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Dr Mahbubur Rahim
Senior Lecturer
Phone: +61 3 990 59952 +61 3 990 32352
Fax: +61 3 990 31077

Contact hours: Mon 4 - 6 pm (email: mahbubur.rahim@infotech.monash.edu.au)

Dr Kerry Tanner
Senior Lecturer
Phone: +61 3 990 32626
Fax: +61 3 990 31077

Contact hours: Mon 11 am - 1 pm; Thurs 4 - 6 pm

Additional communication information:

Students are studying FIT9006 at Caulfield campus in Semester 1, 2010.  Discussion groups are available in the unit's MUSO/ Blackboard site to allow you to share thoughts and questions related to the content and delivery of the unit. It is advisable to use these discussion groups as the first point of contact for such questions so that all students have the benefit of the answer. Communications about personal matters, such as requests for extensions, study problems or the like, should be directed to your lecturer by email, telephone or meeting.

Introduction

Welcome to FIT9006 IT Management. This 6-point unit is one of the foundation units in Master of Business Information Systems (MBIS) course. The unit has been designed to provide you with an understanding of the contexts within which information technologies are used in organisations, and the challenges posed by IT management. It explores many aspects of IT management, with emphasis on the relationship between theoretical knowledge and its practical application, using cases and real examples. The concepts developed in this unit are extended in a range of level 5 units with a management focus.

Unit synopsis

This unit presents IT management as a project-based activity, oriented to fulfilling corporate goals, meeting business operational requirements and delivering value for an organisation. Core concepts are established: strategic contexts of IT management, systems, information systems, systems development, business processes and modelling, and IT as support for core business processes. An overview of project management processes, tools and techniques used for software development projects follows. IT-related issues and trends posing complex challenges to management and organisation of the IT resource in contemporary organisations are explored. Ethics in IT management is a central theme.

Learning outcomes

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:
  • the strategic contexts of IT management, including: the strategic value and impacts of IT; the strategy process; the need to effectively align business strategy and IT strategy; the value of a portfolio approach to managing IT investments and mitigating risk; the critical importance of a customer-centric approach to IT strategy; and key management roles and relationships (eg CEO-CIO);
  • the more common business processes, and the role that IT can play in managing these processes and in providing information systems that are appropriate for an organistions operational needs;
  • the technical processes of a generic SDLC model, contract development, outsourcing and package purchase as alternative approaches to providing information systems;
  • the project management processes related to in-house and contract software development, software outsourcing, package acquisition and implementation;
  • the requirements for ongoing management of the IT infrastructure of an organisation that takes appropriate advantage of technological innovation to address the short-term and long-term objectives of the business;
  • IT professional ethics, and ethical issues in the management and use of IT within organisations.
Developed attitudes that enable them to:
  • have a systematic approach to IT provisioning in a business whilst maintaining a pragmatic approach to business needs;
  • critically assess the worth of technological innovations for their contribution towards meeting business objectives in both the short-term and the longer term;
  • recognise the management of IT infrastructure as a corporate resource, and business information as critical to meeting business objectives;
  • develop a project management approach to developing information systems that are appropriate to the organisations needs;
  • maintain ethical principles and practices in IT management.
Developed the skills to:
  • apply selected systems development techniques associated with SDLC-based system developments;
  • model business processes using industry standard modelling conventions and a standard commercial business process modelling software package;
  • determine requirements and specifying development or acquisition projects, using both traditional and innovative techniques and methods;
  • apply project management techniques and using project management software.
Demonstrated the communication and teamwork skills necessary to:
  • acquire understanding of the IT management and project management processes not only in terms of objective criteria like budgets, resources and software tools, but also as social activities and relationships involving individual, group and corporate-wide objectives and imperatives.

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratory/wk

Workload

Weekly workload commitments involve a total of 12 hours, including:

  • a two-hour lecture;
  • a two-hour tutorial or laboratory (requiring preparation in advance); and
  • an average of 8 hours of out-of-class time, involving reading, class preparation, assignment work, revision, and computer-based activities.
  • You will need to allocate up to 5 hours per week in some weeks, for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

Unit relationships

Prohibitions

IMS9043

Teaching and learning method

Teaching approach

FIT9006 provides students with a comprehensive set of study notes, readings, tutorials to facilitate your learning. The lectures and tutorials will build on these teaching resources rather than reproduce them, and are an opportunity for you to raise questions.

Lectures: Emphasis in lectures will be given to providing an overview of the concepts and discussing some of the debates that these issues provoke. You are expected to read through the study notes and readings as an adjunct to the lecture, as two hours is far too short to cover all the important concepts in detail.

Tutorials: Each week's material is accompanied by a set of tutorial questions that take various forms:

  1. Exercises to test how well you have understood the content.
  2. Cases that help develop deeper understanding of IT management issues as they occur in industry.
  3. Practical tasks developing skill with applications and their use for IT management.

You will be expected to have prepared for tutorials prior to attending the class.

The two assignments will provide you with feedback of your grasp of the content as well as record a mark toward your final grade.

Timetable information

For information on timetabling for on-campus classes please refer to MUTTS, http://mutts.monash.edu.au/MUTTS/

Tutorial allocation

On-campus students should register for tutorials/laboratories using the Allocate+ system: http://allocate.its.monash.edu.au/

Unit Schedule

Week Date* Topic Tutorials Key dates
1 01/03/10 Unit overview & Strategic contexts of IT management No tutorials this week (Tutorials commence in Week 2) (Mon. 1 Mar) No tutorials this week
2 08/03/10 IT strategy and business strategy IT/IS failures Tutorials commence
3 15/03/10 Issues in managing IT/IS projects Organisational strategies: a resource-based view  
4 22/03/10 Business/organisational processes Aligning IT strategy with business strategy  
5 29/03/10 Business process management and IT Modelling business processes 1  
Mid semester break
6 12/04/10 IT/IS project management overview Modelling business processes 2 Assignment 1 due Thurs 15 April
7 19/04/10 IT provisioning IT/IS project management 1  
8 26/04/10 [No classes but set work on IT/IS project management] [No classes but set work on IT/IS project management] Anzac Day public holiday--no classes but there will be set work for the week
9 03/05/10 IT outsourcing IT/IS project management 2  
10 10/05/10 Ethics for IT/IS professionals IT outsourcing  
11 17/05/10 Legal issues for IT/IS professionals Ethical issues for IT/IS professionals Assignment 2 due Thurs 20 May
12 24/05/10 Managing IT in organisations Legal issues for IT/IS professionals  
13 31/05/10 IT strategy review. Revision and Unit Evaluation Exam revision Last week of semester

*Please note that these dates may only apply to Australian campuses of Monash University. Off-shore students need to check the dates with their unit leader.

Improvements to this unit

Ongoing changes and refinements in the lecture schedule, lecture notes, tutorial materials and assignments have been made in response to student feedback.

Unit Resources

Prescribed text(s) and readings

There is no single prescribed text book , as no one text adequately covers the range of topics that we deal with in FIT9006. Some useful texts on IT management and related topics are listed below under 'Further reading'. Other weekly readings are available on the Library web site, in the FIT9006 reading list.

Recommended text(s) and readings

Further reading

  • Applegate, Lynda M., Austin, Robert D. & McFarlan, F. Warren. (2009). Corporate information strategy and management: Text and cases. (8th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin. ISBN 9780073402932; 0073402931.
  • Avison, David & Torkzadeh, Reza. (2009). Information systems project management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN: 9781412957021.
  • Frenzel, Caroll W. & Frenzel, John C. (2004). Management of information technology. (4th ed.).Boston, MA : Thomson, Course Technology. ISBN 0-619-03417-3.
  • Fuller, Mark A., Valacich, Joseph S. & George, Joey F. (2008). Information systems project management: A process and team approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN: 013145417X; 9780131454170.
  • Gelinas, Ulric J. & Dull, Richard B. (2010). Accounting information systems. (8th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.   ISBN 9780324663808; 0324663803.
  • Hoffer, Jeffrey A., George, Joey F.  & Valacich, Joseph S. (2008). Modern systems analysis and design. (5th  ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice-Hall.  ISBN 9780132240765.
  • Brown, Carol V. et al. (2009). Managing information technology. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson-Prentice Hall. ISBN 9780131789548; 0131789546.
  • McManus, John & Wood-Harper, Trevor. (2003). Information systems project management: Methods, tools and techniques. Harlow, Eng.: Prentice Hall/ Financial Times.
  • Pearlson, Keri & Saunders, Carol S. (2010). Managing and using information systems: A strategic approach. (4th ed.).  Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. ISBN 9780470343814; 0470343818.
  • Reynolds, George W.  (2007). Ethics in information technology. (2nd ed.). Australia; UK; Thomson, Course Technology.  ISBN 1418836311.
  • Schwalbe, Kathy. (2010). Information technology project management. (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Course Technology Cengage Learning. ISBN 9780324786927; 0324786921.
  • Turban, Efraim & Volonino, Linda. (2010). Information technology for management: Improving performance in the digital economy. (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Required software and/or hardware

To access weekly lecture and tutorial materials, students will need access to an Adobe Acrobat reader, and Microsoft Office software.

Microsoft Project will be the project management software used, and Microsoft Visio will be used for preparing charts and diagrams for tutorials and assignments. Students may also use other relevant drawing or other software they have access to, eg SmartDraw.

Off-campus students will be provided with academic licenses for these products. On-campus students may use the software in the computer labs.

Alternatively, software may be purchased at academic price at good software retailers on provision of evidence of enrolment (your current student card).

Equipment and consumables required or provided

Students studying off-campus are required to have the minimum system configuration specified by the Faculty as a condition of accepting admission, and regular Internet access. On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations 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.

Study resources

Study resources we will provide for your study are:

  • This Unit Guide outlining the administrative information for the unit.
  • A guide to Assignments in the unit.
  • The FIT9006 web site on Blackboard, where lecture slides/ notes, weekly tutorial requirements, assignment specifications, sample solutions and supplementary study material will be posted.
  • Announcements and discussion groups that can be linked to from the Unit Homepage.
  • Audio-recorded weekly lectures available on MULO:
    http://www.mulo.monash.edu.au/fac-infotech.html

Assessment

Overview

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Faculty assessment policy

To pass a unit which includes an examination as part of the assessment a student must obtain:

  • 40% or more in the unit's examination, and
  • 40% or more in the unit's total non-examination assessment, and
  • an overall unit mark of 50% or more.

If a student does not achieve 40% or more in the unit examination or the unit non-examination total assessment, and the total mark for the unit is greater than 50% then a mark of no greater than 49-N will be recorded for the unit.

Assignment tasks

Assignment coversheets

Assignment coversheets are available via "Student Forms" on the Faculty website: http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/forms/
You MUST submit a completed coversheet with all assignments, ensuring that the plagiarism declaration section is signed.

Assignment submission and return procedures, and assessment criteria will be specified with each assignment.

  • Assignment task 1
    Title:
    Assignment 1: IT systems failure
    Description:
    This assignment is designed to test your understanding about the key reasons that generally contribute to the failure of IT systems in organisations. It aims to compare how the critical factors discussed in the existing IT literature sources can help explain (and sometimes predict) the actual failure occurrences of IT systems in real-life organisational settings.
    Weighting:
    20%
    Due date:
    Week 6: 15 April (Thursday), 2010
    Remarks:
    Your assignment submission will be evaluated using these criteria:
    •  Research skills--Identification and use of relevant sources; accurate referencing.
    • Content-related factors--Systematically addressing the key areas identified.
    • Cognitive skills--Analysis, evaluation and synthesis.
    • Writing skills--Structure, coherence, expression, presentation.
  • Assignment task 2
    Title:
    Assignment 2: Managing IT/IS projects
    Description:
    This assignment aims to assist you to develop:
    • Understanding of the project management process in relation to information systems development.
    • Skills in IS project strategic planning and tactical planning.
    • Skills in applying project management techniques and using project management software (MS Project).
    • Skills in modelling business processes using process modelling.
    • An appreciation of the importance of teamwork and effective social relationships within a project team.
    The assignment will involve a group component (10%) and an individual component (10%).  However, there will be an alternative version of the assignment for those whose circumstances make it difficult to work on a group assignment.
    Weighting:
    20%
    Due date:
    Week 11: 20 May (Thursday), 2010
    Remarks:
    Criteria for assessment :
    •  Content-related factors--Demonstrated understanding of the basics of project management as applied to IS development.
    • Application of project management techniques and software--Demonstrated skills in applying project management techniques and using project management software.
    • Business process modelling skills.
    • Demonstrated understanding, awareness and sensitivity to the process and social dimensions of project team work.
    • Writing and presentation skills, accurate referencing.

Examination

  • Weighting: 60%
    Length: 3 hours
    Type (open/closed book): Closed book

See Appendix for End of semester special consideration / deferred exams process.

Due dates and extensions

Please make every effort to submit work by the due dates. 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 not regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. Students are advised to NOT assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course.

Students requesting an extension for any assessment during semester (eg. Assignments, tests or presentations) are required to submit a Special Consideration application form (in-semester exam/assessment task), along with original copies of supporting documentation, directly to their lecturer within two working days before the assessment submission deadline. Lecturers will provide specific outcomes directly to students via email within 2 working days. The lecturer reserves the right to refuse late applications.

A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.

Refer to the Faculty Special consideration webpage or further details and to access application forms: http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/equity/special-consideration.html

Late assignment

Assignments received after the due date without an approved extension will be subject to a penalty of 5% of total assignment marks per day late. Assignments received later than two weeks after the due date will not normally be accepted.

Return dates

Students can expect assignments to be returned within two weeks of the submission date or after receipt, whichever is later.

Appendix

Please visit the following URL: http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/appendix.html for further information about:

  • Continuous improvement
  • Unit evaluations
  • Communication, participation and feedback
  • Library access
  • Monash University Studies Online (MUSO)
  • Plagiarism, cheating and collusion
  • Register of counselling about plagiarism
  • Non-discriminatory language
  • Students with disability
  • End of semester special consideration / deferred exams
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