Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives This subject is concerned with impacts of information technology on individuals and organisations and with ways to use the technology to benefit multiple stakeholders. On completion of this subject students should have a greater understanding of the impact of information technology in the business and organisational context. They should have considered its impact on the roles and careers of managers, and explored the impact of IT on the skills, work practices, structures and cultures of organisations using both lessons from classic success stories of the past and the latest writings in the field. They should also appreciate the increased significance of IT as an enabler of organisational change and learning, as well as the importance of non-IT managers and IT specialists understanding each other's perspectives in order to work together for organisational transformation. This latter topic is dealt with in the context of `hard' and `soft' systems.
Synopsis. The introductory focus is on the alignment of information technology and business strategy and organisational structures and processes. The specific relationship between information technology and strategy is analysed in terms of lessons to be learned from classic `success' stories, the increasing complexity of information technology-based and time-based competition, and the blurring of organisational boundaries. The impact of information technology in the organisational context is discussed in terms of the user-computer interface, the changing nature of jobs and skills, changing organisational cultures, power and control issues, networking and the emergence of new structural forms for organisations. Convergence with broad themes in quality, business process re-engineering, customer service, learning organisations and worker commitment are analysed along with methods for assessing the benefits of information technology. Implications are discussed for Australian and international companies operating in increasingly competitive global markets.
Assessment Seminar activity: 20% + Individual case study: 35% + Group research assignment: 45%.