Reference no: EM132408779 , Length: word count : 2000

SBM4203 Management Information Systems, Asia Pacific International College, Sydney

Assessment 1

This assessment will assess students understanding of the theoretical learning to practical, real world situations. This is a great opportunity for the students to demonstrate awareness of:

• the complexity of the managerial role;

• the reliance of a manager on other people, both inside and outside the organisation, and

• the necessary interaction of both informal/interpersonal factors and formal/organisational factors in fulfilling organisational purposes.

Instructions

“The manager’s job in context” is an individual assignment.

• Undertake an analysis of your own job and its context.

• If you do not have managerial (or similar) experience, or if for some other reason it is not appropriate to analyse your own job, you may choose instead the job of another individual who agrees to be the focus of this assignment (current job). Your lecturer must approve your choice.

• Alternatively, you may discuss with your lecturer/tutor the possibility of analysing a position you have held in the past.

• You may change (or withhold) the names of people or organisations, if you believe anonymity is required.

Complete the following requirements:

1. Briefly describe the actual requirements of the job. Include formal requirements (such as those that may be detailed in a position/job description), and less formal requirements (for example, particular personality characteristics you think are important).

2. Identify (list) other individuals or groups from inside and/or outside the organisation with whom you interact who are important to your job. These could include your staff (perhaps of various categories), your supervisor, peers, clients/customers, suppliers, regulators and so on. Specify THE PEOPLE, not just the organisation or department, for example, ‘Sonia Mirza, Finance Manager’, ‘Type-setters in the Printing Department’ or ‘Receptionists, Department of Foreign Affairs’ (not just ‘Printing Department’ or ‘Department of Foreign Affairs’).

3. Describe the principle characteristics of these individuals or groups, particularly those characteristics that impact on their interaction with you. If your list is lengthy, select those five or six individuals or groups who are the most important, who are critical to your ability to fulfil the requirements of your job (this description should include such things as formal organisational position, demographics such as age or gender, personality, or pattern of interaction with you). If you have only identified people inside your own organisation, you should briefly explain why people outside your organisation have not been considered.

4. Describe the nature of the interdependency that exists between you and these critical groups or individuals. That is, in what way do you rely on each other? What do you expect from these groups and individuals? What do they expect from you? You may wish to include formal concepts of interdependence (e.g. pooled/sequential/reciprocal) in your analysis, but only do so if it enhances your analysis.

5. Include a diagrammatic representation of these interdependencies. Note this should not be presented as an organisational chart. A typical format for this diagram would consist of you as the focus or centre with the groups and individuals with whom you interact arranged around you. You are welcome to supply an organisational chart in addition as an attachment.

6. Evaluate the interdependent group (that is, the virtual network your diagram represents: yourself and the groups or individuals with whom you must interact) in terms of its effectiveness and efficiency and the satisfaction of those concerned.

7. Make recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction of the interdependent group. These recommendations could include such things as the redesign of the structure and work routines of your department or organisation, or preferred changes in the external environment, such as government regulation or changes in other organisations. Please note: you are not being asked to simply evaluate your managerial style or the effectiveness of your department or organisation.

Assessment 2: Case Study - Office Depot Gets SaaSy

Exercise:

Imagine you are a manager of a company which is in need of IS solution to your company needs- similar to Office Depot, looking for ways that technology can assist with sales. By reading the above article, you are motivated to upgrade your system to software as a service (SaaS) for its integration needs. You are required to make a business proposal to convince your CEO about introducing software as a service (SaaS) for its integration needs. You must address the following in your proposal through considerable amount of literature review.

1. What is cloud based computing? What is software as a service (SaaS)?

2. Why do you believe your company should implement software as a service (SaaS) to solve company needs rather than developing your own software or purchasing off-the-shelf solutions?

3. What benefits do SaaS solutions provide to businesses like your company and Office Depot?

4. Provide four list of alternative cloud-based integration platform service providers which offer cloud-based solutions to small medium sized businesses.

5. Do a comparative analysis among them in terms of cost, features.

6. Which provider do you think is best suited to your business needs, and provide reasons why? Justify your arguments with a detailed cost benefit analysis.

7. In general, which types of problems are best suited for SaaS solutions?

8. What risk, if any, is your company similar to Office Depot taking by trusting its data and operations to your chosen SaaS provider?

Note: You need to do only Asssessment 1.