Units

---

Sample subject outline - 6 Week Teaching Period - 4 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Technology is advancing is at an alarming rate, with seemingly every day a technology is invented or new features added to older technologies. Business leaders are struggling to keep abreast and be responsive to the latest technological developments and the impact of disruptive technologies on their business.

The majority of organisations are spending between 25 - 45% capital expenditure on Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) related investments and between 2 - 10% of operating expenditure on running their ICT portfolios. This investment decision has to be guided, managed, governed and controlled. The scope of management includes the approval of new business projects which use ICT and the oversight of existing ICT projects, ensuring that they are delivering business value outlined in the business case.

This unit has been introduced into the MBA program to give students a clear understanding of the process of ICT governance, and deeper understanding of the inter-relationships between business strategy and business-IT alignment. It will also provide students with some strategies for investigating and evaluating the impact of some current disruptive technologies that have the potential to radically change the process of business and business models. These are core skills for the effective business leader, both now and in the future.

This unit has been positioned in the later part of the MBA program as it requires students to have a broad multidisciplinary, 'big picture' view of businesses and how they operate. The unit builds upon the introductory work explored in Managing Technological Innovation and complements the other units in both the Leadership and Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Innovation pathways.

Aims

The mission of the MBA and associated programs is to provide world class, graduate business education and stimulating real world learning opportunities to develop current and future business leaders and managers to confidently lead in complex environments.

This unit will develop an understanding of the ICT governance issues and processes and business strategy and IT alignment developing this through a current business case. It will introduce key current disruptive technologies and show how the ICT governance process and strategy facilitates effective adoption, adaptation and exploitation of these technologies.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Postgraduate)
The QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning (AOL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools. Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment:

Have knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular discipline (KS)
1.1 Well-researched knowledge and critical understanding applied to issues at the forefront of a specialised discipline area
1.2 Ability to select and use effectively a range of tools and technologies to locate and/or generate information appropriate to the disciplinary context

Be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers (CTA)
2.1 Apply logical, critical and creative thinking and judgement to generate appropriate solutions to problems in the disciplinary context

Be professional communicators in an intercultural context (PC)
3.1 Ability to create and present professional documents and/or reports using high levels of analysis/synthesis/evaluation for a range of contexts and audiences
3.2 Ability to orally communicate and justify ideas and information, at a professional level, for a variety of contexts and audiences, including peers and discipline specialists

Be able to work effectively in a Team Environment (TW)
4.1 Operate effectively and with flexibility to achieve common goals in collaborative settings, using a range of skills, including leadership, negotiation, reflection, proactivity and support for team members

Have a Social and Ethical Understanding (SEU)
5.1 Apply knowledge of the ethical, social and cultural dimensions relevant to business situations, including appropriate standards or codes of practice, to provide courses of action

Unit Objectives:
Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Apply the ICT governance process to a specific business organisation using the enterprise architecture method. KS 1.1 (MBA 1)
2. Analyse and map the relationship of business strategy to business services and the relationship of business services to its application architecture. KS 1.1 (MBA 1), CTA 2.1 (MBA 4), TW 4.1 (MBA 6)
3. Create a Business-IT alignment map. KS 1.1 (MBA 1), CTA 2.1 (MBA 4), PC 3.1 (MBA 3), PC 3.2 (MBA 3), TW 4.1 (MBA 6)
4. Critically evaluate the business value, impact and risks associated with the adoption of selected disruptive technologies. CTA 2.1 (MBA 4), PC 3.1 (MBA 3), PC 3.2 (MBA 3)
5. Create policy guidelines for the use of a disruptive technology within a specific organisational context. KS 1.1 (MBA 1), CTA 2.1 (MBA 4), PC 3.1 (MBA3)

The specific course learning goals and unit objectives that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Content

• Enterprise IT Architecture


• IT Governance


• Making IT investment decisions


• Business-IT Alignment


• Disruptive Technologies


• Impact of Disruptive Technologies on Enterprise Architecture and Business Model.


• Creating Policies and Guidelines around the use of IT and disruptive technologies.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit adopts a blended learning approach and as such, includes a variety of teaching and learning approaches.

Three hour face-to-face class sessions are supplemented by the textbook and a range of online materials that are designed to support and extend learning prior to, during and after class sessions. Online materials are available in the unit Blackboard site. Given the importance of the unit Blackboard site to the teaching and learning strategy used in this unit, a computer or tablet device with internet access is strongly recommended for all students.

The principal purpose of the lectures and readings is to build upon the key concepts that were introduced through the Preparation for Class activities and readings. The purpose of the case study work, experiential learning tasks and all assessment tasks is to help the student develop their understanding of the concepts and enable them to be applied within a range of business contexts.

There is an expectation that the student will participate in class sessions, to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss important issues with their instructor and their peers in an informal environment. These sessions also provide students with an opportunity to hone important generic skills that are in high demand in the business.

It is expected that students have completed all Preparation for Class activities and readings identified in the unit Blackboard site prior to coming to class to be able to maximise the learning opportunities of the class sessions.

A variety of learning activities designed to engage students in their learning will be incorporated into the lectures/workshops. Such learning activities may include short lectures, class discussions, debates, role plays, group work, guest speakers, student presentations, simulations, case study analysis, videos, readings, wikis, media/current events reports, web searches, etc.

There is a commitment to critical inquiry and intellectual debate in regard to the material covered. Students are encouraged to relate the theories and research discussed to situations known to them and will be encouraged to share their experiences relating to the topics explored in this unit with the class to enrich the overall learning experience of all students.

Expanding the awareness of Australian management policies and practices into intercultural and international perspectives is fostered within this unit. Typically, students enrolling in this unit have extremely varied backgrounds. There is diversity of professional background and socio-cultural background. Students are reminded that this is to their advantage and they have much to learn from one another. To this end, students are strongly encouraged to be sensitive to cultural, gender-related and international issues.

Assessment

A further Guide to the Assessment Items is available from the unit Blackboard Site: http://blackboard.qut.edu.au

At the end of the teaching period the Faculty Academic Board determines students' grades. The Unit Coordinators provide the detailed assessment results to the Board, working through the relevant School. These results are advisory in nature and do not necessarily constitute the final grades awarded by the Board. In its decision the Board compares results both within units and programs, using as a guide a set of standard distribution criteria. These criteria enable the Board to systematically compare student performance, but are not applied in a prescriptive fashion.Students will receive a variety of formative feedback throughout this unit.

Informally, feedback will be given verbally in class through class discussions and during the debriefing of learning activities.

Direct feedback will be available to those students who request a private or group consultation session with the lecturer.

Formal feedback will be received on both formative and summative assessment tasks through a Criterion Reference Assessment sheet which will also include written feedback on the assessment task. The Criterion Reference Assessment Sheet will be available in the Blackboard unit site at the commencement of the unit. Students will receive feedback on their formative assessment task prior to their summative assessment task being submitted.

Assessment name: Project
Description: Strategy Service Application Mapping
Working in groups, you will create a map of a business service to a specific business strategy in a target organisation or case study. You will also develop the Service-Application Mapping for the selected services.
Length/Duration: 1500 words with an interactive poster presentation of 15 mins duration
Formative/Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 2, 3
AOL goals: KS 1.1, KS 1.2, CTA 2.1, PC 3.1, PC 3.2, TW 4.1
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Week 5

Assessment name: Report
Description: Disruptive technology report and briefing
You are required to write a report and deliver a brief presentation to senior managers about a disruptive technology of your choosing. You will need to:
- select and research a disruptive technology and analyse its effect on a target organisation.
- Identify the business value opportunities it presents and risks associated with this technology.
- Make recommendations on how the organisation could embrace this technology.
- Prepare a series of guidelines for the use of this technology by employees within the organisation.
Length/Duration: Report: Report: 2500 words, Presentation: 10 minutes
Formative/Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 4 and 5
AOL goals: KS 1.1, CTA 2.1, PC 3.1, PC 3.2
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 7

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Prescribed Text:

Nil

Required References:



Kohlborn, T., Korthaus, A., Chan, T. and Rosemann, M. (2009), ¿Identification and analysis of business and software services - A consolidated approach¿, IEEE Transactions on Services Computing, vol. 2 no. 1, pp 1-15

Other Resources:

GSN498 Blackboard Site

Business Services Management Framework white paper, CRC Smart Services

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to
view the Emergency video.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 21-Mar-2013