| 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.
Information systems are among the most complex systems in the world. As a consequence people who have studied them have learned lessons that are applicable to other complex systems, such as economies and organizations. We will approach our understanding of information systems in a way that will keep an eye out for techniques and insights that generalize to these.
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
Materials
All of the materials for this course are available from the course website.
Evaluation
Grading will be based equally on contributions to the classroom discussions and the final exam.
Contribution
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 development of 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 also 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. Students are encouraged to draw upon their knowledge and experience to build, test and modify management theories that they can then make their own.
For some class meetings I have provided suggestions for preparing. While I am not asking you to hand these in, I do find that the discussions are richer and more productive when people do these exercises in written form as part of their preparation. In any case you are expected to prepare for the discussion whether you use that method or some other.
The quality of your input is more important than the quantity.
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.