The book you need to answer from

Managing the Information Technology Resource: Leadership in the Information Ageby Jerry N. Luftman

Long Essays 4 questions

Q1 Describe the role of the CIO in business today.  Ensure that your answer addresses the following topics:

1. What are his/her responsibilities and priorities?
2. What are the more/less important skills required of a CIO?
3. Is (s) he more of a leader or a manager?
4. What are his/her relationships with other executives, including the CEO?
5. What activities should the CIO focus on to be effective?
6. All of the above is one question

Q2 What is the Strategic Alignment Maturity model and why is it important? 

Select a case study and apply the Strategic Alignment Maturity model.  Rate the company you select in each of the six criteria categories using the levels described by Luftman.  Give an example from the case for why you believe the company you chose to be at the level you selected for each criteria.

Q3 Describe the process for managing emerging technologies.  Elaborate on each step in the process using current day examples.

Q4 Explain the change curve and why is managing change important to an IT organization.  Be sure to address:

1. Why managing change is important?
2. What is the change curve and why is it important?
3. Where did the change curve come from?
4. What are the most important points related to the change curve? Q3 and 4
5. What are the seven steps to the change curve and what does each represent (give an example for each)?

Short Essay   

1. What is the role of IT in business today and how is it different from other business functions?

2. Suppose that you are the CIO of a large manufacturing company with several plants in different regions of the United States.  Each plant has it’s own operating structure (including it’s own operations processes and management team, it’s own accounting and finance function, it’s own HR staff, etc.) but also reports back to a centralized organization.  How would you structure your IT organization (which organizational form)?  Why would you organize it that way?  Also, explain (briefly) which structure would have been your second choice and why you did not choose it?

3.  What is Strategic Alignment and why is it important?

4.  Explain the skills needed by IT professionals at different management levels within the IT organization and how they change as the professional “climbs the management ladder”.

5. What are the keys to recruiting and retaining IT talent in today’s market?

6.  What is IT governance, why is it important?  What are some effective governance alternatives?

7. Why is communication between IT and the business important?  What can be done to help improve communications between the business and IT?

8.  Why is it important to measure IT?  Who should decide what should be measured, what kinds of things should be measured, and why should they be measured?