Session 2 Commentary

IT History 

Stages of a Technology’s Growth
There are several models that detail the growth and diffusion of a technology.  In Nolan's stage model early success leads to the proliferation that invariably leads to a control of the proliferation by setting limits.  In the Modified Model, the emphasis is more on the growth within an organization where after the initial investment that brings in the technology, the organization goes through a period of experimentation and learning which leads to the setting of management controls.  Why?  Just as in the Nolan model negatives that require control become apparent in familiarization of the technology.  

Nolan’s Stage Model (Nolan & Gibson, 1974):
Stage One: Early Success.
Stage Two: Proliferation.
Stage Three: Control of Proliferation.
Stage Four: Mature Use.
Modified Model (Cash et.al 1992)
Identification and initial investment
Experimentation and learning
Management control
Widespread technology transfer
 

 

Strains between Management and IT Professionals  
The following 7 items are often the big bone of contention between the IT professionals and the IT managers.  Often, managers do not disseminate critical information in a timely manner,  do not let the professionals fully participate in the development of systems (often a problem when the manager was promoted because the manager was a great 'IT'er' What about the others -- underlined 

1. Dissemination of information
2. Participation in development
3. Time horizon
4. Accountability of IT
5. Control of systems
6. Evaluation of IT personnel
7. Recognition of IT management

IT Organizational Models (3 basic models)

Functional Model

Functional Alignment:
Organizing IT personnel by functional knowledge and platforms

 

Advantages
Everybody understands his/her tasks
The structure confers stability
Greater opportunity for the development of specialized skills
Provides a system of checks and balances
Easier to enforce standards in functional areas.
Disadvantages
The IS manager spends too much time on coordinating problems arising among functional areas
Less training & development opportunities
High risk of project failure
Difficult for communication

Project/Product Model

Project Alignment:
Organizing IT personnel by tasks and services

Advantages

Everyone understands departmental work

Structure is highly receptive to new ideas
Structure offers greater adaptability
Shorter chain of command, makes each person more visible

Disadvantages

Structure is not highly stable
Structure demands continuous management attention
Few opportunities to develop special skills
No clear career path

Matrix Model

Matrix Alignment:
Organizing IT personnel by functional and project approach simultaneously.  Each person reports to two managers simultaneously

Advantages
Better assessment of individual skills and professional development
Better utilization of specialization skills
Highly flexible and adaptable to changing environments
Disadvantages
Success is highly dependent on interaction between  functional manager and project manager (usually from business areas)
Difficult to manage projects
Project manager does not have line authority
Greater potential for political difficulties
Problems in communication because of dual reporting.

Governance Issues

Pressure toward IT Control

Stronger IT staff professionalism, easier to recruit and retrain talents for better career development opportunities
Better scope and complexity in assessing feasibility of IT projects -- hardware, process, and infrastructure
Encourage data sharing and compliance with IS architecture.  More timely abstracting of data.
Better fit with traditional corporate structure and centralized IT strategy
Include true costs and full costs in cost analysis.

Pressure toward User Dominance

IT backlog and focus on maintenance (vs.. new development) resulted in user IT staff to meet pent-up user demand.
Competitive and service growth in the IT market resulted in user preference for package systems.
Users have direct control over development priorities.
Decentralized or distributed development fit for decentralized IT structure.
Users demonstrate enthusiasm in learning and experimentation.

Pressure toward Distribution

Support learning and global organization.  Emphasize global security and reliability.
Support effective and efficient use of resources by mixing specialized and off-the-shelf software; specialized ad general expertiseEncourage lateral and vertical information sharing through integrated data, interorganizational systems and enterprise standards
Mix of scarce and generalized IT resources, but have increased turn-over risks.
Active involvement of knowledgeable and technically oriented users
Suitable for matrix organization and cross-functional teams that emphasized collaboration, mix of centralized and decentralized IT.

HRM in IS

Flamholtz Leadership Effectiveness Framework

The styles of leadership

Directive

Interactive

Nondirective

The situation

The Work Being Done
(programmable/ non-programmable)

The People Doing the Work
(motivation/skill level/independence)

Temporal concerns
(timeframe?)

Flamholtz Leadership Effectiveness Framework

Leadership Tasks

Towards the work being done

Goal emphasis and work facilitation

Towards people doing the work

Interaction facilitation, supportive behavior, personnel development

Balance in emphasis

Leadership Issues
There are 6 components to the HRM function in IS.  

IT- HRM Components (6) -- compare/contrast to framework ( class discussion Q)

1. Hiring  -- not part of f/w

2. Turnover and Retention Strategies -- personnel development and the interaction facilitation (feedback, brokering interpersonal difficulties), supportive behavior 

3. Career Development -- personnel development

4. Training -- personnel development

5. Compensation  -- s/be justified based on supportive behavior (feedback), goal emphasis

6. Performance Appraisal -- supportive behavior)

Leadership Issues in IS Mgt

How CIOs role has evolved and where it is going?   outsourcing, staffing shortage

How IS function is changing?  is it just getting the infrastructure together?

SABRE system

Discussion Questions

- While the PC dispersed control of processing power out of the IS department, the network computer will return control to the department.  Do you agree or disagree? Discuss.
-- Do we really need a major change in the way the information systems function is structured?  Aren't the necessary changes just minor modifications to accommodate normal growth in computer uses?
-- The procedure-goal dichotomy does not add much beyond the clerical-management distinction.  Do you agree or disagree?  Give reasons for your opinion.
-- Compare/contrast the the Flamholtz Leadership Effectiveness Framework tasks and the components listed for IT-HRM.
-- Looking at your worksite, 
compare/contrast 4 different jobs on basis of degree of task programmability, and
compare/contrast the jobholders on basis of potential for job autonomy
     with specific justifications (use aliases)  
Then, describe the appropriate leadership style, and most likely mix of leadership tasks
Finally compare/contrast the ideal just built against the leadership behavior now in effect.

Sturdivant Case -- ??

Sturdivant Case: What is the nature of Al Abram's work? How do you describe Al's potential for job autonomy?  What leadership style does Bill Eden employ?  Why?  Is it effective?  Why not? 

        Assignment 1
       
Each student prepares a paper that is no longer than 6 pages, double line-spaced in a 12-point font with normal margins excluding appendices such as references, tables and graphics.   This paper with page numbers and identifying info on all pages is due in Week 3.  
        The student analyzes a personally familiar IS organization on its approach to IT human resource management, the style-situation fit, and the effectiveness of its leader based on the Flamholtz framework.  
Analyze the organization and compare/contrast the various IS areas directed by the manager selected by advising the reader of the the following in the paper:
  
            for the IS area, advise the reader of the IS area's culture --
          risk-taking or risk-averse, technological sophistication, who is involved in major decisions
for each IS area, the nature of the work -- task-definition (well-defined, vague, combination)
       -- time critical, 
       -- skill level required,
       -- level of coordination needed with others in unit for effective execution
  for each IS area,the nature of the people doing the work -- skill-level (high to low), 
       -- motivation (high to low),
       -- independence tendency
  the style used by the leader for each IS area
       -- consistency of style used
       -- overall style (directive, interactive, nondirective)
  the dominant tasks the leader performs for each IS area 
  the level of interaction between leader and each IS area
  assess the style-situation fit for the leader
  assess the balance of leadership task execution
  assess the overall effectiveness of the leader

Hint:  space is at a premium in this paper so answer the questions specifically, do not waste space reiterating aspects of the framework presented in the papers.  If using an alias rather than a real person's name is more comfortable for you, then please use it. 

Grading Criteria:

Grade

 

 

 

1.

 

 The paper is dishonest

F

2.

 

 The paper completely ignores the questions set.

 

3.

 

 The paper is incomprehensible due to errors in language or usage.

 

4.

 

 The paper contains very serious factual errors.

D

5.

 

 The paper simply lists, narrates, or describes facts and includes several factual errors.

 

6.

 

 The paper correctly lists or describes facts but makes little or no attempt to frame an argument using the Flamholtz framework

 

7.

 

 The paper states an argument or thesis, but the argument or thesis does not address the question set.

C

8.

 

 The paper states an argument or thesis, but supporting subthesis and factual evidence are:
    missing,
    incorrect or anachronistic,
    irrelevant,
    not sufficiently specific,
    all or partly obscured by errors in language or usage.

 

9.

 

 The paper states an argument on the appropriate topic, clearly supported by relevant sub-thesis and specific factual evidence but conclusions are inconsistent with framework.

B

10.

 

 The paper contains an argument, relevant sub-theses, and specific evidence;:
    Factual evidence is incorrect, missing, or not specific,
    Linking sub-theses are either unclear or missing,
    Conclusions are not clearly stated but consistent with framework
    Conclusions are inconsistent with evidence..

A

11.

 

  The paper adequately states and defends an argument and answers all alternative's concerns suggested by:
   lectures,
   reading assignments (specific arguments and authors mentioned by name),
   common sense..

Next Session:

Distributed Processing
-- when more than 1 interconnected processor is operating at the same time.

architecture versus infrastructure -- blueprint versus implementation

attributes are based on answers to:

where is processing done? 
    goal is to have processing done as close to user as possible
how are processors & other devices interconnected?
    each processor in system c/send data or messages electronically to any other processor in system
where is information stored?
     can be distributed with duplication of data or without duplication
what rules or standards are used?
     operating discipline exists and is enforced systemwide  -- usu on open systems principles

distributing a system should be based on business considerations:-- answers to 3 qs.

1. are the operations interdependent?

2. are the businesses really homogenous?

3. does corporate culture support decentralization?

Look at the 2 guiding frameworks -- organizational and technical

Compare/contract 6 types of distributed systems

     host-based hierarchy

    decentralized stand-alone systems

    peer-to-peer LAN based systems

    hybrid enterprisewide systems

    client/server systems

    network-centric systems

Architecture:

   The Enterprise Architecture Framework

Infrastructure

   IT Investments (4 types) // value// views (utility,dependent, enabling)

   is it ITs main role?

Managing Telecommunications

OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Model -- 7 layers--