| MIDS 409 Information design & management Information Systems Department Weatherhead School of Management Case Western Reserve University |
Today it is self-evident that information and information technology are fundamental to the practice of management. The information design and management component of the MBA curriculum is designed to improve your understanding of both information and the technology that supports it. Information and information systems support all business functions. From their genesis as automated accounting systems, information systems have evolved to become the core of (and sometimes the impediment to) many organizations’ competitive strategies. We will study both the challenges and the opportunities that are the result of this pervasiveness.
We will investigate the strategic and operational use and value of information and information technology in organizations. More specifically we will explore the role of information technology in the strategy and management of organizations, and develop the skills to assess the opportunities and challenges that result. Secondarily, the course should help you become fluent with and comfortable addressing the issues relating to the management of the IT function and its resources.
We will achieve these broad objectives by developing some specific skills. In the course of the semester you’ll gain concrete experience in:
- Making and using systems maps to think about complex situations
- Applying a systematic approach to project planning and execution
- Using graphics to assist in thinking and communicating about complex situations
- Developing and evaluating principles for the use of information technology
- Evaluating and improving business cases for information systems projects
- Preparing and making presentations
- Developing an historical perspective on technology and business
- Using the Internet and other resources for (free) ongoing professional development
Textbooks
Textbooks have gotten quite expensive. I just found prices on Amazon of $115.62 through $142.20 for some of the standard books used in the field. Much of the material contained in them is available in more useful forms on the internet. In designing this course, I wanted to see how far I could go in the direction of reducting our dependance on material that students must pay for. Happily I have been able to get it down to none. When you include the cost of typical business cases, this amounts to a savings of over $10,000 for the class as a whole. That could produce one fantastic party. What’s more, there is a lesson in it about how valuable libraries and the internet can be in supporting life-long learning. If you experience some inconveniences when downloading particular files, keep in mind that by doing this we have saved a pile of money that we can invest in other ways.
Textbooks can be helpful, though, particularly when you are having trouble understanding basic ideas. So for many of the sessions, I provide pointers to chapters from the many good textbooks that are used in introductory graduate information systems courses. You can find used copies of these on the internet (including at Amazon), sometimes for as little as $4.00. You can use earlier editions, though the chapter numbers won’t always align with those I show in the schedule. I have also placed copies of current editions on reserve in the library.
Steven Alter, Information Systems: The Foundation of E-Business (Fourth Edition), Prentice Hall, 2002. This text has two organizing ideas—the work system framework and a four phase model for building and maintainng systems. It is a pragmatically oriented book that sees information systems as a critical element of business, but works at always keeping the context in which they are used clearly in focus. In addition to its two organizing themes, it is among the best of the texts on security and controls.
Gary W. Dickson and Gerardine DeSanctis, Information Technology and the Future Enterprise: New Models for Managers, Prentice-Hall, 2001. This book is out of print, but still a great resource. Each chapter was written by a different scholar or group of scholars in the field. As a consequence it discussions are more nuanced and subtle than is typical in textbooks. I like this book a great deal and recommend it as an especially good supplement to this course. It brings together some of the best researchers in the information systems field. Since the article are targetted specifically at this audience, they are both relevant and free of jargon and shorthand.
Steven R. Gordon and Judith R. Gordon, Information Systems: A Management Approach (Third Edition), Wiley, 2004. This book uses a stage model as its organizing device. The stages are diagnosis, evaluation, design and implementation. The chapters are organized around diagnosis, evaluation, design and implementation.
Leonard Jessup and Joseph Valacich, Information Systems Today: Why IS Matters (Second Edition), Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006. This text is oriented to helping students understand where things are going in information systems. It take a “painting the big picture” approach, identifying trends and looking for enduring themes. Some of the basics are well-treated in the appendices. If you are already pretty familiar with information systems, this is a good choice for refreshing and extending your knowledge.
Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon, Managemenet Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm (Ninth Edition), Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006. This text organizes the material into four sections. In the first information systems are embedded in the context of organizations. The next section describes the components that make up information technology. The third section is applications oriented. The management of information systems makes up the final section.
Keri E. Pearlson and Carol S. Saunders, Managing and Using Information Systems: A Strategic Approach (Second Edition), John Wiley & Sons, 2004. This is the book that I have used in recent semesters of the course. It focuses on what a manager needs to know to participate intelligently in information systems decisions. There is a student companion site available to support this text.
Gerald V. Post and David L. Anderson, Management Information Systems: Solving Business Problems with Information Technology (Fourth Edition), McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2006. This text is organized into four sections—information technology infrastructure, operations, tactics and strategies, and organizing businesses and systems. There is an emphasis on solving problems and learning to use the right technology for the job. If you are wanting to make better personal use of technologies in your role as a manager, this might be a good choice.
James A. Senn, Information Technology: Principles, Pratices, Opportunities (Third Edition), Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004. This text attempts to reach beyond the current state of technology, preparing students for the future through the use of principles. It provides lots of examples of practice. It is the most technology oriented and least organizationally oriented of the texts listed here.
Efraim Turban, Dorothy Leidner, Ephraim McLean and James Wetherbe, Information Technology for Management: Transforming Organizations in the Digital Economy (Fifth Edition), Wiley, 2006. This is among the broadest of the text and takes a forward-looking perspective.
Several other texts may be of interest to those who already have a mastery of the basic material of the course.
Lynda M. Applegate, F. Warren McFarlan and James L. McKenney, Corporate Information Systems Strategy and Management: Text and Cases (Sixth Edition), Irwin McGraw-Hill, 2002. As the title suggests this book is strategy oriented. It will be useful to those looking for a higher-level view of the issues addressed in the other texts.
Jerry N. Luftman, Managing the Information Technology Resurce: Leadership in the Information Age, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004. This book was written to integrate the strategic, tactical and operational roles of the CIO.
Barbara C. McNurlin and Ralph H. Sprague, Jr., Information Systems Management in Practice (Seventh Edition), Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006 is written to be a follow-on to a basic information systems course. It will be of use to those who have taken a basic IS course, or mastered the ideas on their own, and want some additional depth.
Evaluation
Grades will be based on the following:
- Contribution to discussions (both classroom and online) 10%
- Midterm exam 25%
- Technology talk 15%
- Semester project 25%
- Final exam 25%
This is a discussion-based course. Discussion pedagogy is effective when the educational objectives include the development of qualities of mind (curiosity, judgment, wisdom), qualities of person (character, sensitivity, integrity, responsibility), and the ability to apply general concepts and knowledge to specific situations. Most issues around the use of information technology in organizations do not present themselves in neat packages with clear boundaries. Nor do they usually arrive with pre-defined decision criteria. Instead they often involve difficult choices since they are not so much about the technologies as they are about people and organizational structures.
Discussion has the advantage that it puts both students and professors in an active learning mode. It challenges each of us to accept substantial responsibility for our own learning and it gives us first-hand appreciation of, and experience with, the application of knowledge to practice. You are encouraged to draw upon your knowledge and experience to build, test and modify management theories that you can then make your own.
For some class meetings I provide suggestions for preparing. While I do not ask you to hand these in, I do find that the discussions are richer and more productive when you do these exercises in written form as part of preparing. In any case you are expected to prepare for the discussion whether you use my method or some other. If you wish to post the material you prepare to Blackboard, you may do so and I will consider them when assigning contribution scores at the end of the semester.
The quality of your input, both in the classroom and online, is more important than the quantity.
Technology Talk
You will be assigned to a group to work on one of the talks related to emerging technologies. Your goal in these talks should be to help us all develop an understanding of the technology and some sense about its practical prospects for the relatively near-term future. You will have a half hour to present material and answer questions. Your presentation materials will be posted on this site after the talk so that we can continue to refer to them should we wish to dig deeper. There is no requirement that everyone in the group actually talk during the presentation; choose a format that works for the material and the group. When all of the talks have been presented, everyone will be asked to rank order the presentations. You are specifically restricted from making side-deals on these rankings and any such discussion will be treated as an academic infraction.
Semester Project
Your semester project can take any of a number of forms. In deciding what you will do, remember that the time you are here represents a time where it is relatively safe to take risks in the interest of personal development and learning. So, I would encourage you to try something that is a little beyond your immediate comfort zone. This advice applies both to the content and the form of your project.
As for content, any of the topics covered or touched upon in the course of the semester can serve as the basis for a project. I have kept the subject matter broad so that you can select something that truly interests you.
In general, narrow topics produce more interesting projects than broad ones (“Why has the iPod been such a commercial success?” rather than “What’s digital music all about?”). Asking an interesting question often makes the task manageable and helps to keep a focus. Small groups work better than large ones (and in no case should a group be larger than four of you). And, getting an early start produces better outcomes than waiting until the last possible moment.
Projects will be placed on the course website, so you should also write a brief introduction to what the viewer will find when they retrieve it. In addition, you will have an opportunity to provide a very brief overview to the class. Making such “pitches” is a valuable skill to develop. One of the questions that experienced venture people often ask is “what’s the elevator version of your presentation sound like?” If you had the ride from the first to the 20th floor to sell your project to (insert your favorite business person here), what would you say?
Following are some acceptable formats for presenting the results of your investigations. If you wish to use some other, let me know.
Audio presentation. Create a 5 to 30 minute “radio” show on a topic addressed in the course. This should have the feel of a finished, produced effort. So quality is at least as important as quantity. That is, it is better to do a thoughtful, edited, and well produced short piece than a longer one that does not hang together. Create a web page from which your file can be downloaded. Use the page to give enough background that someone can decide whether it is of interest to them.
Website. Create a site that addresses one of the topics addressed in the course. A good site will provide a fresh perspective (not just repeating what is available on the web in general), an editorial perspective (why are you including the particular material that is there?), and annotated references both to written materials and the web (where can the visitor go for more information?). Material is more important than technique. Avoid such things as animations that have no point except to show you have mastered flash or clip art that merely dresses up the page. Try to focus on a message, have a point of view, provide a perspective. Teach us something we can’t readily learn elsewhere.
Research Paper. Write a report that addresses some issue on the topics addressed in the course. The paper should be as long as required, but a guideline regarding extent is that a successful effort will likely be in the 20 page range. A good report should be organized around a question or small set of questions. It is important to develop arguments and to support your arguments. In other words, don't simply collect together a lot of material that we could find ourselves. Use the material you located to develop your own perspective on the question. Explain how you think the other material should be analyzed and then do that. Where it is beyond you abilities to complete the analysis, describe why and how you think others should proceed.
Case Study. Write a case study. This differs from a research paper in that it is driven by a situation rather than a question. It will require that you identify an interesting technology or system issue being addressed in an organization. You should then do research, using both primary (interviews, observation, etc.) and secondary (memos, reports, etc.) materials. A good case study tells a story with the intention of provoking discussion. In addition to the case study itself (which will generally be from 10 to 15 pages in length) you should prepare a teaching guide to the case.
There are three critical milestones that you must meet.
On September 14th. a two-page project brief is due. It should describe your topic, your medium, your intended audience, and why you think it is worth doing.
On October 10th a detailed outline is due. This should include most of the material elements of your project. That is, the ideas and main conclusions should be in here.
On November 30th the final project is due.
Academic Integrity
All students in this course are expected to adhere to university standards of academic integrity. Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this course. This includes, but is not limited to, consulting with another person during an exam, turning in written work that was prepared by someone other than you, and making minor modifications to the work of someone else and turning it in as your own. Ignorance will not be permitted as an excuse. If you are not sure whether something you plan to submit would be considered either cheating or plagiarism, it is your responsibility to ask for clarification. Either ask me about it or consult credible sources of information on the subject. Two useful internet sites that discuss these matters are Indiana University’s Writing Tutorial Services and UNC at Chapel Hill’s Writing Center. Please remember that you have agreed to Standards Regarding Academic Integrity which outlines your responsibility in greater detail.