MSIS604/OMIS378
Information Systems Policy & Strategy
Spring Quarter, 2013—2 April/13 June

Instructor: Dr. Darrel A. (Del) Mank dmank@scu.edu Cell Phone: 408-605-3983 Office Hours: By appointment Office: Room 321W Lucas Hall Class Days: TTh
Class Period: 5:45pm—7:00pm Class Room: 310 Lucas Hall Text: Schilling, Melissa A.; STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT of TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 4th Edition, 2013 ISBN 978-0-07-802923-3

Cases* Hewlett-Packard Merced Division SAP America VMware Inc., 2008 IBM and Eclipse (A) Oracle vs. salesforce.com Enterprise IT at Cisco (2004) Google Inc.

*All Cases are from the Harvard Business Review and are available at the SCU Bookstore

Course Objectives:
• To develop an awareness of the range, scope, and complexity of the issues and problems related to the strategic management of ISTs.
• To develop an understanding of the “state of the art” of the strategic management of IST and IST innovation.
• To develop a conceptual framework for assessing IST capabilities.
• To develop insight concerning the skills necessary to be effective as an IST manager.
• To offer some practice in defining and working out strategic management problems related IST innovation and implementation.
Course Description/Perspective:
The course focuses on the strategic management and deployment of information systems and technologies (ISTs) to improve business competitiveness. The role of IST strategy in enabling companies to effectively manage in the turbulent and dynamic business environment brought about by the Internet is studied from a number of perspectives. During the quarter, we will analyze: 1] new business opportunities in electronic commerce brought about by ISTs, 2] organizational redesign that these technologies require, and 3] implementation & change management issues related to IST deployment in the new environment. We will draw lessons from the experiences of leading companies that are deploying ISTs to define and support their e-commerce strategies. The course: 1] introduces a variety of analytical tools associated with the field of strategic management of technology, 2] applies conceptual and analytical frameworks to guide analyses and develop the strategic view, and 3] focuses on in-depth analysis of industries and competition.

The fundamental ideas that underlie the course’s perspective are (1) that a firm’s IST strategy emerges from its technical competences and capabilities, (2) that IST strategy is shaped by external (environmental) and internal (organizational) forces, and (3) that the enactment of IST strategy, through the experience it generates, serves to further develop the firm’s technological competences and capabilities.

Cross-listed as OMIS 378 and MSIS604: Credit will not be given for both. Prerequisites: None.

Teams:
• I require that you form teams for the purpose of a major team project that is to be completed over the course of the quarter. The normal number of individuals on each team is five [5] or six [6]. If the actual class enrollment number makes five or six on each team impossible, team membership numbers [or the number of teams] may be adjusted to reflect the actual number of students in the class. We will likely have seven [7] teams in this class.
• Teams will begin formation in Session 1 and your team memberships should be final by the 3rd session of the class.
• Team members receive the same grade for all team assignments, modified only by the peer review inputs and attendance/participation.

Preparation for class, class participation, and case discussions:
The assignments for a class should be prepared in advance of that class. Case questions are provided to guide your analyses. These questions require the identification of key issues, problems, and opportunities; the use of models and analytical approaches that we will study over the quarter, the articulation and evaluation of alternative approaches to deal with the identified problems; and the selection of a preferred solution/implementation approach. From the comparison in class of different approaches/ideas, we intend to highlight the nature of the tradeoffs, the importance of assumptions, personal values and orientations in the decision-making process, and the usefulness & limitations of an informed, analytical approach.

• Please display your Name Card in all classes. I call on students to answer questions.
• Verbal discussion and presentations are given a high priority in this class. Some guidelines for those discussions:
• Interact with other class members.
• Listen to the questions.
• All comments do not have to be “safe”. If we all agree on everything, we are not independently thinking and then responsibly challenging each other. “Safe” is repetition of case facts without analysis and conclusions. “Safe” will not get you promoted, make you successful, or earn a good grade in this class.
• Distinguish between different kinds of data (i.e., facts, opinions, beliefs, concepts, etc.).
• The points that are made should be relevant to the discussion—and linked to the comments of others.
• Most general managers spend very little time reading, and even less time writing reports. The vast majority of their interactions with others are verbal. The classroom should be considered a laboratory in which you can test your ability to convince your peers of the correctness of your approach to complex problems and of your ability to achieve the desired results through the use of that approach.

Case Analyses & Homework Assignments
• Teams are assigned specific cases to analyze for grading.
• For two [2] cases, your team will prepare a PowerPoint presentation and present to the rest of the class all or part of your team’s analysis of the situation and your recommendations. You and your team will be expected to answer questions about your analysis & recommendations/conclusions and to defend them. You will also turn in your team’s written case analysis when you are a presenting team.
• The dates for the teams to present their analyses to the class will be chosen by lot during session 4.
• Other team cases have also been designated for grading [when you are not presenting]. When not presenting, your team is expected to complete and turn in a written case analysis.
• You are expected to analyze all case questions prior to class—including cases designated for discussion, but not for grading.
• Late case analyses will be reduced by 20% in grade. Note: The entire team will receive the same grade for a late team assignment.
• You will perform some case analyses individually. Your individual analyses must be turned in at the beginning of class during which that case is discussed. The same rules for maximum number of pages and exhibits apply to the individual analyses as to the team analyses.
• The cases requiring written team or individual analysis are identified later in the syllabus.
• The questions to guide your analyses are provided in a separate document and are available in a folder on CAMINO under the LESSONS tab.
• Written case analysis guidelines: o Page Limits—six (6) pages of text and seven (7) pages of exhibits o Format Requirements—8.5 x 11-inch paper, double spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins on all sides.
 All exhibits must be referenced & used in the analysis.
 All pages must be numbered & proofread.

In a typical class, the discussion of the assigned case will be led by either the presenting team/teams or by me. The discussion is definitely open to the entire class. As a group, we will discuss and debate the presented analysis, building a complete view of the situation from our multiple perspectives, and address the problems and issues presented by the case. We will also spend considerable time discussing the implementation of recommendations. I will collect your assigned written case analyses at the beginning of each class and I will grade them. Your written analysis for each class case should be your own [or your team’s] conclusions in your own [or your team’s] words, as appropriate.

Recommendations for Case Analysis:
• Read the assigned materials & review the assignment questions [pay particular attention to identify the issues that require some in-depth thought].
• Re-read the case carefully & take notes: sort information, facts, and observations into relevant categories. [A single reading of a case will only very rarely give you sufficient grasp of the information]
• Apply the concepts from the lectures, your text, and previous MBA classes to analyze the case and answer the discussion questions.
• Do quantitative analysis; i.e., crunch some numbers. Look for trends.
• For cases about which we will have discussions but do not require a turned-in case analysis for grading, it is highly recommended that you prepare some notes on the case to guide your participation in class discussions. Note that case questions are available for all cases.
• Please note: if students are repeatedly unprepared for case discussions, I will collect your written notes/analyses to the assignment questions.

Attendance:
• You are expected to attend class and to let me know in advance if there is a need to miss a class.
• The discussion of the cases in class is integral to the learning process in this course. You must attend the classes in which cases and/or case questions are discussed to receive full credit for the analysis. Missing a class during which a case that is graded [either for a team or an individual grade] is discussed will result in your receiving 80% of the grade that you would otherwise have earned. Missing a class in which a case is discussed will also result in a “0” participation grade for that class.

Team Project:
The team project involves doing an analysis of an IST firm’s commercial offering [technology/business strategy] or an analysis of the IST support [technology/implementation] strategy within a firm chosen by your team. The project involves four tasks:

TASK 1: Your team is responsible for identifying your Project Company by the 3rd week of class. Your team must have selected and have received my approval for the company that you will analyze for you capstone project by the end of Session 6. Only one team may analyze a company during the quarter. If another team picks a company ahead of you, that company is taken and is no longer available to you.
• The choice of company for analysis is important. It is highly recommended that you pick a public company [listed on a stock exchange]. Do not use a privately held company unless you have access to the firm’s financials and IT strategy—and permission to use the information. Start-up companies that are still privately held are very difficult to research for the information that you will need to do this project and will generally not be approved.
• Before selecting a firm, do some research to determine if there is sufficient information available from enough sources to adequately assess the subject firm, its competitors, and its industry. The following links to the Orradre Library can be explored to find very good and highly recommended sources of information: o http://www.scu.edu/library/research/ for research guides o http://www.scu.edu/library/resources/ for electronic resources
• Other Resources: o Tony Raymond, the SCU Business Librarian, is available to assist you. Tony can be reached at araymond@scu.edu o Use your text: At the end of each chapter in your text, there is a “Summary of Chapter”. Your text uses “Models” to explain and develop key points—those models are summarized in the “Summary of Chapter”. An example of a “model” is the Porter Five-Forces model in Chapter 6. Another model example is the idea of Network Externalities in Chapter 4. Taken with the models from your other MBA classes, the models in your text provide a rough approach/framework for your project company assessment. They do not provide rote analysis processes. o Lecture Notes: Several lectures provide material not covered in your text.

TASK 2: Developing your outline that will guide your analysis of the IST business offering or IST technology/support strategy of your chosen project firm. Your outline [and subsequent project paper] should address the range, scope, and complexity of the issues
& problems related to the strategic management of IST as either a business or as a support organization in a company. You will use the concepts discussed in the text and in lectures to assist in your analysis. Your outline is due for approval by Session 8.

TASK 3: Using your outline as a framework to write a report (maximum of twenty double-spaced pages, excluding attachments) on the IST capabilities of your project firm. Public data [combined, if possible, with data obtained through personal interviews and internal documents] should form the basis for the descriptive part of the project. The report involves your analysis of the IST offering of the firm or the capabilities of the organization to define and implement IST solutions, formulating recommendations to maintain, develop and/or improve the firm's IST capabilities or commercial offerings, and consideration of the implementation aspects of the your recommendations. Part of your analysis will include the set of characteristics of an organization which facilitates and/or hinders successful IST project integration into the overall strategy of the firm. It will be important to look at the firm’s capability to generate and manage incremental as well as more radical innovations. All management approaches carry inherent risks. Your report should identify the likely risks and how those risks might be mitigated. Note: All project reports must have a clear statement of the problem that IST is trying to solve/help solve for the corporation. TASK 4: A one-page executive summary (max 250 words) is required in which the key lessons (maximum three) from the team project are succinctly discussed. These should be cast in generalized terms. I will make sure that all the members of the class get a copy of all the executive summaries. A good project will be strong in the development of a conceptual framework and the descriptive quality of the case used to document its application, and show 1] sound analyses, 2] good use of models, and 3] recommendations. A very good project will add depth of analysis and have specific, workable recommendations. An excellent project will provide unexpected insights that have implications for the management of IST in general. Specific details of the paper format are spelled out below. Keep in mind that three multiplicatively related factors will determine the effectiveness of your project-related group work. First, there must be excellent collaboration between the group members. This requires assignment of specific responsibilities for each group member, and the choice of a project leader. Second, there must be good access for all members to the same data. Third, there must be enough time for meeting regularly to allow the necessary iterations between conceptualization, data collection, and analysis. All team members must equally contribute to the project. I will be available throughout the quarter to work with you in an advisory capacity.
Key deliverables and dates:
a. The draft of your project outline will be due at the beginning of Session 8.

b. A progress report will be due at the beginning of Session 12. This progress report will consist of a few paragraphs to indicate what has been accomplished to date, and what remains to be done. It will not be officially graded. I will however provide feedback on your progress to date versus my hoped-for ideal.

c. The final draft of your paper is due at the beginning of Session 21. Please note that late papers will be downgraded. You are expected to turn in one hard and one soft copy of your project paper. Turn in a hard copy of the paper at the beginning of Session 21 and a soft copy to my email: dmank@scu.edu [before the beginning of Session 21].
• The soft copy should include only one file in Word or pdf format. Exhibits and appendices should not be in separate files.

d. The groups will present their findings to the entire class during Session 21 [Some teams may present during Session 20, dependent upon class size and the number of teams]. The order in which your teams will present will be chosen by lot during Session 14. Both soft and hard copies of your team’s presentation should be turned in prior to the time your team is scheduled to present.

Format Guidelines for the Team Project:
1. Typing: Papers are to be printed on 8 1/2 x 11 paper, double-spaced, with normal margins. Do not put papers in folders. Staple the paper in the upper left-hand corner.

2. Length: The paper should be no more than twenty (20) pages of text, plus exhibits. In general, exhibits should contain any information which is relevant, but would take up too much space if included in the body of the paper. Exhibits should not be used as strictly an extension of textual material. Executive summaries should be no longer than 250 words.

3. Proofreading: All papers should be proofread. Papers for this course should be the same quality that you would provide to the management of a business that you are dealing with directly.

4. Copies: Please turn in either the original [hard copy] or a photocopy of your paper. Make sure to keep a copy of your work for yourself. A soft copy of your paper is also required.
Peer Review:
• You will perform a peer review for each of your team members and email your peer review to me by the end of day [5:00pm] on day that your project is due—Session 21—in June, 2013. For the peer review, you will grade all members of your team on a 100 point scale. If all team members contributed equally, you will give all team members 100 points. If five (5) team members contributed equally and one (1) team member contributed less, you would assign 100 points each to those team members who contributed equally and a lesser number of points to the team member who contributed less. You are to send your peer review only to me. Your peer reviews should contain concise, descriptive observations that led you to give the peer reviews that you are submitting.
• I will total all of your teams peer reviews for each individual and create a percentage multiplier for each team member’s participation in the course. This multiplier can have a very large impact on your grade.
• Just as a manager is required to perform merit reviews for his/her reports, the peer review is required. Not completing your peer reviews will result in your personal peer review grade to be multiplied by 0.95.

CAMINO [ANGEL]:
• We will use CAMINO extensively during this course for communications, to post lecture notes, and to post information on cases, etc. Find the course on CAMINO and check it regularly. Over the course of the quarter, also check your email address regularly that is used with CAMINO. Academic Integrity:
• Work done for this course must adhere to the University's expectations outlined in the University Bulletin and the Student Handbook. The minimum penalty for cheating on an assignment is a failing grade. Cheating on exams will result in an F for the course. In addition, cheating will also be reported to the Office of Student Life according to the University Academic Integrity Protocol.
• I recommend that all students visit the website at the Office of Student Life: www.scu.edu/studentlife/resources/academicintegrity
• And so it is not a surprise, I do use turnitin.com

Special Accommodations:
• To request academic accommodations for a disability, students must contact Disabilities Resources located on the second floor of Benson. Phone numbers are (408) 554-4111; TTY (408)554-5445. Students must register and provide documentation of a disability to Disabilities Resources prior to receiving academic accommodations.

Grading:
• Points Possible:
• Participation Points 50 Points
• Two [2] Team Case Analyses with Oral Presentations o Written Analysis [100 Pts each] 200 Points o Presentation [25 Pts each] 50 Points
• Two [2] Team Case Analyses without Oral Presentation o Written Analysis [100 Pts each] 200 Points
• Two [2] Individual Case Analyses o Written Analysis [100 Pts each] 200 Points
• Final Project o Project Presentation 50 Points o Written Project Report 300 Points

 Total Points Possible 1050 Points *

*All point totals are approximate. The final point total may vary as events of the semester unfold and influence specific assignments

• Grading Scale:**
93—100% A
90—92% A-
87—89% B+
83—86% B
80—82% B-
77—79% C+
73—76% C
70—72% C-
60—69% D
0—59% F **After Peer review multiplier

Session/Date: Class Activities/Discussion Assignment Readings

Session 1
2 April Introduction & Syllabus Review Chapters 1 & 2 Lecture: Sources of Innovation Team Formation Begins

Session 2
4 April Lecture: Types and Patterns of Innovation Chapter 3 Discussion: Tata Nano: The World’s First Rs. 1 Lakh Car Pages 43-45 [text]

Team Formation Check

Session 3
9 April Lecture: Standards Battles and Design Dominance Chapter 4 Discussion: Blu-ray versus HD-DVD Pages 65-66 [text] Team’s Finalized

Session 4
11 April Case Discussion HP Merced Division Case Individual Analysis for grading [Case Available from SCU Bookstore]

Chose Team Case Presentation Dates

Session/Date: Class Activities/Discussion Assignment Readings

Session 5
16 April Lecture: Timing of Entry Chapters 5 Discussion: From SixDegrees.com to Facebook Pages 85-88 [text]

Session 6
18 April Case Discussion SAP America Case Individual Case Analysis for Grading [Case Available from SCU Bookstore]

Project Company Must ID’ed & Approved

Session 7
23 April Lecture: Defining Strategic Direction Chapter 6 Discussion: Genzyme’s Focus on Orphan Drugs Pages 105-109 [text]

Session 8
25 April Lecture: Organizing for Innovation Chapter 10 Discussion: Organizing for Innovation at Google Pages 205-207 [text]

Project Outline Draft is Due for Approval

Session/Date: Class Activities/Discussion Assignment Readings

Session 9
30 April Case Discussion VMware Inc., 2008 Individual Case Analysis for Grading [Case Available from SCU Bookstore]

Session 10
2 May Lecture: Choosing Innovation Projects Chapter 7 Discussion: Bug Labs and the Long Tail Pages 127-129 [text]

Session 11
7 May Lecture: Protecting Innovation Chapter 9 Discussion: The Digital Music Distribution Revolution Pages 177-181 [text]

Session 12
9 May Start-up CEO Guest Lecture

Project Progress Report is Due

Session/Date: Class Activities/Discussion Assignment Readings

Session 13
14 May Lecture: Managing the New Product Development Chapter 11 Discussion: frog design Pages 229-232 [text]

Session 14
16 May Case Discussion IBM & Ellipse A Team Case Analysis for Grading [Case Available from SCU Bookstore] Team Case Presentation [1st]

Session 15
21 May Case Discussion Oracle vs. salesforce.com Team Case Analysis for Grading [Case Available from SCU Bookstore] Team Case Presentation [2nd]

Session 16
23 May Case Discussion Enterprise IT at Cisco (2004) Team Case Analysis for Grading [Case Available from SCU Bookstore] Team Case Presentation [3rd]

Session/Date: Class Activities/Discussion Assignment Readings

Session 17
28 May Team Meetings with Professor on Projects

Session 18
30 May Case Discussion Google
Team Case Analysis for Grading [Case Available from SCU Bookstore] Team Case Presentation [4th]

Session 19
4 June Lecture: Collaboration Strategies Chapter 8 Discussion: Dyesol Pages 151-153

Session 20
6 June Team Meetings with Professor on Project Team Project Presentations [Possible]

Session 21 X June Peer Reviews Due. Capstone Projects Due @ Beginning of Session Team Project Presentations Note: Session 21 will be on the day and at the time that the Final Exam is scheduled by the University for this class.