Essay on "Workplace Briefly Describe Your Current"

Essay 5 pages (2012 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Workplace

Briefly describe your current workplace or a workplace that you have recently been part of but no longer are. (By workplace, I mean the place where you do most of your work on a daily basis. I do not mean the larger organization in which your workplace is located. Most large organizations - like each of the military services - have thousands and perhaps tens of thousands of "workplaces" around the world.)

My current workplace is comprised of a cubicle with a networked 3-year-old Dell systems desktop computer with word processing suite, PowerPoint, SPSS, a printer/scanner/fax machine and other peripheral devices; comparable systems are used by almost all other employees as well. In addition, a portable Internet-enabled notebook computer is also used to keep in touch with the office while I am away.

What elements of information technology (i.e. particular hardware, software, and telecommunications equipment) are essential to the daily functioning of your workplace. (If your workplace would cease to function or would function much less effectively if the information system disappeared, it qualifies as "essential." ) What does it take to keep this system up and running?

The IT system that is currently is analogous to a well-running automobile. It is possible to keep the car running if a tire or brake is removed, but it will not get far. Virtually all of the current elements of information technologies in use at this company are absolutely essential to the conduct of the company's business operations. We could, perhaps, do away with the less essential elements of the system, such as printers, but ultimately hard copies of the digital versions that are shared would be required for some application.

If you could choose a single element of an information system (i.e. hardware, software, telecommunications equipment) in your workplace to replace or upgrade, what would it be and why would you choose it? How likely do you think it is that this element of an information system will be replaced or upgraded? Why?

This may be the "Digital Age," but the Internet still moves at the speed of molasses sometimes and the single element that needs to be replaced in the current information system is the Dell desktop computer. Not only does the Internet interface operate slowly most of the time, it has insufficient random access memory to use the copy of Dragon speech-recognition software purchased by the company for all its employees, making this particular investment worthless for all workers with similar computers. This latest fiasco may be the catalyst that is required to persuade the company's IT department that new desktop computers are needed.

Part 2-Page 2:

Problem Solving and Report Writing

Some people would argue that the most important task for IT managers is to be able to solve IT problems and that the most important skills for IT managers to possess are strong technical skills. These same people often downplay the importance of critical analytical or writing skills for IT managers. Where do you stand on this issue? How important are critical analytical and writing skills to IT problem solving?

One of the biggest constraints to effective IT management is effective written communications. The world of IT management is replete with technical terms and jargon that are well-known to practitioners but may appear as so much arcane nonsense to others unless careful steps are taken to use appropriate easy-to-understand technical terminology and crystal-clear messages that overcome these constraints (Yalvac, Smith, Troy & Hirsch, 2007). Indeed, the most innovative ideas in the world will not get off the drawing board unless the decisions-makers who are involved in the approval process can be convinced of their viability so they can be translated into reality (Garrison, Harvey & Napier, 2008). For instance, according to Yalvac and his associates, IT professionals must "develop the ability to synthesize research findings in a meaningful way, represent data effectively in graphs and tables, and craft a coherent, persuasive argument" because "these skills are precisely what professionals need in order to write effectively" (2008, p. 118). Writing effectively is also therefore the key to problem solving in the IT industry. It is certainly one thing to pinpoint a problem but it is an entirely different matter to harness the organizational resources that are needed to remedy the problem if a compelling case is not made for it.

How will you demonstrate critical analytical and writing skills in your integrated case assignment?

There are some steps that can be taken to improve critical analytical and writing skills such as developing the ability to synthesize the results of disparate studies in a coherent and meaningful fashion, organizing research resources so that major themes are identified, and presenting material using headings and subheadings to increase its readability and coherence. The integrated case assignment writings can also be improved by avoiding overly technical terms in favor of straightforward discussions that are not masked in techno-babble but are rather presented in everyday "Voice of America" style English that is readily understood. Finally, any writing can be improved by setting it aside for awhile and coming back to it so that the material is fresh and flawed material can be more easily identified and replaced.

References

Garrison, G. Harvey, M. & Napier, N. (2008). Global decision-making: the role of managerial curiosity in assessing potentially disruptive information technologies. Multinational Business Review, 16(1), 21-23.

Yalvac, B., Smith, H.D., Troy, J.B. & Hirsch, P. (2007). Promoting advanced writing skills in an upper-level engineering class. Journal of Engineering Education, 96(2), 117-119.

Part 3-Page 3:

How do IT Managers Fail?

We read about what it takes for an IT manager to succeed and help their organization perform well. However, it is also possible to fail as an IT manager. Based on your reading and study and/or based on your experience, what constitutes failure and what managerial weaknesses are most likely to lead to failure?

The biggest failure by an IT professional that comes to mind occurred two years ago or so and was the result of a lack of communication between end users of a computer system and the leadership team of the IT service that supported the enterprise. Despite repeated efforts by the user groups to convince the IT service that SPSS was needed for the department's operations, all users were provided by desktop computers with dBASE IV+ (which was obsolete) already installed. No inservice training was provided and users were left to their own devices to learn the new system. The series of events that followed further exacerbated the severity of this failure. After our department outsourced the training requirements for the dBASE IV+ to a local vendor and several staff members had completed training, the decision was made by the IT service to accommodate the SPSS request after all and new copies were distributed to all dBASE IV+ users. This fiasco delayed implementation and use of the SPSS software for almost 3 months during which little to no new management reports were produced, resources were expended for training for a system that was not used and additional time was required for the transition to the SPSS system.

What pitfalls do managers need to beware of? What skills do they need to avoid these pitfalls?

Perhaps the biggest pitfall facing IT managers today is the tendency to assume that they know what is best for everyone because they are, after all, the IT "experts." Certainly, office politics will play a role in these decisions but the final responsibility of course rests with the IT manager. To avoid these types of communication problems, IT managers must add people skills to their skill set so that the needs of end users of the systems being provided are taken into account and an "IT overlord mentality" does not result. In addition, like other professionals, IT managers must also develop the skills that are needed to understand the "big corporate picture" and how the IT function can align with organizational goals (Jia et al., 2008). This can be accomplished by seeking out the information that is needed, even if this requires several attempts. In this regard, Jia et al. note that, "To deliver quality service, IT managers play a pivotal role in guiding daily work and service (managerial practices). Soliciting and addressing client feedback (customer feedback) allows the IT department to make targeted efforts to improve its service quality" (p. 295).

References

Jia, R., Reich, B.H. & Pearson, J.M. (2008). IT service climate: an extension to IT service quality research. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 9(5), 294-296.

Part 4-Page 4:

Learning from Diverse Views

As you approach the end of your MSITM education at TUIU, you have presumably encountered a large variety of perspectives through the readings and Web searches as well as interactions with other students, practicing IT managers and various faculty members. Has this exposure to these different viewpoints changed your perspective about what is more or less important about being an IT manager? If yes, how has it changed your… READ MORE

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