students will have an understanding of: • Argue the appropriate role of CIO in an organization Ross: The Evolving Role of the CIO • PriceWaterhouseCoopers: I for Innovation – The CIO of the Future • Textbook: Chapter 2 (CIO Challenges) & Chapter 3 (CIO Leadership) • Week Three Notes Week 3 Discussion Topics • Post a response to the topic by Saturday. Minimum of two substantive replies are due by Tuesday – yet on different days. All discussion due dates assume midnight EST. Business Value of IT (ROI) and Related Risk At the end of week 4, students will have an understanding of: • Argue alternative financial business value computations – ROI, etc. • • • • •

Nash, Kim – TCO vs. ROI – CIO Magazine April 9, 2008 Hopkins, J. Marc How to Justify an IT Project With Uncertain Returns (And Still Make Your CFO Happy) CIO Magazine August 22, 2007 Apfel, A., Smith, M TVO Methodology: Valuing IT Investments via the Gartner Business Performance Framework Strategic Analysis Report;

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Week 5 Objectives

Readings Assignments / Assessments / Self-Assessments

Week 6

• March 3, 2003 • Purtell, Tim A New View On IT Risk CrossCurrents; Spring 2007 • Week Four Notes • Textbook: Chapter 4 (The Cost of IT) & Chapter 5 (The Value of IT). Week 4 Discussion Topics • Post a response to the topic by Saturday. Minimum of two substantive replies are due by Tuesday – yet on different days. All discussion due dates assume midnight EST. Developing IT Strategy At the end of week 5, students will have an understanding of: • Theorize the use of IT in supporting business alignment • Appraise the use of IT as a strategic tool for the business • Critique and justify organizational strategy for a major systems implementation initiative •

Mount Auburn Hospital: Physician Order Entry

Week 5 Discussion Topics • Post a response to the topic by Saturday. Two substantive replies are due by Tuesday. All discussion due dates assume midnight EST. Assignments • By Tuesday of Week 5 submit through the assignment dropbox your Homework assignment – Mt Auburn case analysis. • By Tuesday of Week 5, submit, through the assignment dropbox, working title of your research paper and brief description (1-2 paragraphs) of the TERM PROJECT for Instructor Evaluation and Approval. See assignment details for more information about the assignment itself. Using IT in Supporting Business Alignment

Objectives

At the end of week 6, students will have an understanding of: •

Readings


Week 7

Theorize the use of IT in supporting business alignment

• Richter Case • Probert: Linking Technology to Business Planning • Irani: Information Systems Evaluation: What Does it Mean? Week 6 Discussion Topics • Post a response to the topic by Saturday. Two substantive replies are due by Tuesday. All discussion due dates assume midnight EST. Using IT in Leading Business Strategy

Objectives

Readings


Week 8

At the end of week 7, students will have an understanding of: • Think Through Using IT to Lead Business Strategy Austin: Volkswagen of America: Managing IT Priorities Henderson: Strategic Alignment: leveraging Information Technology for Transforming Organizations Week 7 Discussion Topics • Post a response to the topic by Saturday. Two substantive replies are due by Tuesday. All discussion due dates assume midnight EST. • •

Innovation in the IT Organization Objectives

Readings

At the end of week 8, students will have an understanding of: • Appraise and Evaluate the role of innovation in IT • The Role IT can play in a company’s innovation efforts • •

Andrew: Making Innovation Pay CIO: The Role of IT in Innovation: Friend or Foe

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Week 9 Objectives

Readings


Week 10 Objectives

Readings


• InfoWorld: FedEx seeks Innovation in IT Overhaul • Applegate, et al: F-Secure Case • Textbook: Chapter 13 (Emerging Technology) Week 8 Discussion Topics • Post a response to the topic by Saturday. Minimum of two substantive replies are due by Tuesday – yet on different days. All discussion due dates assume midnight EST. Organizational Behavior At the end of week 9, students will have an understanding of: • Explore and judge organizational strategy Deloitte: The Evolution of IT: Don’t Forget the People Deloitte: Rise to the Challenge: Three Dimensions for Competitive IT Organization Design • McAfee: Enterprise IT at Cisco (2004) • Textbook: Chapter 15 (Managing Talent) Week 9 Discussion Topics • Post a response to the topic by Saturday. Minimum of two substantive replies are due by Tuesday – yet on different days. All discussion due dates assume midnight EST. Managing Change in the IT Organization • •

At the end of week 10, students will have an understanding of: • Explore and judge an organizational strategy • Assess and critique a change in managing IT • Pan: Managing emerging technology and organizational transformation: An acculturative analysis • Textbook: Chapter 11 (Damage) & Chapter 12 (Communications) Week 10 Discussion Topics • Post a response to the topic by Saturday. Minimum of two substantive replies are due by Tuesday – yet on different days. All discussion due dates assume midnight EST. Assignment • TERM PROJECT due Tuesday Apr 1 (midnight) through assignment dropbox

Class Schedule Week

Dates

1

Jan 22-28

2

Jan 29 – Feb 4

3

Feb 5-11

4

Feb 12-18

5

Feb 19-25

6

Feb 26-Mar 4

7

Mar 5-11

8

Mar 12-18

9

Mar 19-25

10

Mar 26-Apr 1

Assignment due in addition to Discussion Threads

Homework - Mt. Auburn Case

Individual Term Project

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Grade Point Conversions Grade

Percentage

A

100-93

A-

92-90

B+

89-87

B

86-83

B-

82-80

C+

79-77

C

76-73

C-

72-70

D+

69-67

D

66-63

D-

62-60

F

59 or less

Note: any grade below B- does not qualify for graduate credit. III. Course Policies and Procedures

Work Expectations Students are responsible to explore each week's materials and submit required work by their due dates. On average, a student can expect to spend approximately 3-5 hours per week reading and approximately 4-6 hours per week completing assignments and discussions. The calendar of assignments and due dates is located at the end of this syllabus, and all assignments are due by the close of the associated week (Tuesday evenings). Late Work Written assignments will receive a 10% per day reduction in grade. Grading Standards Grades are not given but are earned. Students are graded on demonstration of knowledge or competence, rather than on effort alone. Each student is expected to maintain high standards of honesty and ethical behavior. All assignments are meant to represent your own work. Feedback Grades for all assignments and discussions will be posted in the course gradebook. Feedback will be provided on all assignments within 10 days of receipt. Students may keep track of total points accumulated to date by reviewing the grade book. Class Cancellations Not applicable for Distance Learning

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Confidentiality We can draw on the wealth of examples from our organizations in class discussions and in our written work. However, it is imperative that we not share information that is confidential, privileged, or proprietary in nature. We must be mindful of any contracts we have agreed to with our companies. In addition, we should respect our fellow classmates and work under the assumption that what is discussed here (as it pertains to the workings of particular organizations) stays within the confines of the classroom. Finally, for your awareness, members of the University's technical staff have access to all course sites to aid in course setup and technical troubleshooting. Program Chairs and a small number of Graduate Professional Studies (GPS) staff have access to all GPS courses for oversight purposes. Students enrolled in GPS courses can expect that individuals other than their fellow classmates and the course instructor(s) may visit their course for various purposes. Their intentions are to aid in technical troubleshooting and to ensure IV. University and Division of Continuing Studies Standards

Please review the policies and procedures of Continuing Studies, found at http://www.brandeis.edu/gps/students/studentresources/policiesprocedures/index.html. Among them, we would like to highlight the following. Learning Disabilities If you are a student who needs academic accommodations because of a documented disability you should contact me, and present your letter of accommodation as soon as possible. If you have questions about documenting a disability or requesting academic accommodations you should contact Gwenn Smaxwill, Disabilities Coordinator for the Rabb School, at (781) 736-3424. Academic Honesty & Student Integrity Academic honesty and student integrity are of fundamental importance at Brandeis University and we want students to understand this clearly at the start of the term. As stated in the Brandeis Rights and Responsibilities handbook, “Every member of the University Community is expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty. A student shall not receive credit for work that is not the product of the student’s own effort. A student's name on any written exercise constitutes a statement that the work is the result of the student's own thought and study, stated in the students own words, and produced without the assistance of others, except in quotes, footnotes or references with appropriate acknowledgement of the source." In particular, students must be aware that material (including ideas, phrases, sentences, etc.) taken from the Internet and other sources MUST be appropriately cited if quoted, and footnoted in any written work turned in for this, or any, Brandeis class. Also, students will not be allowed to collaborate on work except by the specific permission of the instructor. Failure to cite resources properly may result in a referral being made to the Office of Student Development and Judicial Education. The outcome of this action may involve academic and disciplinary sanctions, which could include (but are not limited to) such penalties as receiving no credit for the assignment in question, receiving no credit for the related course, or suspension or dismissal from the University. Further information regarding academic integrity may be found in the following publications: "In Pursuit of Excellence - A Guide to Academic Integrity for the Brandeis Community", "(Students') Rights and Responsibilities Handbook" AND "Continuing Studies Student Handbook". You should read these publications, which all can be accessed from the Continuing Studies Web site. A student that is in doubt about standards of academic honesty (regarding plagiarism, multiple submissions of written work, unacknowledged or unauthorized collaborative effort, false citation or false data) should consult either the course instructor or other staff of the Rabb School for Continuing Studies.

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University Caveat The above schedule, content, and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.

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