IST/722 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR TEAMS

Start Date: 07/30/2013

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COURSE DESCRIPTION

Learners in this course will further evaluate the application of the domains studied in IST/721 and how those domains are applied in a team setting. The application of the program domains will be examined in the context of support necessary to implement various organizational team models, ranging from co-located teams to geographically distributed virtual teams. Upon completion of this course, the learner will be prepared to define and analyze issues related to the management and support of information technology necessary for organizational teams’ operations.

WEEK 1 - TOPIC 1: READING WEEK

Materials

• The texts used in this course are:
• EBOOK COLLECTION: Brake, T. (2008). Where in the world is my team? Making a success of your virtual global workplace. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• EBOOK COLLECTION: McNurlin, B. C., Sprague, R. H., Jr., & Bui, T. (2009).Information systems management in practice (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• EBOOK COLLECTION: Nemiro, J., Beyerlein, M., Bradley, L., & Beyerlein, S. (Eds.). (2008). The handbook of high-performance virtual teams: A toolkit for collaborating across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• The reading assignments for this course are:
• READING: Brake (2008) - Read all chapters.
• READING: McNurlin, Sprague, & Bui (2009) Read Ch. 2-4 & 9.
• READING: Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein (2008) - Read all chapters.

Assessment

• Please refer to your syllabus for assignment information.

WEEK 2 - TOPIC 1: READING WEEK

Materials

• Refer to Week One materials for reading assignments.

Assessment

• Please refer to your syllabus for assignment information.

WEEK 3 - TOPIC 1: ANALYSIS AND DEFINITION OF TEAM ISSUES

Materials

• All course texts are available in Week One of the course materials page.
• READING: Brake (2008) - Review Ch. 1 & 2.
• READING: McNurlin et al. (2009) - Review Ch. 2-4.
• READING: Nemiro et al. (2008) - Review pp. 1-27 and Ch. 9, 11, 16, & 18.
• ARTICLE: Electronic Reserve Readings

Assessment

• Individual Assignment: Successful Knowledge Worker Teams
  • Identify three factors from the literature that are key elements to the success of knowledge worker teams.
  • Write a 1,400 to 2,100 word paper in which you explain the following:
    • Why these factors are critical for knowledge worker teams to be successful
    • How the factors help mitigate issues within teams
  • Include at least five references to support your position.
  • Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

WEEK 4 - TOPIC 1: TELECOMMUNICATION AND DISTRIBUTED CONNECTIVITY

Materials

• All course texts are available in Week One of the course materials page.
• READING: Brake (2008) - Review Ch. 3-8.
• READING: Nemiro et al. (2008) - Review Ch. 13, 14, 20, & 26.
• ARTICLE: Electronic Reserve Readings

Assessment

• Please refer to your syllabus for assignment information.

WEEK 5 - TOPIC 1: DATA RESOURCE AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Materials

• All course texts are available in Week One of the course materials page.
• READING: Brake (2008) - Review Ch. 7-8.
• READING: Nemiro et al. (2008) - Review Ch. 28.
• ARTICLE: Electronic Reserve Readings

Assessment

• Please refer to your syllabus for assignment information.

WEEK 6 - TOPIC 1: WEB AND NETWORKING

Materials

• All course texts are available in Week One of the course materials page.
• READING: Nemiro et al. (2008) - Review Ch. 21, 22, & 30.
• ARTICLE: Electronic Reserve Readings

Assessment

• Please refer to your syllabus for assignment information.

WEEK 7 - TOPIC 1: PROGRAMMING TEAMS AND DEVELOPMENT METHODS

Materials

• All course texts are available in Week One of the course materials page.
• READING: McNurlin et al. (2009) - Review Ch. 9.
• ARTICLE: Electronic Reserve Readings

Assessment

• Please refer to your syllabus for assignment information.

WEEK 8 - TOPIC 1: ADVANCING TEAM PERFORMANCE

Materials

• All course texts are available in Week One of the course materials page.
• READING: Brake (2008) - Review Ch. 8 & 9, Briefing Report: Global Virtual Team Essentials, and Useful Terms
• READING: Nemiro (2008) - Review Ch. 11, 16, 18, 22, & 29.
• ARTICLE: Electronic Reserve Readings

Assessment

• Please refer to your syllabus for assignment information.

Weeks 1 & 2: Reflections -- Due: Monday, August 12, 2013

Create a reflective and applied statement describing how the week’s learning has affected your thought processes, development, and professional disposition. This statement should reflect your personal learning process—challenges, moments of discovery, life experiences, and interactions. You may also include questions for the course facilitator regarding material that may still be unclear in your reflection. Ideally, you will use these reflections throughout the course and the program to document your development as a scholar, practitioner, and leader, and to reflect critically on the changes that occur during this process.

Format any citations and references in your reflective statement consistent with APA guidelines.

Reply to the thread designated for Weekly Reflections, and post your response in the body of the post, not as an attachment.

My Response

I found Brake’s (2008) book to be very conversational and interesting.  I can definitely relate to the struggles and processes that he has in his book.  He discusses that he was struggling in the beginning with being a bartender and then after he received his MBA, things started to change.  He got a more demanding job at a video game organization and special projects started coming his way.  I can definitely relate to how personal life can go out the window to meet the job’s harsh requirements.  Coming from a web development background, I related to many of the process and requirement meetings that he mentioned when I transitioned over to a product manager.  And his “note to self” additions are hilarious and make his book even more personable.  All the politically correct issues he faces are also pretty common in the workplace.  I’ve experienced a couple of his experiences, like meeting people online and in coffee shops, especially the conversation where someone seemed like they might try and take credit for a project he began working on.  Actually, they succeeded in my case but that was my first introduction to watch whom I speak with in an organization and whom I collaborate with.  What I take away from this book is that he learned a lot of lessons from the people he encountered about how to communicate with different types of people throughout the organization.

In McNurlin, Sprague, and Bui’s (2009) book, they discuss how information technology is evolving so rapidly and suggest several strategies.  They suggest that because technology and environments change so quickly that using the same choices that were used before is somewhat unacceptable for the ever-changing times.  This is because as time goes on, so too does the audience and organizational needs.  I like that they discuss some of the difficult decisions that need to be made in an organization in order to be successful, especially with the mention of BP and how they began using technology to support their workers as well as grow as a better company.  Many of the examples demonstrate similar tasks of using technology to initiate growth and progress.  I was also able to relate to the discussion on project managers since it is so closely related to product management.  Having an understanding of the project, its requirements, collaborating with the teams to make sure things are understood, and getting feedback to create an even better project are important aspects discussed.  Also understanding the risks and issues that might arise during the processes are very significant as well. 

After reading Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, and Beyerlein’s (2008) book, I appreciate the theme of each of the books and that is the importance of collaboration.  Collaboration is definitely the glue that holds an organization together.  This book discusses some of the boundaries that may be encountered in a virtual team, such as language barriers and terminology.  I remember when I had to communicate with Romania and Chennai every week with my NY team.  There were many constructive arguments on how to do the projects but there were also many barriers in terminology and code structure.  Overcoming these challenges took some time but we eventually got through it through direction of the managers and emphasizing time constraints.  One of the most difficult challenges was getting everyone on the call since everyone lives in a different time zone.  Even the clients were in a different time zone.  The teams also had to trust that they would get their work done or write up notes so that the next developer could take over the work.  So it’s not only a collaborative effort but also an understanding that they have to really be on the same page with almost everything in the project and I believe this book emphasizes and explains the importance of that as well.

References

Brake, T. (2008). Where in the world is my team? Making a success of your virtual global workplace. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

McNurlin, B. C., Sprague, R. H., Jr., & Bui, T. (2009). Information systems management in practice (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Nemiro, J., Beyerlein, M., Bradley, L., & Beyerlein, S. (Eds.). (2008). The handbook of high-performance virtual teams: A toolkit for collaborating across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Week 3: DQ 1 -- Due: Thursday, August 15, 2013

Week 3, DQ 1:  What factors create trust for globally distributed knowledge worker teams, in which many of the team members will never meet each other face-to-face? 

Post your 150-300 word responses to this Discussion Question referencing supporting literature as appropriate.  At the top of your initial response, reproduce the actual DQ (that portion above in blue).  Avoid reproducing the DQ with your subsequent responses.

Ascertain that you answer every question asked in the DQ.

Continue to discuss each others' responses throughout the course week. 

My Response

According to Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, and Beyerlein’s (2008) to develop trust, good communication and collaboration is necessary.  When I worked as a product manager, our teams from Romania, Chennai, and NYC participated in weekly conference calls via Skype.  These meetings helped us so that we could all be on the same page.  It also helped us to have the same knowledge or understanding of the requirements of the project.  The most important aspect for us was to see how each of the developer’s workloads was to understand if there were problems or if someone had too much or too little work to manage.  In addition, being truthful is an important perspective for knowledge workers.  If the employee has not been truthful about something, it is possible that the knowledge worker will loose trust in that employee.  Lastly is the matter of consistency.  If the worker says they are going to do something and they follow through every time, it is easy to trust that worker because the worker has been consistent.  Otherwise if the work is inconsistent, there will be little or no trust in the worker and a solid team may begin to disintegrate.

Reference

Nemiro, J., Beyerlein, M., Bradley, L., & Beyerlein, S. (Eds.). (2008). The handbook of high-performance virtual teams: A toolkit for collaborating across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Week 3: DQ 2 -- Due: Thursday, August 15, 2013

Week 3, DQ 2:  Conduct an Internet search to locate at least one new technology that contributes to improving communication for distributed knowledge worker teams. Describe why and how this tool improves communication for these types of teams. Would this technology also be beneficial for co-located teams? Do you believe that the results from use of the tool would justify its cost? 

My Response

One new technology that I use in my workplace is Google Hangout (Google, n.d.).  This technology uses the Internet to do a multitude of things.  People can call in via a telephone or a computer to communicate with several people at the same time.  My current workplace requires me to communicate with people in the UK, California, Atlanta, Chicago, and NYC.  Google Hangout allows us not only to talk to each other but also to see each other, share our screen, show power point presentations, live streaming, and more.  This tool is also free to use so the organization promotes the use of Google Plus and Google Hangout.  The only disadvantage I have found is that the quality of the video streaming is not as stable as Skype but I have noticed incremental improvements since I began using it last year.  Because Google Hangout has screen sharing and other collaborative tools associated with it, the teams have been able to visually and verbally communicate data to each other and within the NYC office I am in.

Reference

Google. (n.d.). Google+ Hangouts. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/

Week 3: DQ 3 -- Due: Thursday, August 15, 2013

Week 3, DQ 3:  What is the effect of not having visual cues regarding those with whom you are communicating?  What methods do you use to become acquainted with your fellow classmates and colleagues to compensate for the lack of visual cues?  Discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of the absence of visual cues for communication in globally distributed teams. 

My Response

I was having a similar discussion about visual cues with my peers at work.  As a technical producer, one of our responsibilities in the company is to write up documentation that everyone can go to in a web tool called Confluence (Atlassian, 2013).  My coworker spent weeks on documentation and when I looked at it, I felt overwhelmed.  I told him one of the ways to improve the documentation is to put videos and screenshots on the page in-between each section.  I told him that he could make videos on the fly using a program called Jing (TechSmith, 2013).  He hesitated at first, but I told him that the people who will be reading the documentation will be people who are not as technical as we are so we have to accommodate their needs in a way that the information will be less intimidating and comfortable to look at.  He understood the benefit and will continue to work on it but it is a lot of work. 

For times when something visual needs to be provided, there are several ways to address this.  One way is to schedule a virtual meeting so we can do a web conference, like using join.me (LogMeIn, 2013), or use Google Hangout (Google, 2013), or Jing (TechSmith, 2013) to send screenshots or videos that upload to a server on the fly and you can paste that info in an email.  Sometimes a phone call is needed.  It depends on the case and what the person is comfortable with.  That is the disadvantage because it can be complicated to try to work out a strategy.  I believe that discussing how to approach the situation and move step by step from there.

References

Atlassian. (2013). Team Collaboration Software | Atlassian Confluence - Trusted by Thousands. Retrieved fromhttps://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/overview/team-collaboration-software

Google. (n.d.). Google+ Hangouts. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/

LogMeIn. (2013). join.me – Free Screen Sharing and Online Meetings. Retrieved from https://join.me/

TechSmith. (2013). Jing, screenshot and screencast software from TechSmith. Retrieved from http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html

Week 3: Reflections -- Due: Monday, August 19, 2013

My Response

In this week, I actually enjoyed learning and reading the responses posted by my classmates.  Many times I have read very bland responses but I think I enjoyed it because new technologies and interesting responses were introduced to me.  The readings and questions were also interesting to complete as many of the questions have a direct relationship to my work today.  A conversation about visual cues at work just about a week ago was also a question in school.  Technologies used at work are also related to school assignments.  VoIP is a technology that is being used in many places, so that was definitely an area of interest for me as well.

Week 4: DQ 1 -- Due: Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Week 4, DQ 1:   Navigate to Cisco’s website and search for the videos titled Any-to-Any Collaboration with Cisco Telepresence, Smooth Moves, and Connecting Press with Players.  What is your opinion of the effectiveness of this technology in improving communication for distributed knowledge worker teams?  Describe one real-world example from your work place where this technology might be effective. 

My Response

I watched the following videos:

TelePresence video: 
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/ns669/any-to-any-collaboration.html

The Smooth Moves video:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/ns669/video_cts_smooth_moves.html

Connecting Press with Players video:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/ns669/video_cts_connecting_press_with_players.html

I’m not sure if these are correct but I will tell you my thoughts:

1. In the videos, it gives me the impression that every organization should have a three-monitor setup. I guess I need to upgrade my hardware at home and in the office. Is the service required to be in a Cisco office where they have the three monitors?
2. What are they selling exactly? Is this software, hardware, a capability, all or none of the above? Cisco does have many products so these videos seem unclear to me.

The effectiveness of the collaboration can be necessary for organizations to communicate with each other when they are a distance away and they may never meet each other (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008). I know Cisco does not offer their services for free and in order to have this service, there are several things the purchasing organization should be aware of in terms of cost, such as setting up a teleconferencing server or have each employee set up with a Cisco phone. Although any device can connect to the service, as the videos seem to imply, the effectiveness rises as long as the technology is flexible.

One of Cisco’s technologies is already available in my place of work. We do use Cisco telephones and those phones have the capability to have a conference line set up with a host and participation dial-in. There is also software that enhances the phone, such as listening to voicemail from the computer instead of the phone, dialing a number through the software to the phone, and (my favorite) setting up the Do Not Disturb feature when I am in a meeting or on vacation. So when I have to speak with a client, I provide the client with the conference number dial-in as I call in as the host. 

If we had this technology, we would use it every day.  We constantly talk with other employees from around the world and need to get input as well as share our screens with each other.  The benefit is that while we can see each other and share information, we are also developing a relationship with the other employee that will hopefully help to enhance our work.

Reference
Nemiro, J., Beyerlein, M., Bradley, L., & Beyerlein, S. (Eds.). (2008). The handbook of high-performance virtual teams: A toolkit for collaborating across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Individual Assignment (graded)

Week 4: DQ 2 -- Due: Thursday, August 22, 2013

Week 4, DQ 2:   Compare and contrast the mobile telecom standards 3G, 4G, and 5G.  What business value do these mobile standards provide? 

My Response

In a nutshell, 3G/4G/5G are different mobile generation systems, which allow users with mobile devices to connect to different cellular speeds. A group called 3GPP2 formed the 3G network specifications to offer “data rates of up to 2Mbps” (Mousa, 2012, p. 14) for mobile devices and operates at optimal capacity of up to 5MHz (Mousa, 2012). 4G systems “peak data rates started at 100 Mbps” (Mousa, 2012, p.11), but may go up to 1Gbps when operating at around 70 MHz (Mousa, 2012). 5G systems are around 1 Gbps, have a better battery depletion, better security, and may use an AI to communicate with other cellular phones (Mousa, 2012). As the generations of cellular networking systems evolve, it progressively gets better.

A service, such as a Skype call to another Skype phone or software, can handle up to 3Mbps (Skype and/or Microsoft, 2013). An organization that needs to have their employees communicating via email or conferencing (such as Skype or FaceTime) on mobile devices can take advantage of the free technology. The cellular device often needs high standards to communicate with others and so using the best mobile standards is necessary for the faster data rates.

References

Mousa, A. M. (2012). Prospective of Fifth Generation Mobile Communications. International Journal Of Next-Generation Networks, 4(3), 11-30. doi:10.5121/ijngn.2012.4302

Skype and/or Microsoft (2013). How much data will Skype use on my mobile phone? Retrieved fromhttps://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA10853/how-much-data-will-skype-use-on-my-mobile-phone

Week 4: DQ 3 -- Due: Friday, August 24, 2013

Week 4, DQ 3:   Team members may discuss projects by phone, by email, or face-to-face.  What are some issues that may occur in each mode of communication?  How might these issues affect team performance?  What are some considerations or strategies that may facilitate communication among team members?

My Response

One issue that may occur is scheduling the meeting because it is so challenging to get everyone at the same time (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008). In my last class, one of my team members thought that it was okay to call me whenever he had a question. Although I would love to be able to help him at any time, work, sleep, and personal life happens to dwarf answering his phone calls. He was also in a different time zone than I am so I had to let him know that he had to schedule his calls with me. Unfortunately he didn’t understand and proceeded to call me when I told him he could text me at any time but I cannot guarantee that I can pick up the phone 24/7. He finally accepted the fact that I was not his personal support agent and eventually moved onto other students, which didn’t end as well as he thought it would. Because he didn’t fully understand, the team wanted less and less to do with him and I felt bad for him so I told the other team members to just accept texts or emails from him at least. We still had a class to finish. Everyone on the team eventually did that and things progressively got better. I admit I have a great technical support voice and patience after so many years of experience, but that was a little too overwhelming for the rest of the team.

Reference
Nemiro, J., Beyerlein, M., Bradley, L., & Beyerlein, S. (Eds.). (2008). The handbook of high-performance virtual teams: A toolkit for collaborating across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Week 4: Reflections -- Due: Monday, August 26, 2013

My Response

This week has been entertaining. I learned about some of Cisco’s current technology that I did not know about before. Although I did not get the clearest understanding of how much the costs are and what the precise service was, I was able to see through online videos (visual cues) how some of the technology functions and how it can be used in a business setting. I also learned some additional information on the differences between 3G/4G/5G systems. I didn’t know how much data each system could support and how these technologies were developed and that is definitely an interesting concept for me. The most interesting so far is hearing others’ perspectives on time management and how technology might hinder or benefit personal or professional life. 

Individual Assignment (graded)

Week 5: DQ 1 -- Due: Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Week 5, DQ 1:  Based on the literature, define data, information, and knowledge.  Use the current department that you work in or a project team that you have worked with and discuss how knowledge of the team members was captured, stored, and made available to others in the department or on the team.  What recommendations to improve this process can you provide?

My Response

Data is used to develop an understanding of a goal or assignment (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008).  Data can be used as a supportive measure in the attempt to find solutions to questions. 

Information is similar to knowledge and data because both can be shared (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008).  Information can be used to create or maintain best practices.

Knowledge is based on experience and an understanding of the requirements and goals of the organization (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008).  This knowledge can be retrieved from anywhere within an organization as many people have different knowledge bases.  Knowledge can be shared to increase productivity and to build trust or relationships within an organization. 

In my team, we work very closely together.  There will be times when we voice our concerns or share information by talking with each other but there will be times when a team member is unavailable.  So we will often use email, instant messenger (IM), Google Hangout (a free web conference tool) or Confluence (a team sharing tool) to share information or collaborate.  If the data is extensive, we put the information on Confluence so that the information is shared internally.  This process can use improvement if the organization would fund better resources, such as a dedicated knowledgebase just for the team or allow the team to have more control over the tools so that it is more flexible to use.

Reference

Nemiro, J., Beyerlein, M., Bradley, L., & Beyerlein, S. (Eds.). (2008). The handbook of high-performance virtual teams: A toolkit for collaborating across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Week 5: DQ 2 -- Due: Thursday, August 29, 2013

Week 5, DQ 2:  What are at least three data sources you rely on at your place of employment to do your job?  Discuss the effectiveness of each data source and suggest how at least one of the data sources might be improved in terms of data quality, data access, data timeliness, and data availability.

My Response

In my office, we have an online knowledgebase where the employees share and collaborate information. This knowledgebase contains many historical details that are needed to run many of the processes. Also because many of the processes are proprietary, this is one of the central locations we tend to store our information. The knowledgebase is intimidating for some employees to use. Although I find that it is very user-friendly, often times it is slow and so the employees get discouraged.

The second is a database where we can retrieve statistics of data. This data helps us to understand what devices may cause more discrepancies than others, if the technology is implemented properly, or just to have an understanding of the popularity of the product. The database is not accessible from my team. We have to request a report and this takes time, because the data is stored on separate servers. If everything was available on one server or through an internal tool, things may be easier on the database team.

The third is net statistics. In my company, we use debuggers to track network patterns to see if our technology is implemented accurately. This is actually the step before we look into the database since my team does not have direct access to it. I can use many tools to analyze the net statistical data. I typically begin using the simpler tools to get a quick overview. If that tool does not give me enough information, I move to the next tool. There are three tools I use, in order of easy to difficult: Firebug, Charles, and Wireshark. Firebug can be buggy if the website is complex. Charles is a nice tool but it’s slower to set up. Wireshark is a difficult tool to understand without scripts and at times I need to write a new one. If Wireshark had an easier way of creating scripts, I would prefer that to the rest.

Week 5: DQ 3 -- Due: Friday, August 30, 2013

Week 5, DQ 3:  Discuss knowledge and information that might be lost to organizations as baby boomers retire.  Based on the literature, do you feel organizations have prepared for this loss of knowledge?  How would you describe the organizational readiness for this baby boomer exodus within your organization?

My Response

Historical information may be lost as baby boomers retire. Baby boomers are those born within 1946 to 1964 (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008). These individuals may not necessarily retire (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008). This is because organizations may still need the knowledge from them and have yet to find a way to gather that data (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008). In many other organizations that I have heard about, the baby boomers are asked to retire once they have fully trained someone else. This may sound a bit depressing but many organizations may prefer to have healthier, faster learning employees. Generation X was brought up using technology and so it is second nature to use some of the technology available (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008). So many organizations may need to create a knowledge plan in preparation of each new generation (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008).

In my organization, the technology is rapidly more forward and if any employee is unable to keep up with it, they might as well find a new job. The oldest employee in the organization is probably the CEO as he is the one with the most business knowledge and is not required to know that much about new technology. He typically leaves that to the CTO, who is always looking for new innovative solutions.

Reference
Nemiro, J., Beyerlein, M., Bradley, L., & Beyerlein, S. (Eds.). (2008). The handbook of high-performance virtual teams: A toolkit for collaborating across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Week 5: Reflections -- Due: Monday, September 02, 2013

My Response

In this week I have learned that data can lead to information, and information can lead to knowledge.  This perspective is an important element to demonstrate the importance of data, how it can be structured in an organization, and how it can affect others.  Baby boomers, for example, may retire and this knowledge may never be transferred or transferred properly to the next generation.  So documentation and training may be necessary and organizations should preemptively account for such a scenario.  Furthermore, there are different types of data sources that everyone in the class seems to use due to the objectives of their careers.  This leads me to believe that there are different architectures of data resources and models as well. 

Learning Team (graded)

Week 6: DQ 1 -- Due: Wednesday, September 04, 2013

Week 6, DQ 1:  Select a published dissertation on a topic that could be your own dissertation topic.  Look at Chapter One of the dissertation.  What makes this chapter different from papers you have written in previous classes?   

My Response

In the first chapter, there are several elements that will be necessary for my own dissertation and it is completely different from my previous classes.  Most of the different elements of the content identify purpose and what the problem is.  I have done introductions but not a background of the problem, a statement of the problem, purpose, the significance, nature of the study, research questions, what type of framework that will be used, scope, and summary.  I think that the width of my papers typically is as long as the first chapter of a dissertation.  Many of the chapters also have information on theory, especially theories that have been used to resolve some of the issues from the problems.  The first chapter also addresses some of the gaps of knowledge within the problem.  One of the interesting perspectives I will hope to reach in the dissertation is discussing the significance of importance the subject is to leadership and in general.

Caudle, D. L. (2010). Decision-making uncertainty and the use of force in cyberspace: A phenomenological study of military officers. (Order No. 3438389, University of Phoenix). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 482. Retrieved fromhttp://search.proquest.com/docview/840765736?accountid=458. (840765736).

Week 6: DQ 2 -- Due: Thursday, September 05, 2013

Week 6, DQ 2:   The Hawaiian word wiki means “quick.”  A wiki represents a repository of data, information, and knowledge that can be created quickly because it relies on input from all users.  There is no review and control of the data that is placed on the wiki; however, errors detected by users are quickly updated and modified.

   ++ How might a wiki be used in your organization, your department, or a project that you are involved with?
   ++ What are some advantages and disadvantages to using a wiki? 

My Response

In my organization, we use Confluence, which is an enhanced wiki that allows plugins, extensions, and addons. The root of the software is a wiki though. The wiki is useful in documenting processes and definitions. When a process is changed and needs to be updates, a user within the organization can update the page on the fly. This means that a user can make sure that the data is up-to-date and not need to know how to code or program a web page. The data will instantly publish the information and allow others to add, change, or review the data.

Many of the advantages of this software includes sharing knowledge in such a way that all a user would need to do is search for the subject or send a link to someone who may need it. If a page does not exist, no web development knowledge is needed. A user can easily figure out how to edit or create a page because many times the wiki is user friendly. Access to the wiki is limited to users in the organization. If any information is lost or misplaced, there is a version control and roll-back processes associated with every page so that users can restore prior data (McNurlin, Sprague, & Bui, 2009). In addition, the page is only accessible if the user is on the organization’s network, making it mostly secure. There are some public pages in the wiki interface as well so that we can hand over pertinent processes or definitions to our clients as well.

Reference
McNurlin, B. C., Sprague, R. H., Jr., & Bui, T. (2009). Information systems management in practice (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Week 6: DQ 3 -- Due: Friday, September 06, 2013

Week 6, DQ 3:  Search the web for blogs posted at one or more large companies (choose from multinationals, conglomerates, and Fortune 500 companies; example: pepsico.com, cisco.com, etc.) and review them.

• What is the purpose of a blog? How is a blog different from an advertisement?
• What value may a blog provide to an organization?
• Who was the blog written by? For whom was the blog written?
• In your opinion, was the blog effective? Why or why not?

My Response

A blog or web log is a website that allows users to post information that they would like to share or keep private. Posting a blog post or page typically entails a few paragraphs of content, maybe photos or videos, and tags or labels to categorize the information. Users can post information easily using the blog’s interface. Usually there will be buttons for stylizing the content, such as bold or underlining. Friends or people who are interested in the content can subscribe to the blog to be alerted with any incoming information. Users can also reply to posts, if allowed, to extend the conversation as well as give advice or criticism to the content.

A blog is different from an advertisement in that blog’s usually has content so that the user will want to come back to the blog for more information or updates. An advertisement will provide information only on what is being sold and no subscription is necessary or requested to take advantage of the sale from the advertisement. Often the advertisements will have little information describing the content and replies or criticism is not usually ability from the consumer on the fly.

The purpose of the LG blog is to quickly post news on productivity of their products and provide insights about the company. Their blog allows users to reply using Facebook and this extends responses throughout the blog and Facebook. Users can also share blog posts via Google Plus, Facebook, and Twitter. By allowing users to respond to the blog, the company can see what they think about their products from the feedback. James Fishler, senior vice-president of marketing, posts to the Executive section of the blog. Three teams manage the blog and each team discussed topics based on the section of the blog. The teams write for the consumers that are interested in what the company has to offer as well as prospective products. The blog does not seem to get a lot of attention. Although there are several social networking features, there is little effectiveness in the marketing of the content from the blog.

Reference

LG Electronics. (2012). Welcome to the official LG US blog. Retrieved from http://lgusblog.com/

Week 6: Reflections -- Due: Monday, September 09, 2013

My Response

In this week, I have learned many things about the technologies I typically use on a daily basis.  One of the things I learn is the importance of topics and content from other dissertations that is similar to ours.  There are many structural perspectives that are needed when we create our dissertation.  It is very helpful to note the structure of other dissertations to enhance our own.

Another thing that I learned this week is the advantages and challenges of wikis in an organization.  Many organizations may use wikis for different reasons and in different ways.  This leads me to recognizing how organizations use these technologies and what may be some of the content issues with the different types of technologies, such as blogs and wikis.  Although I have been warned about content issues with these technologies, it is becoming more evident that I will need to be especially careful when I am attempting to write scholarly, proven documents.

Week 7: DQ 1 -- Due: Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Week 7, DQ 1:   Apply the extreme programming concept of pair programming to management.  What might be the effect of asking managers to work in pairs?  Could pair management have particular effectiveness for distributed teams as compared to co-located teams?   

My Response

Pair programming is when two developers sit next to each other to work on a project and share the same computer (Balijepally, Mahapatra, Nerur, & Price, 2009; Salleh, 2008).  If we use this idea in a management environment, it may have similar benefits and disadvantages.  First, managers can share a knowledge base.  They can provide each other with techniques to successfully address issues or tasks in an organization.  This technique may lessen the complexity of the work involved and may have positive influences on both the distributed teams and co-located teams so that there is more collaboration while reasoning between the managers may be understood because the teams and managers are communicating with each other often.  On the other hand, there is often competition and different methods that each individual may want to use.  Additionally, there is evidence that pair programming (or managing in this case) may be less effective or neutral in some circumstances in terms of the quality of work and time managed (Balijepally, Mahapatra, Nerur, & Price, 2009).  There may even be times when the managers are socializing and this may be problematic in a work environment.

Reference

Balijepally, V., Mahapatra, R., Nerur, S., & Price, K. H. (2009, March). Are two heads better than one for software development? The productivity paradox of pair programming. MIS Quarterly, 33(1), 91-118.

Salleh, N. (2008). A systematic review of pair programming research – Initial results. Retrieved on January 14, 2010 fromhttp://nzcsrsc08.canterbury.ac.nz.

Week 7: DQ 2 -- Due: Thursday, September 12, 2013

Week 7, DQ 2:   How do you perceive the role of programming teams within an organization?  Is integration of programming teams with other aspects of the organization important?  How might this integration be accomplished?  What would you say the level of integration of programming teams with business departments is within your organization?   

My Response

In today’s society, there are many different types of technologies used. Organizations need to be competitive and having a programming team (or development team) can help organizations with this objective. So integrating programming teams is important and can be useful for several other reasons. Another reason is automation of tools. Organizations may need to have automated processes programmed if there is an influx of data that can be too overwhelming for an employee to manage. So understanding the requirements of the organization, finding the need for the programming team, and integrating the team in the organization each may need to undergo different processes to accomplish a goal. In my organization, there is a programming team that develops technology to track online advertising. This team is an integral element of the organization and the organization’s goals cannot succeed without them. In addition, the programming team helps to reduce costs in automating the processes. The maintenance costs are reduced because there is less error than if an employee was manually going through the data (McNurlin, Sprague, & Bui, 2009).

Reference
McNurlin, B. C., Sprague, R. H., Jr., & Bui, T. (2009). Information systems management in practice (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Week 7: DQ 3 -- Due: Friday, September 13, 2013

Week 7, DQ 3:    Navigate to the Agile Manifesto website and answer the following questions:
           ++  What does agile methodology value?
           ++  How could the 12 guiding principles be applied to other management areas in an organization?
           ++  Would this be an effective management method for distributed organizations?   

My Response

Assuming http://agilemanifesto.org/ is the correct website, the agile methodology places most of its value in collaboration, feedback, people, software solutions, clientele, and plan flexibility. The 12 guiding principles could help management areas in an organization by listening to their customer’s feedback on the organization’s software products, acknowledging that nothing is written in stone and things can change in the middle of the process, and collaborating frequently with each other or team within the organization. These methods would we effective in distributed organizations. It provides a sense of acknowledgment and appreciation when the organization recognizes its employees and is willing to work with them on the progress of their tasks in some way. Even if the team members are able to communicate with the organization through a real-time webcam interface, it helps to create a level of communication between the groups and open up to ideas as well as derives feedback from internal sources (McNurlin, Sprague, & Bui, 2009).

Reference
McNurlin, B. C., Sprague, R. H., Jr., & Bui, T. (2009). Information systems management in practice (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Week 7: Reflections -- Due: Monday, September 16, 2013

My Response

In this week, I have learned many perspectives on methodologies and team environment influences. I learned a little bit more about the eXtreme programming concepts, agile methodologies, SDLC, and scrum. I also learned a little bit more about pair programming and how working on the same machine may not be in the literal sense. I learned to think outside the box to understand how programming team roles might be perceived within an organization and how many of my classmates have experience or a very good understanding of these perspectives. I also learned about the agile manifesto. It is a new concept for me as I really have not been trained on how to use the agile methodology outside of theory. All very interesting concepts.

Individual Assignment (graded)

Week 8: DQ 1 -- Due: Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Week 8, DQ 1:   Generation Y (Gen Y) represents people born between 1980 and 2000. These people are characterized by having grown up with technology and are never without their iPhone®, Android®, or Blackberry® in hand. This group is connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, always knows where their friends are and what they are doing, and makes plans rapidly, based on everyone’s current location and status. This generation communicates predominantly through texting.

Based on this knowledge of Gen Y, how do you see the work environment changing as Gen Y enters management positions? Will Gen Y be more adept at managing distributed workers than baby boomer managers? Why or why not?  

My Response

Based on this knowledge of Gen Y, how do you see the work environment changing as Gen Y enters management positions? Will Gen Y be more adept at managing distributed workers than baby boomer managers? Why or why not? 

Gen Y or “the Nexters” (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008, p. 264) may do well in a management position. They may be familiar with the technology they work with because they grew up in that environment. So depending on the individual, they may choose to go into a managerial position. For example, the Nexters may already be familiar with e-mail and e-mail is consistently used at many jobs. Training may only be necessary with tasks that are proprietary to the business. The Nexters may already know many of the technologies so training will be unnecessary. Socializing will also be common for many of them as well. Because they live in an age where texting is common, they may already know how to communicate with people effectively to meet certain tasks (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008). This may also depend on the mental demeanor of the individual but for the most part the Nexter should be familiar with communication at least through technology. According to Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein (2008), Nexters are also keen to starting their own business. So some Nexters may be self-sufficient. On the other hand, Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein (2008) also mention that Nexters will receive advice that might discourage them from thinking on their own; with messages such as “You will work with other bright, creative people”; “You will learn from your coworkers” (p. 266). Overall, the Nexters will have a head start whereas some of the baby boomers are still trying to understand the technology.

Reference
Nemiro, J., Beyerlein, M., Bradley, L., & Beyerlein, S. (Eds.). (2008). The handbook of high-performance virtual teams: A toolkit for collaborating across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Week 8: DQ 2 -- Due: Thursday, September 19, 2013

Week 8, DQ 2:    What is the effect of organizational culture on leadership style?  How does organizational culture interact with personal leadership style?  Provide examples to support your answers. 

My Response

Effects of Organizational Culture on Leadership Style

Coming from a Generation X background, my leadership style is to question everyone and everything. I challenge others often and this may cause issues with others who are older and believe that because they are in a higher position, I should just follow commands (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008). I do not usually have the intention to undermine one’s perspectives and so I usually come across as nice and curious instead of abrupt. However organizational cultures vary from place to place. In my current organization, my boss expects his employees to take initiative to be a leader and make the systems successful by supporting them. Most other organizations I have been to expect their employees to follow a chain of command. Because I am familiar with being a product manager, I have no problem taking lead and using my leadership style to find more information to share with others. 

Reference
Nemiro, J., Beyerlein, M., Bradley, L., & Beyerlein, S. (Eds.). (2008). The handbook of high-performance virtual teams: A toolkit for collaborating across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Week 8 DQ 3 -- Due: Friday, September 20, 2013

Week 8, DQ 3:  What are the differences between transactional and transformational leadership?  How might each of them contribute to or hinder distributed team performance? 

My Response

Transactional leadership concepts concentrate on office politics, money, and authority (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008). Projects managed by the transactional leadership role focus on shorter objectives and facts (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008). The transactional leader’s motivation is to concentrate on social perspectives to get what they want. On the other hand, transformational leadership concepts focus on knowledge learning, ethical standards in the workplace, focuses on long-term goals, and is optimistic towards others in terms of learning skills.

Each of these leadership styles has the possibility to contribute to or hinder distributed team performance. The transformational leadership style can contribute to the distributed team performance in that it influences employees to have certainty in their work performance as well as look toward being successful (Nemiro, Beyerlein, Bradley, & Beyerlein, 2008). The transactional leadership role may hinder a distributed team because the motivation of the style appears selfish and only looks to improve immediate goals.

Reference
Nemiro, J., Beyerlein, M., Bradley, L., & Beyerlein, S. (Eds.). (2008). The handbook of high-performance virtual teams: A toolkit for collaborating across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Week 8: Reflections -- Due: Monday, September 23, 2013

My Response

In this week, I have had many interesting discussions on transactional and transformational leadership styles, the differences in behaviors of the different generations in a work environment and perspectives, and organizational culture. Transactional and transformation leadership are two very different leadership styles. After understanding them a little bit more, I feel that I am a transformational leader. Also, learning about the different perspectives between the generations is interesting. I feel that although Gen Y has different perspectives on how things are done or methods, there may still be hope for them. Time will tell if they will be ready for a manager position. I have also learned the differences in organizational culture with leadership styles and different teams environments. I enjoyed this class more than I expected to and learned many interesting things. Thank you!

Individual Assignment (graded)

Learning Team (graded)

Grade Report: IST/722

Grade Summary (Week 1-Week 8)		Grade: A-
Total Percentage:	92.83%
Your Total Score:	92.83
Total Possible Score:	100

Week 8
	Possible Score	Your Score
Discussion Questions	2.0	2.0
Comment:
Individual Paper	17.0	12.07
Comment:
Participation	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Learning Team Discussion	5.0	5.0
Comment:
Week 8 Reflections	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Week 8 Subtotal :	26	21.07
Cumulative Week 8 Subtotal :	100	92.83
Week 8 Feedback:

Week 7
	Possible Score	Your Score
Discussion Questions	2.0	2.0
Comment:
Individual Paper	16.0	16.0
Comment:
Participation	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Week 7 Reflections	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Week 7 Subtotal :	20	20
Cumulative Week 7 Subtotal :	74	71.76
Week 7 Feedback:

Week 6
	Possible Score	Your Score
Discussion Questions	2.0	2.0
Comment:
Participation	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Week 6 Reflections	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Week 6 Subtotal :	4	4
Cumulative Week 6 Subtotal :	54	51.76
Week 6 Feedback:

Week 5
	Possible Score	Your Score
Discussion Questions	2.0	2.0
Comment:
Participation	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Week 5 Reflections	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Learning Team Recommendations	5.0	5.0
Comment:
Week 5 Subtotal :	9	9
Cumulative Week 5 Subtotal :	50	47.76
Week 5 Feedback:

Week 4
	Possible Score	Your Score
Discussion Questions	2.0	2.0
Comment:
Individual Paper	16.0	14.08
Comment:
Participation	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Week 4 Reflections	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Week 4 Subtotal :	20	18.08
Cumulative Week 4 Subtotal :	41	38.76
Week 4 Feedback:

Week 3
	Possible Score	Your Score
Discussion Questions	2.0	2.0
Comment:
Individual Paper	16.0	15.68
Comment:
Participation	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Week 3 Reflections	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Week 3 Subtotal :	20	19.68
Cumulative Week 3 Subtotal :	21	20.68
Week 3 Feedback:

Week 2
	Possible Score	Your Score
Weeks 1 & 2 Reflections	1.0	1.0
Comment:
Week 2 Subtotal :	1	1
Cumulative Week 2 Subtotal :	1	1
Week 2 Feedback:

Week 1
	Possible Score	Your Score
Weeks 1 & 2 Reflections	1.0	1.0
Comment: