Topic questions

Strategic Information Systems Planning Process
In our course text, White & Bruton (2011), identify three phases in the strategic process of a firm: Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation and control. As we compare the steps in more detailed phases of the strategic management planning process (SMP) to the common steps in various strategic information systems planning (SISP) methodologies, we see similarities and differences within each phase (Ferguson, 2012).

For this discussion, you will discuss the key similarities and differences in comparing the first three phases of the SMP and SISP processes. Describe any key similarities that you notice. Explain the key differences that catch your attention. Understanding the Strategic Information Systems Planning process is critical to effectively developing the Information Technology Strategic Plan.

Your initial post should be a minimum of 250 words.

M.T.I. Directions and Stakeholders
Identify a recent technology direction within an organization and determine its role within the company. This can be the chosen organization you will use as the focus of your written course assignments. Identify aspects of Porter’s Five Forces that impacted your chosen organization. Examine and describe how the organization integrated the M.T.I. strategy. Include technical, market, and competitive advantage capabilities in your post. What are examples of internal and external stakeholders who were important to these M.T.I. directions? See the “Stakeholders” listing for examples of internal and external stakeholders.

Your initial post should be a minimum of 250 words.

How Culture Affects Innovation
The discussion of how different countries’ governments are involved in the innovation process is a reflection of the culture of those countries. How do you believe the culture of the country in which your selected business is located and its view of innovation influence the organization’s climate for innovation? What should managers take into consideration when planning for innovation based on these factors?

Your initial post should be a minimum of 250 words.

Innovation – TedTalk Conference Speakers
When planning IT strategy to identify and develop enterprise information technology solutions to support business operations, leadership must focus on methods to ignite innovative thinking of employees. This is the “art of innovation”. Our lecture this week introduced two TedTalk Conference speakers with a focus on innovation. Our first conference speaker for this week, organizational psychologist, Adam Grant (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxbCHn6gE3U), states, “You need a lot of bad ideas in order to get a few good ones”. Our second conference speaker, strategist Knut Haanaes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVXmYD0UPRQ), emphasized the importance of balance between exploration and exploitation. Attend the two conference presentations, and summarize your key take away points. How does your chosen organization manage the “art of innovation” as presented by Adam Grant and Knut Haanaes? Provide examples when discussing your points. Share your opinion on your recommendations for “embracing failure”. Introduce yourself, and include the sentence, “my recommendation for embracing failure is:”

Your initial post should be a minimum of 250 words.
Evaluation and Control
How are evaluation and control different for each stage of the strategic process (planning, implementation, evaluation, and control)? How are they similar?

Mergers and Acquisitions
Find a recent merger or acquisition of your chosen organization. If this does not apply to your organization, then you can identify a recent merger or acquisition that has been announced in the media. What are the implications for the merger or acquisition and what are the plans for implementing a blending of the firms? Also, evaluate and describe two possible technological innovations that may have led to the merger or acquisition. Would you have obtained this new technology or innovation differently? Why? Include the reference information of the article from which you learned about the recent merger or acquisition.

Why Mergers?
Why do so many firms still pursue mergers and acquisitions if the integration of these firms is so difficult and the results unsatisfying?
Strategic Use of Web Technologies for Competitive Advantage
In the article, “Using Web Technology as a Means to Strengthen Competitive Advantage” (https://www.thebalance.com/web-technology-and-competitive-advantage-2295352), Alex Margarit (2016) highlights several methods of using websites to gain competitive advantage.  Discuss how your chosen organization integrates web technologies for competitive advantage. 

Your initial post should be a minimum of 250 words.

Elevator Speech
There are many conferences and meet-ups for information technology and systems. During these meetings, the newest developments are discussed and shared. But at the same time, people are getting hired. Before you attend such events, you need to prepare your elevator speech. An elevator speech is a brief sales pitch about yourself to someone you have just met. In minutes, you need to explain who you are, what you do, what you want to do, and why you think you can do that better than other people.

Since technical development is fast and continuous, you need to develop your skills continuously. It is important to communicate your skills to others in order to improve your market value.

Read this Forbes article (http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2011/11/08/perfect-pitch-how-to-nail-your-elevator-speech/) on crafting an effective elevator speech and create a transcript of your own thirty-second to one-minute elevator speech. You may record your elevator speech by using voice recording services or devices such as PowerPoint or YouTube. Post your speech transcript and your recorded clip to the discussion board.

Cover Letter
A good cover letter is crucial for demonstrating your experiences and abilities in this ever changing information technology and system field. Your cover letter will be a strategic tool in proving you are a competitive candidate for specific job openings.

Your cover letter should combine and demonstrate your ability to analyze and build information systems and your business administration experience--recruiters want to know that you can use technical resources to support effective and efficient decision making.

Your cover letter needs to include the following points:

•What positions are you applying for? In what contexts, organizations, or business areas are you interested?

•What are the information related skill sets you have for this position? Your skill sets should be relevant to the job posting.

•What relevant business experiences do you have? They do not have to be in the same or similar industry as the job postings, but you need to have some understanding of basic business structures and relationships.

In your initial post, search for a position that you are interested in from job search sites such as www.indeed.com, www.monster.com, and www.craigslist.org. Identify the job title, job description, and the required skill sets. (TIP: Social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and meetups are common sources of job openings. These sites are not purely personal--they provide professional and reliable job-related information.)

Create a three to four paragraph cover letter that connects your skill sets to the job requirements. Your cover letter should be specific enough to fit the job you identified.

Post the job description and your cover letter to the discussion forum as an example of understanding job requirements and personal qualifications.