UMUC-EUROPE GRADUATE PROGRAMS
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY

INSS620 Syllabus

MODIFIED

Course Title Information Systems Policy
Term TERM 1, 2003/2004
Education Center DIST-ED_EUROPE_GRAD
Faculty Member

William Stewart - bstewart@faculty.ed.umuc.edu


Faculty Contact Information:

bstewart@faculty.ed.umuc.edu

Consultation:

Via e-mail, anytime

Required Texts and Readings:

Wheelen, T. and Hunger, J.  (2002).  Strategic Management and Business Policy (8th ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Pearson Education, Inc.

 
Applegate, L., Austin, R., and McFarlan, F.  (2003).  Corporate Information Systems Management (6th Ed.)  Boston:  McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Supplementary Readings:

May be assigned as appropriate.

The standard for papers in the graduate program is the APA style. All participants in this course and all graduate INSS, MGMT, PUAD, and ECON courses should have a copy of the style guide:

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition. Washington DC: Author.

Recommended Journals:

Publications of the various professional societies (such as ACM -- the Association for Computing Machinery, the IEEE Computing Society, and the various management professional societies) are strongly recommended.  In addition, there are many trade journals (such as eWEEK) that MIS professionals should become familiar with, many of these being published both weekly and on-line.
 

Course Description:

3 semester hours credit.  Prerequisites: All undergraduate prerequisites and INSS 540, or permission of the Program Director.  Examines the issue of linking business performance with information systems technology.  Alternative structures for matching the information system organization with the overall organization are discussed and evaluated.  Planning mechanisms and strategies are examined.  Behavior and legal issues that relate to information systems management are addressed.  Case studies are used to expose students to information systems policy issues.  Students in the public administration program are not eligible for INSS 620.

Course Goals:

Upon completion of the course, participants should:
1. Gained knowledge and understanding of concepts, research, and theories concerning strategic management.
2. Developed and applied a framework of analysis for practical problem solving.
3. Practiced conceptual skills integrating management issues in organizations, especially in regard to information systems.
4. Developed abilities to analyze, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the performance of people responsible for strategic decisions.
5. Applied research capabilities and critical thinking required for strategic policy formulation and evaluation.
6. Developed an appreciation for problems associated with globalization of the economy.
7. Recognized and applied appropriate ethical standards as part of the strategic management process.

Course Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
1. Describe the purpose of a mission statement and its internal and external uses and tell how the mission statement impacts IS/IT in an organization.
2. Describe a strategic management process (at least 5 phases) making sure to describe the tasks involved in each phase and tell how IS/IT is involved in the process.
3. Discuss the role of managerial values, ethics, and power in the formulation and implementation of strategy, especially as related to IS/IT.
4. Describe the role of stakeholders in the development of a mission statement and/or strategic statements, and give examples of several different types of stakeholders, especially for IS/IT.
5. Describe Porter's model for analyzing an industry making sure to define each element and provide some examples of how companies may be affected, especially IS/IT.
6. Describe some of the elements in the environment beyond Porter's model that may affect an industry (macro-environment). Provide some examples of how companies may be affected, especially IS/IT.
7. Describe the concept of the value chain, including the various activities, and provide examples of its use in the IS/IT part of the business.
8. Describe the four basic generic corporate-level strategies and give examples for each, including the subcategories for two of the major categories. Tell how these strategies impact the IS/IT part of the organization.
9. Describe the generic business-level competitive strategies and provide examples of organizations using each of the various types. Be able to provide an IS/IT example also.
10. Describe the importance of matching a corporation's strategy with CEO style and experience and the IS/IT strategy with the manager/executive of that function.
11. Describe the role of control in an organization, the various types of control, and what controls should be used in what situations. Elaborate on those to be used in the IS/IT organization.
12. Describe the some of the problems with using an IS on an international scale.
13. Describe the importance of strategic alliances and provide two examples of where they have  worked well and two examples of where they have worked poorly.

Grading Information:

Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
 
    A     90% or higher
    B     80 – 89%
    C     70 – 79%
    F     Below 70%

IMPORTANT NOTE: Any student that has failed to turn in any case analysis will receive a C for the course, providing that their average is greater than 70% for all of their other work. Please note that if you fail to turn in a case analysis, you may not receive an A or B for the class, regardless of what your average is. 

Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog, available in your local Education Center or online at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs.

Course Requirements:

Group Project-Strategic Analysis/Suggested
Implementation Plan for Existing an Company 80 points
Case Analyses (3 @ 30 points per case) 90 points
Article Reviews (8 @ 10 points each) 80 points
Exams (2 @ 60 points each) 120 points
Class Participation (in-class case questions/dialogue)
(12 Conferences @ 5 points per conference) 60 points
TOTAL POINTS 430 points

Description of Course Requirements:

Group Project: Each group will be expected to prepare and present a professional analysis of an organization, making sure to include at least three-fourths (3/4) of the concepts presented in the texts and class discussion. The paper should range from 20-25 double-spaced pages. The group presentation should consist of PowerPoint slides with notes for an oral presentation that would last 15-20 minutes. Your group should also be expected to answer any questions posed by the other students. Each member of the group may have the opportunity to grade the other members on their level of participation/effort on the project.

INSS 620 Group Project Outline (For use in the Major Group Project)
Background:
Company Name
Key Players and Key Events
Products/Services
Analyze Current Status:
Mission Statement
Past and Present Strategies (and Objectives)
Past and Present Performance
Examine Prospects for the Future:
Environmental Analysis (usually dictates Opportunities and Threats)
Industrial (five forces)
Stakeholders
Internal Analysis (usually dictates Strengths and Weaknesses)
Functional Areas
Leadership, Culture, Organizational Structure, Processes, Staff
Resources, Organizational Climate, Communications, etc.
Develop SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis
Clearly Define the Major Corporate Problem(s)/Opportunities
Set the Future Course:
Develop a List of 3-5 Feasible Alternatives (at least one should be a strategic shift)
Compare Alternatives against Corporate Objectives
Select One Alternative (Or Combinations of Alternatives) and a Contingency (this is your strategic shift)
Put the Strategy to Work:
Develop an Implementation Plan for implementing the selected course of action
Develop criteria for Controlling/Measuring Success (Meeting Objectives)

Case Analyses: For each case, you are expected to present the major points of the case, using the terms and concepts presented in the class. You will be assigned to a case by the instructor. Several people may have the same case for discussion. The final case analysis should consist of a 4-6 page report. You will post your final case analysis to the conference and answer any questions posed by the instructor and other students. These case analyses should reflect the concepts of the class (SWOT, Porter’s 5 forces, Generic Strategies, etc.) and class "discussions." In your analysis, you should identify the basic issue of the case and tell why this case is important to the study of IS/IT and the class. You must post your case analysis to the conference by THURSDAY of the conference week to get full credit for participation points for the conference. This grade is separate from your participation grade for the conference. The case analysis must be submitted for grading by SATURDAY during the week due. Late submissions will be penalized 10% (3 points) for each week late. Remember, any student that has failed to turn in any case analysis by the end of the semester will receive a C for the course, providing that their average is greater than 70% for all of their other work. Please note that if you fail to turn in a case analysis, you may not receive an A or B for the class, regardless of what your average is.

Article Reviews: Each student will be expected to review and contribute one article for each of the eight discussion conferences (Conferences # 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11). These articles must contribute additional knowledge in support of the topics for the conference. A 1-2 page summary of the article is to be prepared, posted to the conference. This will increase your understanding of the topic and provide resources to build your knowledge and understanding of the subject area. You must post your article summary to the conference by THURSDAY of the conference week to get full credit for participation points for the conference.

Discussion Conferences: Each student will be judged on the timeliness and quality of participation in class discussions. I expect students to be interactive in the discussion conferences. Timely posting of the article summary and discussion question response will be considered minimum and will generally get you a C (11.0 points out of 15.0) for the discussion grade for the Conference. Class participation points for discussion conferences will be assigned as follows (all times are the posting date as determined by WebTycho):
Article summary posted on or before THURSDAY 5.5 points
Article summary posted AFTER THURSDAY 4.0 points
Discussion question response posted on or before THURSDAY 5.5 points
Discussion question response posted AFTER THURSDAY 4.0 points
Participation in conference discussion (posting of questions to
classmates, responses, and other discussion contributions) Up to 4.0 points
You may post your article summary and discussion question response early (as soon as the conference becomes "viewable"). I will generally make conferences available on the Friday before the conference starts for early posting. To get the full amount available for participation in conference discussion (4.0 points), you should have at least 10 quality contributions to the conference in addition to your article summary and discussion question response.

Case & Group Presentation Conferences: Each student will be judged on the timeliness and quality of participation in case and group presentation conferences. I expect students to be interactive in the case and group presentation conferences. Timely posting of the case analysis or group presentation will be considered minimum. Discussion grade for the case and group project conferences will be based on timely posting and your participation in the conference discussion.
Case response posted on or before THURSDAY 7.0 points
Case response posted AFTER THURSDAY 5.0 points
Participation in conference discussion (posting of questions to
classmates, responses, and other discussion contributions) Up to 3.0 points
You may post your case analysis or group presentation early (as soon as the conference becomes "viewable"). I will generally make conferences available on the Friday before the conference starts for early posting. To get the full amount available for participation in conference discussion (3.0 points), you should have at least 10 quality contributions to the conference in addition to your case analysis or group presentation.

Exam Conferences: Each student will be judged on the timeliness and quality of participation in exam conferences. I expect students to be very interactive in the exam conferences. Timely posting of the exam question responses will be considered minimum. Discussion grade for the exam conferences will be based on timely posting of your exam question responses and your participation in the conference discussion.
Exam Question responses posted on or before MONDAY 5.0 points each
Exam Question responses posted AFTER MONDAY 3.5 points each
Participation in Exam Conference discussion (posting of questions
to classmates, responses, and other discussion contributions) Up to 10.0 points
You may post your exam question responses early. I will generally make conferences available on the Friday before the Exam Conference starts for early posting. To get the full amount available for participation in conference discussion (10.0 points), you should have at least 16 quality contributions to the conference in addition to your exam question responses.

CASES FOR STUDY (Subject to possible change and substitution)
Case #1
Carly Fiorna: The Reinvention of Hewlett-Packard (SM&BP – Case 15)
Sun Microcomputers, Inc. (SM&BP – Case 11)
Cisco Systems, Inc. (SM&BP – Case 10)

Case #2
Apple Computer, Inc. (SM&BP – Case 14)
WingspanBank.com (SM&BP – Case 13)
MicroAge, Inc. (MIS)

Case #3
Xerox (MIS)
BAE Automated Systems (MIS)
Hewlett-Packard Company in Vietnam (SM&BP – Case 6)

Course Schedule:

Note 1: This syllabus is tentative and may change as circumstances dictate and the class develops.
Note 2: Students are expected to read the assignments. You are expected to participate in all scheduled discussions via Study Groups or Conferences.
 SM&BP = Strategic Management and Business Policy (8th Edition), by Thomas L. Wheelan and J. David Hunger
 MIS = Corporate Information Systems Management Text and Cases (6th Edition), by Lynda Applegate, F. Warren McFarlan, and James McKenney

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Class

Date Range for Conference

Topics/Activities

Reading

Assignment
-----------------------------------------
Conference 1 - Introduction to the Course

August 25 - August 31

Introductions of professor and students
Introduction to course
Discussion on what strategic management is and how it relates to IS/IT
Basic Concepts of Strategic Management
Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility
IT Challenge
Manageable Trends
How to analyze a case

SMB Chapters 1 & 2
MIS Chapter 1
MIS Chapter 2
SMB  Chapter

Assignment #1:  August 29
Assignment of Case #1 - Due September 15

-----------------------------------------
Conference 2 -External & Internal Analysis

Sept 1 - Sept 7

Environmental Scanning and Industry Analysis
Internal Scanning: Organizational Analysis

SMB Chapters 3 & 4

Assignment #2:  Sept 5
Assignment of Team Project - Due Nov 30

-----------------------------------------
Conference 3 - Strategy Formulation

Sept 8 - Sept 14

Strategy Formulation
 
SMB Chapters 5, 6 & 7

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Conference 4 - Case Discussion #1

Sept 15 - Sept 21

Discuss Case #1

-----------------------------------------
Conference 5 - Strategy Implementation

Sept 22 - Sept 28

Strategy Implementation & Control

SMB Chapters 8, 9 & 10

Assignment #3:  Sept 19
Assignment of Case #2 - Due October 27

-----------------------------------------
Conference 6 - IT's Impact on Strategy

Sept 29 -Oct 5

Strategic Issues in Managing Technology and Innovation
Effects of IT on Strategy and Competition
Electronic Commerce: Trends & Opportunities

SMB Chapter 11
MIS Chapter 3
MIS Chapter 4

=========================================
Mid-Term Exam:  Oct 6 - Oct 12
Due October 12
-----------------------------------------
Break:  Oct 13 - Oct 26
=========================================

Conference 7 - Case Discussion #2

Oct 27 - Nov 2

Discuss Case #2

Assignment #4: Oct 30
Assignment of Case #3 - Nov 17

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Conference 8 - IT Infrastructure

Nov 3 - Nov 9

Information, Organization, and Control
IT Architecture: Evolution and Alternatives
Organizing and Leading the IT Function
Managing IT Outsourcing

MIS Chapter 5
MIS Chapter 6
MIS Chapter 7
MIS Chapter 8

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Conference 9 - Managing the IT Organization

Nov 10 - Nov 16

IT Operations
IT Management Process
A Portfolio Approach to Information Technology Development

MIS Chapter 9
MIS Chapter 10
MIS Chapter 11

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Conference 10 - Case Discussion #3

Nov 17 - Nov 23

Discuss Case #3

-----------------------------------------
Conference 11 - Parting Thoughts

Nov 24 - Nov 30

Global Issues
The IT Business

MIS Chapter 12
MIS Chapter 13

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Conference 12 - Group Presentations

Dec 1 - Dec 7

Group Presentations

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Final Exam:  Dec 8-  Dec 14
Due December 14

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Academic Policies:

Please refer to the UMUC - Europe Graduate Catalog, available online at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs/index.html or from your local Education Center, for information on the following:
        Academic Integrity
        Course Load
        Exception to Policy
        Grade Appeal Process
        Make-up Examinations
        Nondiscrimination
        Students with Disabilities

Faculty Bio:

Albert L. Harris, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Information Technology and Operations Management in the John A. Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. He also teaches distance education courses in Information Systems for the University of Maryland, European Division. He is currently Editor of the Journal of Information Systems Education (JISE). Dr. Harris received his Ph.D. in Management Information Systems (MIS) from Georgia State University, his Master's degree in Systems Management from George Washington University, and his B.S. in Quantitative Business Analysis from Indiana University. He spent four years as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, including a combat tour in Vietnam. He had over 15 years of information systems consulting experience before joining the academic ranks. He and his wife have traveled extensively. He served as Treasurer of EDSIG, the Education Special Interest Group of AITP, from 1998 to 2001, Secretary of the SE Chapter of DSI (1999-2000), MIS Track Chair for the SE Chapter of DSI twice, and a Board of Directors member of EDSIG. He teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate IS courses. He has presented papers at numerous international, national, and regional meetings of professional organizations. He has published articles in the Journal of Information Systems Education, Information & Management, International Journal of Management, Journal of Computer Information Systems, Journal of Management Consulting, The Review of Business Information Systems, International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education, and in over 25 international, national and regional proceedings.


Last updated by Albert Harris: July 10, 2003, 2:17 am
Find this syllabus linked from the schedule at: http://www.ed.umuc.edu/schedule