MIS 5241 Chapter 8 Organizing and Leading the IT Function (Herding Cats!)
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Transcript of MIS 5241 Chapter 8 Organizing and Leading the IT Function (Herding Cats!)
MIS 524 1
Chapter 8
Organizing and Leading the IT Function
(Herding Cats!)
MIS 524 2
AGENDA
Introduction: What’s the Fuss? Organizing and Evolving IT User Dominance Models Centralized IT Models IT Policy Making The Pseudo-IT Dept.
MIS 524 3
Introduction: What’s the Fuss?
IT Function
Pressure to Innovate /
Pressure to Avoid Risk
Pressure to Respond to
Users /
Pressure to Respond to
IT Needs
Short-term needs, business
concerns
Standardization, architecture, maintenance
Strategic impact of IT,
opportunities
Control, lowering risk, core business concerns
MIS 524 4
The USER view
The IT
View
The Tension Dimensions
User Dominance IT Dominance
Co
ntr
ol E
mp
has
is
In
no
vati
on
Em
ph
asis
User/Control
User/Innovation IT/Innovation
IT/Control
MIS 524 5
Basic Question
What shall be the relationship between the IT “function” and the rest of the business? Service organization? Captive work unit? Equal partner? Strategic partner? Outsourced entity?
MIS 524 6
A Bit of History – Part 1
1960s-1970sAs IS
became more
proficient, other depts. required IS
services
1950s-1960s IS Depts. began as task
groups in Accounting 1970s-1980s
IS developed specialized services,
liaising with user
departments who acquired
equipment and their own
specialist analysts
MIS 524 7
The Historical Imperative
1980s-1990s
In time, IS came to have
its own agenda, clients,
operating procedures, budgets and acted like a business
1990s-2000s
As IS acted like a business, it was
seen as a supplier rather than a partner.
Voila: OUTSOURCING
Don’t forget ASPs
MIS 524 8
Users are the essential players
IT is the essential player
The Essential Tensions
Expansion, Innovation,
Experimentation
Control, Standardization
MIS 524 9
Organizing and Evolving IT
Environmentalpressures
Corporateculture
TechnologyCharacteristics
IndividualPersonalities
InnovationOrientation
and Locus of
Dominance
MIS 524 10
User Dominance Models
Drivers Pent up User Demand Need for Staff Flexibility IT Services Competition User Self-efficacy (need to control destiny) Organizational Culture/Structure/Strategy
Implications
MIS 524 11
IT’s Worst Nightmare
Unique focus on problems, not opportunitiesSystem proliferationUnmaintainability, lack of standardsSystem degradation in performancePoor documentation, lack of specsLittle coordinationDuplicationCosts out of controlCatastrophic error
MIS 524 12
Centralized IT Models
Drivers Staff Professionalism Standard Setting Maintainability Vision Feasibility Determination/Analytical Judgment Corporate Data Management
Implications
MIS 524 13
Users’ Paranoia
Maintenance costs high, no innovationRestrictive requirements for new systemsParalysis by AnalysisMonopoly by IT groupEquipment and technology concerns dominateIT is arrogant and out of controlUser needs are ignoredCompletely irrelevant ITCatastrophic decisions
MIS 524 14
IT Policy Making
A Balanced perspectiveBoth IT and users have responsibilitiesResponsibilities are based on mutual
respect for skills and needs
MIS 524 15
IT Responsibilities Development, management of architectural plan Process to establish, maintain and evolve company
standards Procedures for outsourcing and maintaining standards Inventory of systems Manage IT staff Make IT understandable through internal marketing Assist RFP process by developing standards Identify and maintain relationships with preferred system
suppliers Educate users Procedures for managing legacy systems
MIS 524 16
User Responsibilities
Understand scope of IT activities supporting business
Create and support understandable activity-based overhead allocation system
Provide strong input and interest in system projects
Appropriate stewardship at appropriate levelAudit reliability standards from user perspectiveParticipate in setting IT priorities within the IT
plan
MIS 524 17
Corporate IT policy Group Responsibilities
Balance tensions Develop and manage corporate IT strategy Manage inventory of h/w, s/w, systems, services,
procedures Establish standards for acquiring, developing and
operating IT systems Facilitate technology transfer (adoption) and nurture
stewards Encourage technical experimentation (research and
scanning) Develop planning and control systems, including
appraisal, evaluation, charge-back, and personnel appraisal
Boring, boring, boring….
MIS 524 18
That’s fine, but what about
people lower down the
feeding chain?
And what about us who have to work with the
systems people while systems
are being built?
And what about the rest of us who have
to manage the people who work with the new systems the
system people built for us to use?
Obviously there are a few more
challenges!
MIS 524 19
Getting Along with IT People
The Challenge You are a steward for an IT-enriched, -
enabled, or –dependent project You have to get along with IT people before,
during and after release
The Risks Poor quality, dissention, sabotage
The Solutions
MIS 524 20
What to Do…?For this Problem…. Try This…
Poor quality productUnresponsiveness to
request for helpPoor documentationApparent arrogance
Via “contract” Complain through
channels Via “contract” See below
The bulk of problems with “IT” are actually problems with communication with “IT people”. The root of this problem is narrow focus on technology (with reason) vs. broad focus on business requirements. The solution is joint project work, “culture mixing”, opportunities for mutual respect, job rotation, and familiarization.
MIS 524 21
The Two Cultures
There are at least two cultures at work here: Business culture IT culture
and the people populating these cultures have been subjected to decades if not centuries of “natural” (and a bit of “unnatural”) selection
MIS 524 22
The Pseudo IT Dept.
Background: Your dept. is highly “technologized” and depends on IT or is IT-strategic.
Challenge: How does this influence your management style?
Components: Training Conflict resolution Appraisal Rewards Hand-holding Complaints Excuses Responsibilities Leadership
MIS 524 23
Managing Technical People
And finally, what if you have your OWN IT people to manage:
Technologizedemployees
Employee who usesapplications to create
or maintainsoftware or files
Supervision, Evaluation, Coaching, Mentoring
Contractor/outsourcer
Employee of another firm
who builds or operates applications
Evaluation, Conflict Resolution, Resource Allocation
DecentralizedTechnicalSpecialist
Employee of the IT department
Who works in youruser department
Integration, Work Evaluation, Conflict Resolution, Motivation
Small or New
Data Center,E-business,
Website
Full list of business challenges
MIS 524 24
The Word…
IS people are people; they respond to rewards and praise like others. IS people are individuals; it is unfair to stereotype them except to say they probably all like IT. Technically inclined people usually want to work on the best, most advanced technology available. Managers who have no knowledge of IT and who lack, in particular, programming skills, will find it hard to be respected during tech talk with tech experts. In any group, the more individuals can overlap skills, the stronger the group. IS specialists can profit from a bit of job rotation and so can their colleagues. There are paradoxical trends in employment in the technical ranks that may present opportunities for learning for everyone. Nontechnical employees may have some technical components created for them. Technical specialists who are not needed may be good additions for groups that anticipate contracting out. The two culture syndrome is always a threat. Managers who encourage free interchanges of discipline based ides will be ahead of the game in the end.