IT Management in the Digital Age

Digitalization is changing the way firms compete and operate. It is difficult to think of any business process or functional area that is unaffected by information technology (IT) in contemporary firms. All conscientious managers, particularly those who are or aspire to be leaders, should develop a passion to manage all resources of firm including information and IT resources which are becoming increasingly critical for the success in digital transformation. Regardless of their current functional affiliation or career goals, successful transformations will critically depend on how future executives lead and direct IT-enabled strategic changes.

This course introduces some of the key issues in managing IT as a key enabler of digital transformations. It provides an overview of IT in contemporary firms and how they enable and support a firm’s strategic and operational goals. By understanding how to engage in IT-related decision making and governance, managers can develop superior strategies and use IT as a lever to innovate and transform for competitive advantage. We will deal with decisions regarding the alignment of IT and business, the governance of IT within the firm, the outsourcing and offshoring of IT, and the controlling of IT initiatives. All of these themes will be discussed from a management perspective.

• Dibbern, J., Chin, W. W., & Heinzl, A. (2012). Systemic determinants of the information systems outsourcing decision: A comparative study of German and United States firms.
• Dibbern, J., Winkler, J., & Heinzl, A. (2008). Explaining variations in client extra costs between software projects offshored to India. MIS quarterly, 333–366.
• Huber, T. L., Fischer, T. A., Dibbern, J., & Hirschheim, R. (2013). A process model of complementarity and substitution of contractual and relational governance in IS outsourcing. Journal of Management Information Systems, 30(3), 81–114.
• Lacity, M. C., Khan, S. A., & Willcocks, L. P. (2009). A review of the IT outsourcing literature: Insights for practice. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 18(3), 130–146.
• Martinsons, M., Davison, R., & Tse, D. (1999). The balanced scorecard: a foundation for the strategic management of information systems. Decision support systems, 25(1), 71–88
• Melville, N., Kraemer, K., & Gurbaxani, V. (2004). Information technology and organizational performance: An integrative model of IT business value. MIS quarterly, 283–322.
• Sambamurthy, V., & Zmud, R. W. Arrangements for IT governance: a theory of multiple contingencies. MIS Quarterly, 23(3), 26–290.
• Wade, M., & Hulland, J. (2004). The resource-based view and information systems research: Review, extension, and suggestions for future research. MIS quarterly, 107–142.
• Weill, P. (2004). Don’t just lead, govern: How top-performing firms govern IT. MIS Quarterly executive, 3(1), 1–17.

Please make sure, you have read the papers as outlined above. Otherwise, no double loop learning will accrue! All papers and cases will be available on ILIAS.