Assignment:
Answer any four questions, maximum 2000 words per question, including all diagrams, illustrations, figures and charts.
The answers need to be submitted by the due date, with single spaced, typewritten a word document, and submitted through Canvas. In case of any issues, email the professor and TA. When necessary, you will use the materials and descriptions from the book, however, do not do a rehash of the materials or concepts again. Try to express your views, opinions, understanding, thoughts and perspectives to the questions. Examples are more welcome. Avoid repetitions and be succinct; you do not have to consume all the 2000 words while answering the questions.
Suggestion: Write the answers. Keep aside for a day or two, go through them and revise again. Try to revise as many times as possible to avoid any language, writing and other issues.
Q.1. As per Ross and Weill (2002), IT managers should not make certain decisions. What are those decisions and what do authors suggest on these decisions? What is your perspective on the author's points? For example, authors mention that "excessive technical and process standardization limits the flexibility of business units, or frequent exceptions to the standards increase costs and limit business synergies."
Do you agree with such statements, why or why not?
Q.2. What is the concept of extended digitized enterprise and why it is relevant for IT governance? Do you see any anomalies or differences in understanding of the extended concept, for example, the way Bharti implemented its network-outsourcing model vs. the way RLK media wanted to take up its R & D outsourcing? What are some implications of extended enterprise for implementations of standards? Easy? Difficult? Do not standardize? What are your perspectives on these points?
Q.3. What do you understand by strategic alignment? What are some of the strategic alignment models you know from this class, and what are the pros and cons of these alignment models? Draw some examples to show how alignment changes with time for firms (such as a business outsourcing firm (BPO), or some sets of firms).
Q.4. What is meant by IT enterprise architecture? Give some examples of implementation of IT enterprise architecture. What are four operating models of enterprise architecture and what are the key IT capabilities for each operating model. How these operating models align to business process standardization and integration principles. Draw some examples to explain your answer.
Q.5. Why customers defect a firm's services or products? Are customers important in the electronic business? What are some idiosyncrasies associated with the customers of IT enabled businesses? What are some of the efforts that a firm needs to do to retain customers in the emerging e-commerce and e-business scopes? Highlight with some examples.
Q.6. You are a CIO at Verizone/AT&T. You are told to go to India or Africa to set up mobile services there. You know that to do so, you have to coordinate with local firms, and serve a set of customers who are different than US customers. What challenges you foresee in these two aspects? Do you think your IT governance strategy would be different? How would you shape your IT strategies in that scenario, to say, complement your two other strategies, e.g., relational and customer support ones? Any lessons from the cases that you have covered in this class?
Q.7. What is IT governance? How do you define it? What are some essential elements and what are some peripheral elements for IT governance? What are IT governance postures that Sambhamurthy and Zmud illustrated in their book? Why these postures are relevant and how they are applicable to different firms? Give a few examples to explain your answer.
Q.8. What is a major concern in the information age to maintain business continuity? What can firms do to leverage on their strengths to achieve a high level of preparedness for business continuity? Draw from some case/examples either discussed in the course or from the real world on how firms are suffering due to a lack of plan for business continuity. What is the role of CIO in this conundrum of preparedness and managing risk for business continuity? Your perspective and understanding of this role will make you a good manger/leader, and therefore, highlight what are some of strategic plans that you want to implement after becoming a CIO.