Course content
In this course, students who are rooted in and familiar with digital technologies can learn how to practice digital as a management subject. On the other hand, students who are more familiar with general managment will be exposed to the unique nature of digital managment.
The course is practical to its nature and many students will experience that it touches upon theoretical concepts from past courses, but with the specific perspective on practical realization and the issues that it entail.
The premise of the course is that there is no digital business without digital technology backbone. And there is no digital technology backbone without an IT department geared at delivering digital services. In the context of a transforming role of IT deparments in the digital world, the course aims is to train the students in coping with the challenges and opportunities confronting the IT department that transforms to form part of a company’s development of a digital business dimension. Students will get the case background for a large number of realistic issues, and will be provided with different tools/methods potentially relevant for addressing the issues. The course has a orientation towards a research-based practice of solutions to real world issues aiming at education of reflective managers.
This course uses the IVK Case Series (see literature list) to examine important issues in IT management through the eyes of Jim Barton, a talented business (i.e., non-technical) manager who is thrust into the Chief Information Officer (CIO) role at a troubled financial services firm that seeks to reinvent itself in the age of digitalization.
During his first year as CIO, Barton confronts issues related to skill and talent management, IT value, priority setting and financial justification of digital investments; operational models geared at innovation rather than efficiency; cybersecurity security risks and crises; internal communication challenges; technology partner management; and how to handle potentially innovative technologies like blockchain, machine learning and artificial intelligence. As Barton encounters these issues, we address them too, through associated readings that clearly brings forward the deep interdependence between the trials of the IT department and the company´s ability to compete on digital business innovations.
The course is based on case based-pedagogy, according to the Harvard method in combination with (rare) lectures, guest presentations, workshops and project work in groups.
Students will have to prepare for case discussion/lectures by reading the IVK chapter as well as other texts to be discussed on that day. In the workshops, students will have to work in groups with analyzing IT management problems of a digital world and applying the tools and methods in the course literature.
See course description in course catalogue