INSC 60040
Managing Information Technology
Spring 2023

Introduction / Course Description

The course objectives are to expose the student to the full range of management issues raised by information technology and resources. The goal is to prepare the student for informed participation in information technology-related management decision making at all levels of the organization. The specific objectives are:
•    To understand the impact of technology in an all areas of the organization, not just within the technical group itself.
•    To understand the importance of information as an organizational resource and the issues associated with managing data and information within an organization.
•    To identify ways to use data and analuytics in their areas of responsibility for managing daily operation, planning and control and for gaining competitive advantage.
•    To determine the information requirements for a business function by analyzing problems, objectives, decisions, critical success factors, and mechanisms for accomplishing the objectives.
•    To become familiar with technology strategy and strategic management.

•    To understand the implications of IT, data, and analytics to managers from all functional areas.

•    To gain a vision of the future impact of IT, data, and analytics on managers, organizations, the economy, and society.

Books / Materials

There is no textbook required for this course; materials can be accessed via the HBSP coursepack

Harvard Business School Publishing https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/pages/home

https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/1011429

Office Hours:  The office hours of the professor are Monday & Wednesday from 8:00am-10:00am. The instructor is also available by appointment. The best way with which to contact the instructor is via email d.preston@tcu.edu . We can setup meeting via zoom if it is difficult for you to come to campus. The instructor is also available by telephone 817-257-6154. The instructor will make every attempt to respond as quickly as possible to any questions or requests. I will do my best to respond to all student emails promptly – generally within 24 hours unless extenuating circumstances arise.

Grading
The student’s overall grade will be based upon their performance on cases, project and final exam, and group evaluations as follows:

Case Study Write-ups
There are a total of 3 case study write-ups. Your top 2 cases will count toward your case grade (the lowest will be dropped). So you can skip one or submit all 3 and drop one.

These 2 case write-ups are worth 25% of the course grade (12.5% each).

Case Write-ups are individual efforts

For these individual case write-ups, a written case approx 1-1.5 pages in length should be submitted by 6:30pm (beginning of class) the night of due date outlined on the course schedule via email d.preston@tcu.edu or DB2 (TCU Online) https://tcuonline.tcu.edu/ (you can via email as backup). The purpose of the case write-ups is to prepare the student for the writing requirements for the final exam and to provide incentive to prepare the case to facilitate class discussion. A Case write-up with a thorough and rigorous analysis with a very high level of insight will receive a score somewhere above 90%+ (specific score contingent upon the quality). A good analysis that is not quite within the top level may likely receive a score in the range of 80-89%. A decent analysis that is a bit less thorough or that misses the mark on some keys issues will generally receive somewhere in the range of 70-79%. If only a marginal attempt at the case is made, the student will receive either a lower score - depending on the substance provided. However, failure to complete an adequate written attempt of the case will result in a zero for this assignment. Cases turned in after the beginning of class will be have a reduction of 25% per day late. Each write-up should be no more than 1.5 pages, single-spaced, 12 pt font.  There are 3 cases in total, but students will be able to drop their lowest (or missed) case grade - therefore, the top 2 cases will count for the student's overall case grade.

As you read the cases you will need to be thinking about issues that are pertinent to the case and the relationship of these factors to the outcome of the situation. In each case you will be presented with a problem that is to be analyzed for the best possible solution. Cases will be presented in relation to the lecture material and should be written up in the same manner. Generally in a case there is not one best solution, but many different possibilities leading to various outcomes and long term issues. Critical thinking is important to understand the value of the case in relation to the topic in the course. Once cases have been discussed in class, no write up will be accepted.

Technology Presentation

The project presentation will be a group project.

Some Potential Topics for Course Project/Presentation

- Data warehousing

- Talent (HR) analytics

- Customer relationship management (CRM)

- Social media & analytics

- Data mining

- Cloud computing

- Implications of legislation (Sarbanes Oxley, homeland security, HIPAA, etc.) on technology

- Data visualization

- Open source software

- FinTech

- Artificial Intelligence

- Machine Learning

- Geographic information systems (GIS)

- Healthcare IT/Analytics

- CyberSecurity

- Darkweb

- Technology Offshoring

- RFID

- Green IT

- Cryptocurrency (as related to technology)

- NFTs

Please note that Blockchain as a standalone topic should not be selected as a topic - as we will be covering this as the focus of a case.

Students are welcome to choose another topic that is of interest to them; however, I request that students approve this topic with me (so I can make sure it is on track and does not conflict with otehr chosen topics). The presentations are graded based on the students’ demonstrated depth of knowledge on the topic and the ability to communicate relevant information about this topic to their classmates. For instance, why is this relevant to your classmates and business executives in general? How can your classmates as future executives leverage this topic effectively within the organization? The project grade will be based on the rigor of the content and quality of the presentation.. The presentations are to be between 12-15 minutes with additional time allowed for Q&A. The presentations will be graded both on the quality of the presentation as well as the quality of content that is presented.  Guidelines for the presentations is provided below. Please email me d.preston@tcu.edu your slides the evening of the presentation (before or after class time) so I can distribute to the class. There is no write-up associated with the presentation.

Presentation Guidelines:

Introduction

1. What is the topic you are going to present?
2. What are the goals or objectives of the presentation?
3. Why is this topic important to the modern organization?
4. Why would this be helpful to your classmates as future business leaders? (crucial question)

Major Portions of the Presentation (e.g. Main Points)

1. What is the primary point of this presentation?

A. How does your topic potentially add value to an organization?

B. What are some of the current problems/limitations of this topic?

C. How can some of these limitations potentially be overcome?

Note: case examples (i.e. "real-life" organizational examples) provide great value

2. Are there sub-points required in this portion of the presentation (think about proper transitions between main points and sub-points)?
3. Do you have the proper support for any assertions you make about the points you present in your presentation (e.g. references, quotes, etc.)?
4. Who are some of the key vendors?
5. Note: Software/tool demos are sometimes a good addition if available (however demos are not required)

Summary/Conclusion

1. What are the important points/findings/conclusions from your presentation?
2. What is the future (especially as it applies to your classmates)?
3. How would this information be useful to the people who view the presentation?

Bibliography

Please list any references (as needed) on a final slide.

Note: students do not have to adhere to the above structure at all - it is merely a guideline to provide a sample structure that may work well for a number of students

Project Presentation: Peer Evaluation Form (optional)

Final Exams
The final exam will be comprised of analysis to allow students to demonstrate knowledge of the material. The exam will be a "take home final" due the last week of class - submit via email or D2L.

Guest Speakers

We will  have severa; guest speakers in the class. This content may be represented on the final exam

Late Assignments: Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date designated on the syllabus. There are times where I will need to post the solution of an assignment for the benefit of the class. In such occasions, no late assignment will be allowed to be submitted after the solution is posted.  If the solution has not been posted - any assignment turned in late will receive a deduction of 25% of the possible points per day for the first two days, no exceptions. No assignments will be accepted after two late days.

Course Requirements and Participation
Active participation is necessary for effective learning, for your personal growth, and for turning the class into an enjoyable experience for all of us. So this class will give each student plenty of opportunity to learn through participation. To participate in class in a meaningful manner, students will need to have read the assigned material and completed the specified assignments, as appropriate. I strongly believe that each of us has much to contribute. However, it will not be the volume of your comments and questions that will count the most, but the consistency of good observations and questions that will help the class move along in the learning process. It is the responsibility of the student to attend all classes. The course is fast-paced and covers a lot of topics and material. To complete this course successfully you will need to:

1. Prepare for each class by completing the specified assignment (see class schedule). There are also several instances in which Application Exercises require advance preparation.  Again, this will be noted in the class schedule.  Case studies which will receive special attention will be noted in the class schedule and pointed out in class; be prepared to participate in a thorough discussion of these cases in particular.
2. Attend and participate in each class. Participation means being an active participant in the class by contributing to discussions in a meaningful manner. Simply showing up does not constitute a high participation grade. To be properly prepared you will need to have completed the class preparation assignment thoroughly. This also means that you should spend your time in class focused on class. Pager and cell phone interruptions are unacceptable, and can result in penalties against your final grade, as can leaving class early or without the instructors prior approval, or excessive absences. A noted disturbance to the class will result in full point penalty to the student's final grade after the first warning. As web surfing and handling email during class is disruptive to other students in class, please refrain from using your computer for purposes other than following class material and/or taking notes. Absences or other disturbances that is deemed distracting to the class will result in the reduction in your participation grade and even the overall course grade. After the first warning, if additional problems occur, I reserve the right to assign a grade of zero to a student's participation grade. If a student is disrupting a particular class, I reserve the right to remove that student from the class that day. In such a circumstance the student will be receive a zero on assignments (even if they are turned in).

Other class policies

1. Written Work:  Effective written communications is considered one of the most important skills required by business professionals.  It is absolutely essential that all students in this course are able to communicate their thoughts and opinions in a written format.  It is expected that all written assignments in this course will be developed in a professional manner.  Students in this class will follow standard writing conventions used in business, including:  correct spelling, subject/verb agreement, complete sentences, correct use of punctuation, proper citations (including internet sources), and paragraph formatting and lay-out).  All assignments turned in must follow the following guidelines (unless stated by the instructor):
   • Computer generated by word processing or other software.  No handwritten work accepted.
   • Printed on 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper
   • 1" minimum margin on all sides, 1.0" on bound sides
   • no type size smaller than 12 points (except footnotes, end notes, and citations)
   • appropriate use of charts, diagrams, and graphics
   • color may be used to enhance the document, but must be used professionally
   • name, date, and group or section number on all pages
   • tables of contents, diagrams, and attachments should be included where appropriate
2. Oral Presentation:  This course will give you the opportunity to build your oral presentation skills in both formal presentations and informal class discussions.  You will be expected to display an appropriate professionalism at all times.  For help on developing and polishing your presentation skills, please feel free (optional) to appointment with the Neely Center for Professional Communications.

TCU Online: Our Learning Management System

All assignments and projects will be submitted to TCU Online

Getting Started with TCU Online

·     Access via my.tcu.edu > Student Quick Links > TCU Online OR
Login at the following website (http://d2l.tcu.edu). Enter your TCU network credentials (the same you use for MyTCU).

·     For information about logging into TCU Online, view these instructions (http://tcuonline.tcu.edu/kb/how-do-i-log-in/).

·     If you have not yet taken the TCU Online Student Orientation Tutorial, please do so now. To access it, click on the "Student Orientation Tutorial" on your home page. Follow the instructions in the course.

·    Technical requirements for using the system – specifications list: https://community.brightspace.com/s/article/Brightspace-Platform-Requirements