SYS2003

Professional practice in information systems

H Smith

6 points - 4 hours per week - Second semester - Caulfield, Clayton - Prerequisites: SYS1002 - Prohibitions: SYS2204, SYS2403 SYS3144

Objectives At the completion of this subject, students will have knowledge of a range of models of the role of an information systems professional and the interpersonal negotiations, conflict management, and communication skills required in an information systems context. They will have developed an understanding of the forces that are shaping the client, community and IS management expectations of the IS professional, and will have learned the skills and strategies available to manage these in an ethical manner.

Synopsis The role of information systems professionals is to act as intermediary between the stakeholders involved in developing an information system. The conflicting expectations of these varying stakeholders places pressures on information systems professionals which cannot be resolved without significant skills in negotiation, conflict management and communication as well as a depth of understanding of the place of this role in an organisation. This subject aims to lay the theoretical foundations of professional practice, to be developed further in other subjects of the course, in particular the industrial project. Topics covered include the following. (i) The role of the IS professional: historical context, conflicting expectations of the IS professional, implications of these expectations on the nature and success of the IS project, the role of the IS professional in the future. (ii) Interacting with the client, users and peers: models of stakeholders in an IS project, models of negotiation, techniques for successful negotiation, models of conflict, techniques for management of conflict, persuasion. (iii) Communications skills: communication requirements of an IS project, writing for business in an IS context, oral presentation techniques for IS contexts, listening, reading skills. Professional ethics: legal requirements, professional ethics, intellectual property rights.

Assessment Examination: 50% - Practical work: 50%

Recommended texts

Thomsett R Third wave project management: Handbook for managing the complex information systems for the 1990s Prentice-Hall, 1993
Bowyer K W Ethics and computing: Living responsibly in a computerised world IEEE Computer Society Press, 1996
Dwyer J The business communication handbook 3rd edn, Prentice-Hall, 1993

Back to the 1999 Information Technology Handbooks