This unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of the role of IS/IT in contemporary organisations and major IS/IT management concepts and practices. Emphasis will be placed on those issues, concerns and trends that pose complex challenges relating to the effective management and organisation of the IT resource in contemporary organisations. Included as a priority will be the notion of achieving alignment between organisational and IT goals and objectives; Delivering required IT services across the organisation; and Responsibly using the IT resource so that value is derived for relevant stakeholders.
Objectives
Knowledge and Understanding
C1. To understand the importance of the notions of alignment and integration of IT with organisational objectives and strategies, and their centrality to organisational performance in contemporary business environments
C2. To develop insights into and understanding of business strategy, information & IS strategy, and IT strategy, their interconnections, and the importance of IS/IT strategy formulation and implementation in modern organisations
C3. To appreciate that IT can be used as a competitive weapon, and/or as a source of strategic advantage
C4. To understand the impacts and implications of the advent of the internet, eCommerce and eBusiness and associated technologies on the role and contribution of IT in organisations
C5. To understand the importance of the relationship built between IT and the rest of the business (or CIO-CEO relationship) to perceptions of value derived from IT, and its contributions to organisational performance
C6. To understand the concept and the complexities of organisational portfolios of IS/IT, the value contribution of the portfolio, and the intricacies of appropriately balancing the IT portfolio against current and future business needs and objectives, while ensuring the development of a flexible and robust IT infrastructure
C7. To be aware of and understand current theories and critical issues in aspects of IT management including IT outsourcing, establishing the value of IT and proactively managing the realisation of business benefits, assessing and managing IT-related risk, and managing IT-related change
C8. To understand the interorganisational contribution of IT
Attitudes, Values and Beliefs
A1. To understand and appreciate the cultural and political issues affecting the delivery and management of IT services and resources in organisations
A2. To develop a critical attitude to IT management theories and practices via an evaluation of relevant literature (academic and practitioner)
Practical Skills
P1. To develop skills at analysing and reporting on specific aspects of IT management and the role of IT in organisations, and to propose solutions and/or improvements, and make recommendations to managers, and the like, based on analyses of relevant theoretical and analytical literature
Relationships, Communication and TeamWork
S1. To develop ability to coherently and persuasively report verbally on a range of IT management issues
S2. To develop an appreciation of the importance of relationships and team work in effectively exploiting the IT resource
S3. To develop interpersonal communication skills to support communication amongst professionals in organisations
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this unit.
Unit relationships
IMS9043 is an elective unit in the IMS postgraduate degree. As IMS9043 is a foundation unit. It is also a core subject for those students who do not have an IT undergraduate degree. There are no prerequisites for this unit..
You may not study this unit and IMS5043, SYS5250 in your degree.
Texts and software
Required text(s)
Turban, E., Leidner,D., McLean, E. & Wetherbe, J.(2006). Information Technology for Management: Transforming Organizations in the Digital Economy. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., USA.
Textbook availability
Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.
Software requirements
There is no software requirement.
Hardware requirements
On-campus students may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to 2 hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.
Recommended reading
Bocij, P., Chaffey, D., Greasley, A. & Hickie, S. 2nd Ed. (2003). Business Information Systems: technology, development and management for the e-business. Pearson Education Ltd. Harlow, UK.
Frenzel, C.W. & Frenzel, J.C. (2004) Management of Information Technology. 4th edn. Thomson Course Technology, Boston.
Martin, E.W., Brown, C.V., DeHayes, D.W., Hoffer, J.A. & Perkins, W.C. 4th Ed. (2002). Managing Information Technology. Pearson Education Inc. NJ., USA.
Reynolds, G. (2003). Ethics in Information Technology. Thompson Course Technology, Boston, USA.
Turban, E., Rainer, R.K.Jnr., & Potter, R.E. (2003). Introduction to Information Technology, 2nd Ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. USA.
Library access
You may need to access the Monash library either personally to be able to satisfactorily complete the subject. Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.
Study resources
Study resources for IMS9043 are:
Assignment specifications
Lecture Notes available for download from unit website.
Sample examination paper (previous years) through Library.
It is essential for all students to have textbooks or access to copies of them
The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+
Assessment
Assessment weighting
Assessment for the unit consists of 2 assignments with a weighting of 50% and an examination with a weighting of 50%. Read this section VERY carefully.
Assignment 1, Value 25%, Due Week7 Assignment 2, Value 25%, Due Week 12
Assignments should be delivered during tutorial sessions on or before the due week. Late submissions will be penalised at the rate of 5% per day overdue. If you believe that your assignment will be delayed because of circumstances beyond your control such as illness you should apply for an extension before the due date. Medical certificates or certification supporting your application may be required.
Note:
Assignments in this unit are no less important than those of other units. Your inability to manage your time or computing resources will not be accepted as a valid excuse. (Several assignments falling due at the same time is often unavoidable.)
Backup copies are required to be made of all assignments and retained for 12 months, in case of loss.
Hardware failures are not normally recognised as a valid reason for obtaining an extension or handing in a late assignment.
Assessment Policy
To pass this unit you must:
gain at least 40% of the marks available for the examination component: i.e. the final examination and any tests performed under exam conditions, taken as a whole, AND
gain at least 40% of the marks available for the assignment component: i.e. the assignments and any other assessment tasks (such as presentations) taken as a whole AND
gain at least 50% of the total marks for the unit
Where a student gains less than 40% for either the examination or assignment component, the final result for the unit will be no greater than '44-N'.
You must perform satisfactorily on both the examination and the assignments in order to pass this subject.In order to pass the subject, students must obtain at least 50% of the available marks for the subject. In addition, there is a hurdle requirement that students must obtain at least 40% of the marks allocated for assignment work AND at least 40% of the marks allocated for the examination. If a student fails one of the hurdle requirements a fail mark up to a maximum of 44% will be returned to the Board of Examiners, even if the numeric total of a student's mark is greater than 44%.
Assessment Requirements
Assessment
Due Date
Weighting
Assignment 1 - Systems Failures
28 August 2006
25%
Assignment 2 - Business Case
9 October 2006
25 %
The exam is 2 hours long and is closed book.
Exam period (S2/06) starts on 23/10/06
50 %
Assignment specifications will be made available http://muso.monash.edu.au.
Assignment Submission
Assignments should be received by your tutor on or before the due date. In the absence of other instructions, all assignments are to be submitted to your tutor during your allocated tutorial.
Return of assignments Assignments will either be returned in specified tutorials during semester or via the SIMS Frontdesk collection system outside semester. In general, assignments will be returned within two to three weeks of the due date.
Extensions and late submissions
Late submission of assignments
Assignments should be delivered during tutorial sessions on or before the due week. Late submissions will be penalised at the rate of 5% per day overdue. If you believe that your assignment will be delayed because of circumstances beyond your control such as illness you should apply for an extension before the due date. Medical certificates or certification supporting your application may be required.
This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking or with the returned assignment.
Extensions
It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions.
If you believe that your assignment will be delayed because of circumstances beyond your control such as illness, you should apply for an extension prior to the due date. All applications for extensions must be made in writing to your lecturer. Medical certificates or other supporting documentation will be required. Late assignments submitted without an approved extension may be accepted at the discretion of your lecturer, but will be penalised at the rate of 10% of total assignment marks per day (including weekends). Example: Total marks available for the assignment = 100 marks Marks received for the assignment = 70 marks Marks deducted for 2 days late submission (20% of 100) = 20 marks Final mark received for assignment = 50 marks
Grading of assessment
Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:
Grade
Percentage/description
HD High Distinction -
very high levels of achievement, demonstrated knowledge and understanding, skills in application and high standards of work encompassing all aspects of the tasks.
In the 80+% range of marks for the assignment.
D Distinction -
high levels of achievement, but not of the same standards. May have a weakness in one particular aspect, or overall standards may not be quite as high.
In the 70-79% range.
C Credit -
sound pass displaying good knowledge or application skills, but some weaknesses in the quality, range or demonstration of understanding.
In the 60-69% range.
P Pass
acceptable standard, showing an adequate basic knowledge, understanding or skills, but with definite limitations on the extent of such understanding or application. Some parts may be incomplete.
In the 50-59% range.
N Not satisfactory
failure to meet the basic requirements of the assessment.
Below 50%.
Assignment return
We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.
Feedback
Feedback to you
You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This feedback may be provided through your participation in tutorials and class discussions, as well as through your assignment submissions. It may come in the form of individual advice, marks and comments, or it may be provided as comment or reflection targeted at the group. It may be provided through personal interactions, such as interviews and on-line forums, or through other mechanisms such as on-line self-tests and publication of grade distributions.
Feedback from you
You will be asked to provide feedback to the Faculty through a Unit Evaluation survey at the end of the semester. You may also be asked to complete surveys to help teaching staff improve the unit and unit delivery. Your input to such surveys is very important to the faculty and the teaching staff in maintaining relevant and high quality learning experiences for our students.
And if you are having problems
It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem with your study. The semester is short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.
Plagiarism and cheating
Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.
In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work.
When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer.
Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.
Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.
Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.
Communication
Communication methods
Lecturers can be contacted via email or phone, or via appointment.
Notices
Notices related to the unit during the semester will be placed on the Notices Newsgroup in the Unit Website. Check this regularly. Failure to read the Notices newsgroup is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.
Consultation Times
Consultation will be provided by the lecturers via email
If direct communication with your unit adviser/lecturer or tutor outside of consultation periods is needed you may contact the lecturer and/or tutors at:
Ms Angela Carbone Senior Lecturer Phone +61 3 990 31911
Mr Barry Atkinson
All email communication to you from your lecturer will occur through your Monash student email address. Please ensure that you read it regularly, or forward your email to your main address. Also check that your contact information registered with the University is up to date in My.Monash.
