Reference no: EM132831327

Background/References/Required Reading:

Begin with business practice articles such as those in the Wall Street Journal, which covers business generally, but also has a good section for technology executives and Chief Information Officers. Medium.com and Forbes have writing that often includes technology topics that you might find interesting. In terms of books on strategy, Michael Porter is a must. His original text is on competitive strategy, but he has a variety of other books to consider. A book more centered on the governance aspect of implementing strategy is Data Governance by Ladley (available in your readings). You should follow leading thinkers in the world of technology, from venture capitalists and technology executives to those who write primarily for a CIO audience.

Assignment:

Look at the business-IT alignment at Amazon. Compare the business-IT alignment of the Amazon business line that sells products to customers with the Amazon business that sells IT cloud services to organizations. Look for articles in Forbes and Business Week that discuss the organization and strategy of Amazon and specifically address the issue of alignment.

Discuss the synergy across these lines of business for Amazon. Provide specifics in your discussion to enable a comparative analysis, including any experience you may have had with Amazon.