Assignment 01

"What Skills Does a CIO Need for the 21st Century?"

Part 1: Carefully read the first article and quickly skim the remaining articles (quiz may reference first article):

How To Survive As A CIO
The CIO Top 10
The CIO Role: Trouble at the Top
The CIO as a Coach
From Gearhead to Grand High Pooh-Bah
Wanted: CEO Confidant
The CIO has a New Role for a New Era
Reinventing The CIO

Part 2: Briefly describe the major findings of any 2 of the articles in part 1.

Part 3: Search several different Internet sites for additional information on this topic. When you have identified two worthwhile, relevant articles, list the "title" and full URL for each.

Part 4: Briefly describe the major findings of each of the two articles in part 3.

Part 5: Briefly compare and contrast the findings presented in the four articles from parts 1 through 4.

Part 6: Submit your answers via email to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#01 -- exactly Assign#01.

NOTES:
There is no need to repeat the question in your answer, but please number your answers in the body of your email so that it clearly identifies the question number (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, ..., 4.1, 4.2).
Please do NOT submit an inserted or attached Word file in your email.

Assignment 01b

"The CIO Role"

Part 1: Skim the Assign#01 submissions from your classmates and the articles below.

The CIO Role: Taking Care of Business
IT Execs: New Economy Changes CIO's Role
May the CIO Title R.I.P.
Three Skills for Today's Leaders
The Wolf at the Door
Balancing Act
Technical Skills, People Skills: It's Not Either/Or
Study: CIOs must brush up on communication skills
CIO: You Can Beat theDiscrimination

Part 2: Choose 2 articles, one referenced by your classmates and one from the list above. Try to find articles that relate to each other, address the same issue from differing viewpoints, or disagree in some way.

Part 3: Search Internet sites for additional information on this topic. When you have identified one worthwhile, relevant articles, list the "title" and full URL for each along with the title and URL of the articles selected in part 2.

Part 4: Briefly compare and contrast the major findings of the three articles in part 3.

Part 5: Submit your answers via email to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#01b -- exactly Assign#01b.

NOTES:
There is no need to repeat the question in your answer, but please number your answers in the body of your email so that it clearly identifies the question number (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, ..., 4.1, 4.2).
Please do NOT submit an inserted or attached Word file in your email.

Assignment 02

"Current Issues in MIS"

Part 1: Read the following background material:

What is a CIO?

In 1989-90 survey of senior executives (SIM/MISRC Delphi) the most critical issues in IS management were ranked as follows:

1. Developing an information architecture
2. Making effective use of the data resource
3. Improving IS strategic planning
4. Specifying, recruiting and developing IS human resources
5. Facilitating organizational learning and use of IS technologies
6. Building a responsive IT infrastructure
7. Aligning the IS organization with that of the enterprise
8. Using information systems for competitive advantage
9. Improving the quality of software development
10. Planning and implementing a telecommunications system

In 1999 the Gartner Group reported findings from a similar survey of CIOs:

1. IT and business strategic planning
2. Aligning IT and business goals
3. Solving Year 2000 problems
4. Recruiting and retaining IT staff
5. Measuring IT and IS organization efficiency
6. Using IT for competitive breakthroughs
7. Reducing IT costs
8. Demonstrating business value of IT
9. Developing an IT Architecture
10. Improving Project Delivery
11. Reorganizing the IS organization

Part 2: While many of these issues are essentially the same, there are differences in the issues and their ranking. Identify two differences and discuss possible reasons for them. Considering the issues of today's IT world, how do you think the basic requirements for CIO management skills may have evolved, if at all?

Part 3: Search several different Internet sites for additional information that will allow you to update the issues for today. When you have identified two worthwhile articles, list the "title" and URL for each.

Part 4: Briefly describe the major findings of each of the two articles in part 3.

Part 5: Prepare what you think might be the top 5 issues facing CIOs in 2003 and the next few years. Justify your issues and their order of importance. At least one (the first one) should not appear on either list above. Be prepared to defend your choices in class.

Part 6: Submit your answers via email to BSAD145. Be sure the subject heading is Assign#02.

NOTES:
There is no need to repeat the question in your answer, but please number your answers in the body of your email so that it clearly identifies the question number (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, ..., 4.1, 4.2).

Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Assignment 03

Chapter 1: The Importance of Information Systems Management

Part 1. Read the on-line material on critical thinking questions, the preface and all of Chapter 1 of your textbook. Prepare and post one critical thinking question to BSAD145 by the end of the day before class. Use a subject of CTQ#01.
[Use of specified subject is essential. Points will be deducted for failure to follow instructions.]

NOTE: I will post a couple of examples of a critical questions for chapter 1 for your reference.

Part 2 Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 1 and email your answer to BSAD145 with a subject of Assign#03.

Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Assignment 04

"Introduction to Critical Thinking"

Part 1. Skim the following short electronic articles on critical thinking:

• Critical Thinking: A Brief History
• Defining Critical Thinking
• The Role of Questions in Thinking, Teaching, & Learning
• Three Categories of Questions: Crucial Distinctions
• Universal Intellectual Standards

Optional:

• Critical Thinking Questions and Answers
• Content is Thinking; Thinking is Content
• Quantum Thinking: If you only have a hammer

  Part 2. Answer the following questions:

1. What is critical thinking in your own words?
2. What are the twelve questions students need to generate to determine where their thinking goes?
3. What are the three categories of questions and give your own example of each type?
4. Which one of the seven universal intellectual standards is considered the gateway standard since the remaining six standards can not be evaluated without it being present?
5. What is the difference between the precision and depth standards and give your own example which makes the difference clear?

Part 3. Two students were asked to write an evaluative essay that "Justified their preference for a particular type of music" (e.g. rock, country, heavy metal, etc.). The following directions were given to each of these two students.

"Write an evaluative essay, which makes judgments about the worth of a book, television program, or type of music. Support your judgments with reasons and evidence. You need to argue convincingly for your preferences and not just offer unsupported opinions."

1. "You must consider possible criteria on which to base an evaluation,
2. analyze your subject in light of the criteria, and
3. select evidence that clearly supports your judgments."

Read both of these brief essays (sample#01 and sample#02).

[These examples may seem silly. They were chosen to avoid having meaningful content or opinion distract you from your analysis.]

Part 4. Evaluate each essay by:

1. assigning a number from a 0 to 8 scale (0 is very poor evaluative writing while 8 is outstanding evaluative writing) and
2. in your own words justifying (explaining) your evaluation score with specific examples from the samples.

Part 5.Pick one of the writing samples from the previous question and evaluate it with respect to each of the seven intellectual standards.  In other words, indicate whether the standard has been met or not and "why" is has or has not been met. Overall your answers to this question should demonstrate your understanding of each standard by explaining the difference between standards.

Part 6. Submit your answers via email to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#04.

Assignment 05

"Chapter 2: The Top IS Job"

Part 1. Reread the on-line material on critical thinking questions and all of Chapter 2 of your textbook. Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#02 on BSAD145. Examples of critical thinking questions for chapter 1 can be found posted to the CTQ#01 thread.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 2 and email your answer to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#05.

Assignment 06

"More on Critical Thinking"

Part 1. Read the following short electronic articles on critical thinking:

• The Ability to Reason: A Defining Feature of Humans
• What does Pseudo Critical Thinking Look Like
• Helping Students Assess their Thinking
• Valuable Intellectual Traits

Part 2. Answer the following questions:

1. In the first on-line reading, identify one of the most important critical thinking skills? Why?
2. Based on this first on-line reading, fill in the third column (your inference) of the table below:

   	1. Situation	2. Assumption	3. Your Inference
   A.	A man is lying in the gutter	Only bums lie in gutters
   B.	A man is lying in the gutter	Anyone lying in the gutter is in need of help

3. Use the second on-line reading to describe each of the three common flaws made when thinking.
4. From the third on-line reading, list eight guidelines for developing reasoning abilities. Explain the difference between guidelines 5 and 7?
5. For each intellectual trait in on-line reading 4, identify one person you think personifies that trait and explain why you think they do.

Part 3. Submit your answers via email to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#06.

NOTES:
Please number your answers in the body of your email so that it clearly identifies the question number (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, ..., 4.1, 4.2).
Please do NOT submit an inserted or attached Word file in your email.

Assignment 07

Chapter 3: "Today's Strategic Imperative: E-Business"

Part 1. Reread the on-line material on critical thinking questions and all of Chapter 3 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class with a subject of CTQ to BSAD145.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 3 and email your answer to BSAD145. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Part 3.Don't forget your weekly CLJ posting (CLJ#3...).

Part 4. Post to Assign#07 thread on BSAD145.

Assignment 08

Strategic IT Planning and Budgeting

Part 1. Read the following online articles:

• IT Budgeting 101
• Is Strategic Planning for Technology an Oxymoron?

Part 2. Briefly describe the major points of the articles in part 1.

In the second article the author quotes Dwight D. Eisenhower:

Please explain what you think both the author and General Eisenhower meant.

Part 3: Search the Internet for additional information on strategic IT planning and budgeting.

When you have identified a worthwhile, relevant article, list the "title" and full URL. Briefly describe the major findings the article selected in part 3.

Part 4: In a recent article (12/2000 Educause Quarterly), John W McCredie lists 9 recommendations for IT planning:

1. Set a general direction and broad objectives.
2. Accept the cyclic nature of the strategy formulation process.
3. Focus on the major challenges
4. Do not concentrate on predicting specific technological outcomes.
5. Engage a wide range of staff and constituents.
6. Get professional facilitation, but never outsource real [planning] work.
7. Move ahead even if your parent organization has not strategic plan or process. [or clue]
8. Use story telling as an important communication tool.
9. Stay the course.

Choose 3 of these recommendations and use critical thinking techniques to examine and analyze them, considering alternatives or consequences of not following them. If you want to see the full article, it can be found on the Web in PDF format in EQ vol 20 #4 2000.

Part 5: Using the above, or any other sources, find out what is meant by "strategic budgeting". Briefly explain.

Part 6: Submit your answers via email to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#08.

Assignment 09

Chapter 4: "Information Systems Planning"

Part 1. Review the on-line material on critical thinking questions and read all of Chapter 4 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical thinking question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#04 thread to BSAD145. Read your classmates questions and choose one to answer in class.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 4 and email your answer to BSAD145. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Part 3. Search for an article to supplement and update the material in Chapter 4. Read this article and prepare a current literature journal entry. Be sure to follow the guidelines for current literature scans and journal entries.

Please post your review question answers with a subject of Assign#09; post your CTQ to CTQ#04.

Assignment 10

Decentralization & Centralization of IT

Part 1. Skim the following online articles:

• Can Federalism Fly
• Reorganization: Centralization vs Decentralization
• Decentralization: Fantasies, Failings, and Fundamentals
• IT Centralization versus Decentralization: The Trend Towards Collaborative Governance
• The Centralization/Decentralization Debate
• The Central Issue
• Decentralized Information Technology Requires Central Coordination!
• Organizing IT (Interview with V. Sambamurthy)

Part 2. Briefly describe the major points of 2 of the articles above.

Part 3: Search the Internet for additional information on the impact of decentralization on strategic IT planning, implementation, support and/or operations. Please post separately according to the standards for current journal literature entries. Note that this meets the requirement for CLJ#06 (which you should use for the subject prefix to receive credit.)

Part 4: Briefly compare the major findings the CLJ article to the arguments in part 1..

Part 5: List 5 or more advantages and 5 or more disadvantages to decentralization (or centralization, if you prefer). Consider coherence, communications, information exchange, quality of decisions, budgeting, responsiveness and any other attributes that you think could be affected by centralization/decentralization.

If you were the IT manager, which would you prefer, and why? If you were an operational unit manager, which wouild you prefer, and why? As a CEO what sort of organizational structure would you seek to engineer? Briefly describe ideal IT reporting structures, budgeting, policy/standards generation, and technology support approaches.

Part 6: Submit your answers via email to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#10.

Assignment 11

Chapter 5: "Distributed Systems: The Overall Architectures"

Part 1. Review the on-line material on critical thinking questions and all of Chapter 5 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#05 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 5.

Email your answer to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#011.

Assignment 12

Chapter 6: "Managing Telecommunications"

Part 1. Read the on-line material on critical thinking questions and all of Chapter 6 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#06 thread on BSAD145.

Also, take a look at the critical questions posted by your peers in CTQ#06 thread on BSAD145 and pick one to answer in class.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 6 and email your answer to BSAD145. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Part 3. List two questions that a job interviewer might ask you to answer from this chapter.

NOTE: As an example, the following are several sample questions for chapter 5:

• What is a network computer? Thin or fat clients?
• What is client-server computing?
• What are open systems?
• What's the difference between an IS architecture and an IS infrastructure? Why is an IS architecture important?
• How do companies view IS infrastructure: administrative expense, business expense, or business investment? Which kind of company would I prefer to work for in my first job?

Ideally you should be able to answer each of these questions without referring to the text/notes and without throwing a lot of bs around.

Assignment 13

Chapter 7: "Managing Information Resources"

Part 1. Read Chapter 7 of your textbook.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 7.

Part 3. List two questions that a job interviewer might ask you to answer from this chapter.

NOTE: As an example, the following are several sample questions for chapter 5:

• What is a network computer? Thin or fat clients?
• What is client-server computing?
• What are open systems?
• What's the difference between an IS architecture and an IS infrastructure? Why is an IS architecture important?
• How do companies view IS infrastructure: administrative expense, business expense, or business investment? Which kind of company would I prefer to work for in my first job?

Ideally you should be able to answer each of these questions without referring to the text/notes and without throwing a lot of bs around.

Part 4. Email your answers to Parts 2 and 3 to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of ASSIGN#13. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Assignment 14

Chapter 8: "Managing Operations"

Part 1. Read Chapter 8 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#08 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. [deleted]

Part 3 Review the on-line Semester Research Paper discussion of research paper issue expectations.

List one potential issue topic from chapterx 6, 7 or 8. This does not need to be your actual topic selection.

Part 4. List two questions that a job interviewer might ask you to answer from this chapter.

Part 5. Email your answers to Parts 2 -4 to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of ASSIGN#14. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Assignment 15

Chapter 9 : "Technologies for Developing Systems"

Part 1. Read Chapter 9 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#09 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. Name and then briefly describe the conditions under which you would recommend each of the technologies presented in this chapter. Use examples to make you descriptions clear.

Part 3 Read the on-line Semester Research Paper for a discussion of what is a potential research paper issue.

List one potential issue topic from this chapter.

Part 4. List two questions that a job interviewer might ask you to answer from this chapter. Ideally you should be able to answer each of these questions without referring to the text/notes and without throwing a lot of bs around.

Review your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 9 . No need to submit your answers, but be prepared to answer in class. Read your classmates' CTQs and be prepared to address one in class discussion. You may use your notes in class.

Part 5. Email your answers to Parts 2-4 to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of ASSIGN#15. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Assignment 16

Chapter 10 : "Management Issues in Systems Development"

Part 1. Read Chapter 10 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#10 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. Name each of the management issues presented in this chapter.

Briefly describe an additional management issue regarding development of procedure-based systems not discussed in the textbook.

Part 3. Email your answers to Part 2 to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of ASSIGN#16. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Part 4. Review your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 10 . No need to submit your answers, but be prepared to answer in class. Read your classmates' CTQs and be prepared to address one in class discussion. You may use your notes in class.

Part 5. If you have not already, post your proposed research paper topic to BSAD145 with a subject of "Research Paper Topic". Please be sure to use the prescribed subject since your classmates will be reviewing proposed topics. No duplicates will be accepted. You may submit your proposed paper topic early if you like. In the event of duplicates, the first proposing a topic (if appropriate) will be accepted.

Assignment 17

Chapter 11 : "The Expanding Universe of Computing"

Part 1. Read Chapter 11 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#11 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. Name each technology presented in this chapter. Briefly describe how each technology affects the development of new systems by end users.

Part 3. Email your answers to Part 2 to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of ASSIGN#17. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Part 4. Review your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 11 . No need to submit your answers, but be prepared to answer in class. Read your classmates' CTQs and be prepared to address one in class discussion. You may use your notes in class.

Assignment 18

Chapter 12 : Decision Support Systems and Executive Information Systems

Part 1. Read Chapter 12 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#12 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 12.

Part 3. Email your answers to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of ASSIGN#18..

Part 4 Post commentary & critical thinking question (or suggestion) related to the proposed paper topics for three of your classmates (as described in separate email). Use a subject of "Topic Commentary: last name" where "last name" is the name of the the student whose topic you are addressing. You will find their issue paper topics under Approved Topics or in the listserv archives. Please include the topic you are commenting on at the top of your commentary.

Assignment 19

Chapter 13 : "Group Support Systems"

Part 1. Read Chapter 13 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#13 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 13.

Part 3. Email your answers to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of ASSIGN#19.

Assignment 20

Chapter 14 : "Leveraging the World of Information"

Part 1. Read Chapter 14 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#14 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 14.

Part 3. Email your answers to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of ASSIGN#20.

Part 4. Read your classmates' CTQs and choose one to address in class discussion. You may use your notes in class.

Assignment 21

Chapter 15: "The Challenges Ahead"

Part 1. Read Chapter 15 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the CTQ#15 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2.

1. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 15.
2. Email your answers to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of ASSIGN#21.

Part 3. Read your classmates' CTQs and choose one to address in class discussion. You may use your notes in class.

Part4. Submit your research paper outline to BSAD145 with a subject of "Outline". Your outline need only be 1-3 screen pages in length.

Assignment 22

Rough Draft Due

Assignment 23

Assignment 24