615-350 Case Studies in IS Management

This subject is regarded as a non-science subject for students enrolled in the BSc, BASc and combined BSc courses.

Fifty points of 200-level information systems subjects.

This integrative subject uses the case study technique to help students develop insights into the way IT should best be managed in organisations. It requires students to apply concepts, knowledge, and principles from all prior subjects as they act as decision makers for a wide range of IT management-related problems in a wide range of organisations. The goal of the subject is to understand the potentials and pitfalls as senior managers attempt to use IT to add value to a wide range of organisations. The orientation of this subject is managerial, not technical. For example, students will be asked to see the role of IT more from the perspective of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) than the Chief Information Officer (CIO).

At the completion of this subject, students should:

• be familiar with the experiences of a variety of organisations as they design, develop, implement, and use applications of information technology;

• have experience in dealing with the complexity, politics, and reality of information systems management in actual organisational settings;

• be exposed to the operations and cultures of organisations, both well and poorly run, in various countries;

• developed analytical, listening, and presentation skills through the cut and thrust of discussion that is required by the case method of learning; and

• know how to induce general principles from the experiences and problems of individual organisations.

Regular submissions of answers to preparatory questions (50%), class participation (10%), 2-hour end-of-semester examination (40%).