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From the BookshelfBook Review: Information Technology for Managersby David Olsen, Utah State University
Reviewing the sources for each chapter, it is apparent that they date predominantly to the years 2006 and 2007. While many of the concepts the book addresses are timeless, information technology evolves at an extraordinarily fast pace. For a first edition of a textbook published in 2010 to rely so heavily on sources which are dated compared to many industry standards is a concern. A related issue is that on several occasions, topics of significant contemporary importance are covered in a somewhat limited fashion. For example, one of the positive aspects of the book is its addressing of business intelligence issues, yet the brevity with which they are covered is somewhat disappointing. Much of the book deals with concepts whose importance could be argued. Business intelligence however is without question a foundational element of present day information technology that drives managerial decision making, thus its importance cannot be understated. The book provides roughly 20 pages on the subject but fails to outline processes or procedures by which business intelligence can be brought into full implementation. Moreover it does not offer details of real-life implementations that can utilize it. The topic is so cursorily addressed that individuals without extensive knowledge of databases will be quickly lost in the discussion of cubes, their formations, and the process by which business intelligence is conducted. It would seem logical that a topic of such seminal importance would be addressed in far greater detail. One way to accomplish this would be to supplement the chapter with additional reading material and exercises to cement discussion of the critical and powerful elements that are inherent in the business intelligence models. A suggestion for a project that could be assigned in conjunction with the discussion will be offered later in the review Another area where a topic of present day importance is dealt with somewhat lightly is security and ethics. Particularly in environments where data is worthless when standing alone, invaluable when properly used, yet deadly when abused, the significance of ethical use of technology cannot be understated, and calls for more in-depth coverage. Similarly, dealing with security threats is a topic that would benefit from expanded coverage. It is in the present that security threats are rampant. Focusing more on these threats would be of greater value than devoting time to other aspects of security that do not have the same impact if execution is lacking. In addition, the book would benefit from greater coverage of timely issues such as confidentiality and privacy laws that managers will likely encounter. The theory behind information technology, its usage, implementation, and acquisition is important. However, the discussion of core concepts presented in the book is somewhat unbalanced. While topics critical for business success are at times addressed in only limited depth, information that is more germane to a technical audience is presented in unnecessary detail. For example, in the discussion of when web meetings are discussed, a brief list of companies providing paid services is presented that reads like an advertisement, yet there is no description of the power available in various Internet communication platforms. In contrast, the material contained in Chapter 6 would appear to be appropriate for an advanced technical class in data communications. Given the target audience of managers, detailed discussion of the placement of cell phone towers and the mathematics behind those decisions seems to be misplaced. Little attention is paid to issues related to implementation. While not necessarily a fatal flaw, it does indicate that a certain audience, managers with minimal technical experience, is being targeted. If this is the case however, the target audience will be expected to be interested in more than simply flowcharts and diagrams. Describing actual implementations, their processes, and the importance thereof, would allow for a richer context to be provided. The book can certainly be lengthened without losing any of its integrity. For example, providing step-by-step instructions for setting up and implementing a database is critical in helping to understand the relational concepts of data interaction. Another topic that is pivotal today is open source software, its availability, the security it carries, and other related issues. The emphasis presented in the book suggests a bias against open source software, greater attention being given to closed-source platforms. While this will appeal to many individuals in managerial positions, there are benefits of open source software that cannot be ignored. The examples of business implementations are however a particularly helpful part of the book. Case studies that describe the use of various technologies in a range of industries provide a basis for understanding why certain technologies are used. Even though the specifics of the implementations are not offered, providing illustrations of real-life examples is of value. Doing so affirms the importance of the technologies and provides a context within which to understand them and how they might be used. The structure of the PowerPoint slides is conducive to learning and will be as beneficial to the student as the textbook itself. There is nothing fancy about the slides, no backgrounds are provided and material is provided in a simplistic manner. This style however emphasizes the material and prevents the individual becoming lost in irrelevant subtleties. Given the depth of the information presented on the slides and the illustrations provided, a textbook for a course built around this material could be offered as an optional purchase. Some students find a textbook to be critical to their learning experience. The slides however provide a thorough explanation of the material and, when used in tandem with real world examples and in-class experiences, should suffice for an adequate learning experience. The need for a textbook will depend on the individual adeptness of the student in learning about information technology. As a student, I rarely used textbooks, referring to them only when absolutely necessary, usually when I needed a specific definition or a referenced problem. On the other hand, I have also been a thoroughly confused engineering student at one point in my academic career, and understand the importance of having reference material to turn to. If I were to teach a class based on the material in this book, I would be more likely to adopt the book if I could offer it as an optional purchase for students. A sufficient number of questions are provided for assigning as homework or utilizing in quizzes or tests. Given that questions are based on the text itself, this provides little room for argument over their relevance and appropriateness, which can occur if they were written without the input of the textbook author. That said, the questions should be reviewed by the instructor to ensure that the context of the class is reflected in the questions. Sufficient questions are provided to allow this analysis to be performed. Information technology is a field that changes daily. I find myself simultaneously examining information technology and its operations from both a detail and a more broad-based perspective. From a detail perspective, I would not have found this book to be helpful in my education. From a broader perspective however, the material provides an outline that, when applied to real-world problems, will aid the student in finding solutions that satisfy their end goals and requirements. An unmotivated student may grasp little from the book and view time spent with it to be irrelevant and immaterial. A dedicated student however will attempt to find parallels with current problems and scenarios and use this to advance their education. A project would be essential to any class using the book. Taking the material and providing a context to it will allow the participant to get more out of the book. I would assign a project in the first week of class, to be finished in lieu of a midterm exam, and that carried approximately the same weight as the exam midterm would. Starting early with real-life applications will allow the material to have more relevance to students as the class progresses. One of the weaknesses of the book is that its title and content do not adequately reflect a singular thesis statement. The thesis statement asserts that the book will contain relevant material that managers and future managers will need regarding information technology. Shortly thereafter, however, the material is presented in a formulaic methodology. If the focus of a class is indeed to be on the facts that managers will need in handling information technology related decisions, defining the scope and relevance of the knowledge set may be helpful in guiding class participants. A possible first homework assignment could be to have students review the table of contents, as presented in either the book or in the syllabus, and attempt to define how they expect it to relate to managerial techniques. The assignment could also deal with the definition and roles of a manager, a simple starting point that will be more complex to define than it appears at first. It might be helpful to keep the assignments and return them only at the end of the semester when students are asked to read their papers and write a more extensive paper that summarizes what they have learned. This might state new arguments or repeating existing arguments, and compare and contrast the knowledge students now have to what they articulated in their earlier paper. This reflective exercise should allow students to qualitatively access the growth of their knowledge, and allow them to see the impact and importance of what they learnt. Technical exercises will be a beneficial supplement to the material in the course. While writing assignments like the one described above will allow students to reflect on content based knowledge, this may not be the most effective way to capture learning based on the implementation and utilization of technologies. Finding a common language and platform upon which to base assignments will be critical to the success of the student in leveraging the exercises. Whichever platform is used however, delving more deeply into the specifics of the material using assignments that focus on application will enable the student to learn more than the text alone can teach. Given that there will likely be a managerial dimension to a course using the text, working in hierarchical teams with designated reporting structures, either to the class or internally, will help students to put into practice the entirety of the concepts and the methodologies presented. Role playing and other media based on in-depth participation of students will provide experience that is not far removed from what they will experience in industry. Using examples from industry that illustrate the real-world dimension of concepts will also help to reinforce the relevance of the material to participants. A real-world orientation will have a greater effect on how students retain information than using contrived examples that can be used only for illustrative purposes. While the number of real-world examples in the book is limited, they do however provide a model that can be imitated to achieve the desired goals. In summary, the book will provide a solid foundation if used in conjunction with other materials and exercises. It does not in itself stand alone as a single point of reference. There is value in the way most of the material is organized and presented, but it will not meet the needs of all students. A student who easily grasps information technology concepts or is already fairly knowledgeable in the area will probably not get much out of the book. Similarly a student without a technical background and who only has minimal training in Excel and other computer related concepts will find themselves lost or may misunderstand the material. When used in conjunction with the provided slides and test questions, the book becomes more relevant. Improvements could be made to the text but this will not negate the need for a rich set of supplemental materials.
Information Technology for Managers by George W. Reynolds, Course Technology, 2010
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The information found in Information Technology for Managers is informative and useful despite drawbacks inherent in the design, structure, and outline of the book. The book strives to provide a thorough foundation in information technology as it applies to individuals in managerial positions. The information it presents is well thought-out and presented but lacks practical application and relevance in some areas. This review will discuss specific shortcomings as examples of limitations in the design and execution of the text. It will then summarize details of the supplemental materials to highlight their importance to a class taught around this specific material. Suggested approaches to teaching the material and recommendations for project, papers, and assignments will then be presented. Finally, concluding remarks will be offered regarding the entire package presented by Cengage and its ability to convey the material that will be necessary for success in the field of information technology.