Homework answers / question archive / BISM7808 Information Technology for Business Value 2017 Semester 1 (Full Time Intensive)   Assessment Overview:  Essay – IT Governance Mechanisms in Action   Purpose   This document identifies the requirements for this assessment and an associated rubric for use in guiding you in undertaking this assessment

BISM7808 Information Technology for Business Value 2017 Semester 1 (Full Time Intensive)   Assessment Overview:  Essay – IT Governance Mechanisms in Action   Purpose   This document identifies the requirements for this assessment and an associated rubric for use in guiding you in undertaking this assessment

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BISM7808 Information Technology for Business Value

2017 Semester 1 (Full Time Intensive)

 

Assessment Overview:  Essay – IT Governance Mechanisms in Action

 

Purpose

 

This document identifies the requirements for this assessment and an associated rubric for use in guiding you in undertaking this assessment.

 

Details:

 

Length:	1500 words (excluding appendices, tables and references)
Due Date:	22nd February 2017, 6:00pm
Mode:	Individual Essay
Weight:	30%

 

Overview:

 

This 1500 word essay analyses a case study (selected from several provided in the Assessment Overview) to identify a central IT governance issue, and recommends two governance mechanisms that address the identified issue.  The analysis and the recommendation are supported by current independent peer-reviewed research. 

 

Requirements:

 

This assessment task is an individual essay that draws upon a nominated case identified from the following list:

 

• Peak Experiences and Strategic IT Alignment At Vermont Teddy Bear
• Green IT Matters at Wipro Ltd.
• Keda's SAP Implementation
• iPremier (A): Denial of Service Attack (Graphic Novel Version)
• Information System Strategy at Neelkanth Drugs

 

Alternatively, the essay may draw upon a student’s current or prior student workplace with permission. 

 

In that context, the essay has several tasks that must be undertaken.  

 

First, the relevant facts of the case are to be summarised and considered to identify issues relating to IT governance challenges apparent in the case. 

 

Second, these facts and the associated issues are analysed to identify a central IT governance issue that is core to the challenges identified.  

 

Third, the essay is to consider a portfolio of relevant IT governance mechanisms (structural, relational, and process governance mechanisms) that potentially address the central IT governance issue, and recommend two governance mechanisms that address the central issue.  IT governance mechanisms may be drawn principally from the Governance and Management Practices module of the course, but others may be considered and relevant. The analysis and the recommendations are together supported by current independently-identified (i.e. research not found in the course reading list) peer-reviewed research, and the analysis and recommendations require supporting discussion and argument. 

 

Key to success in this assessment item is a strong link between the issue identified from the case and the justification for the governance mechanisms recommended in the context of the independent research demonstrated.

 

Format:

 

Your essay should be typed (in Times Roman 12-point font or larger, single-spaced) and it should be approximately 1,500 words in length (excluding executive summary, appendices, tables and references). A maximum of 3 appendices is allowed. Each appendix should be no more than 4 pages each. Tables in the essay should not exceed one page.  

 

References can be cited using APA 6^th or Harvard styles (please note on the title page).  Other citation styles may be allowed through permission granted by the lecturer.  

 

The essay must have an executive summary, an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. 

 

You should spend time on the writing quality of your essay. You need to work on the clarity and conciseness of your arguments, and think in terms of a highly-paid, busy senior executive spending his or her time reading your essay. 

 

You would want to get your arguments across forcefully, but not waste the person's time. The senior executive would probably not read the appendices, so the body of your essay should be able to stand on its own. The senior executive's staff analysts would likely examine your appendices in depth, however, so they must also be done well.

 

The assessment of assignments that exceed the 1,500 word length will reflect a lack of clarity and conciseness in the marks allocated for structuring and organization of ideas, mechanics, and presentation in the assessment rubric accordingly.  Conversely, assignments that do not meet the 1,500 word length would likely not demonstrate knowledge and understanding and would be marked accordingly.

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

 

• Is independent research required?

 

For this assessment, demonstrable independent research is required. Given its scope, it is expected that fifteen to twenty academic, peer-reviewed sources supporting the analysis and interpretation of the case in support of the recommendation will be provided.  Academic, peer-reviewed sources provided as required reading material in the course do not demonstrate independent research.  Industry publications (e.g. trademagazines) are not academic peer-reviewed sources.  Lecture notes are secondary sources and do not demonstrate independent research. A reference list should be included at the end of the essay that is consistent with the citation style selected.

 

• How tight are the word limits?

 

Conciseness and pithy discussion in business communication is highly valued. The structuring and organization of ideas, mechanics, and presentation aspect of the assessment will suffer if the response is overly long (that is, it exceeds 1,500 words by more than 10%).  Conversely, it is likely that a response that is less than 1,500 words in length would be unable to demonstrate good structuring and organization of ideas, mechanics, subject knowledge or analysis.  

 

The word limit does not include the executive summary, appendices, tables or references.

 

Assessment notes:

 

A criterion-based assessment will be used in this assignment. This Assignment Assessment Rubric is provided at the end of this document. 

 

Feedback consists of an electronic copy of the marked assignment through Learn.UQ (TurnItIn). Each assignment will receive an overall mark (supported by an annotated rubric), and an overall comment for feedback on the essay. This feedback is assessed interactively on Learn.UQ and by downloadable report in portable document format. It is highly recommended students download and retain this feedback for future work.     

 

There will be electronic submission of assignments through two drop−boxes provided on the Learn.UQ course website (for both TurnItIn and the Online Submission Folder). The drop-boxes will remain open to allow for late submission. Please discuss any problems that may lead to late submission with your lecturer at the earliest possible opportunity. 

 

Extensions are only permitted in line with the process identified in the course profile and University policy.  

 

Your document must be submitted in either Microsoft Word document format or PDF format.

 

As a safeguard, you may wish to submit your assignment to the lecturer by electronic email at the same time as submitting via Blackboard (m.axelsen@business.uq.edu.au).

 

You must name your document with your last name followed by your initial(s) (e.g., Smith_A.doc). 

 

When you submit your assignment to the drop−box, this act will certify that you have acknowledged and understand the Plagiarism Statute of the University of Queensland.

 

Items (for which no extension has been granted) submitted after the due date and time, incur a late submission penalty. The penalty is at the rate of 5% (0.4 of a grade) of the total available marks for that particular piece of assessment, for each calendar day or part thereof that the item is overdue.

 

Additional information:

 

Additional information will be given to students in class on how to undertake the assignment.

 

Assignment Assessment Rubric

 

The assignment is marked out of a total of 100 points. The overall mark assigned is a corresponding mark out of 30 (rounded up to the nearest 0.25). 

 

	Beginning 3	Developing 4	Competent 5	Accomplished 6-7	Total
Structure and Organization of Ideas (20%)	Paper is not logically sequenced. Objectives and scope not apparent. Poor paragraph structure. Cohesion and coupling of writing is not apparent.	A logical sequence is identified. Objectives and Scope provided, but unclear.  Paragraph structure evident but sequence of ideas unclear. Cohesion and coupling of writing is low	A logical sequence is identified and followed in the essay. Objectives and Scope clear. Paragraph structure is sound.   Writing requires more cohesion and coupling	A logical sequence is identified and followed in the essay, and supports the argument and analysis. Clear and explicit opening objectives and scope. Paragraph structure coherently supports arguments.   Cohesion and coupling is evident in lexical cues.
	(0-9)	(10-12)	(13-14)	(15-20)
Subject Knowledge 20%	Little evidence of independent research. Content lacks relevance to topic.	Some evidence of independent research research. Content needs to be more relevant to the topic.	Displays evidence of sound independent  research. Content is relevant to topic.	Writing is based on excellent independent research. Content is relevant to topic, and evidence is  used effectively to support analysis.
	(0-9)	(10-12)	(13-14)	(15-20)
Analysis and Issues Identified 20%	Content of case not considered. Issues are not Identified. Analysis is not undertaken, or is undertaken at a low level. No insights identified.	Content of case considered. Some Issues not Identified. Analysis is shallow and/or incomplete. Issues identified are not insightful	Content of case considered and relevance to analysis is clear. Issues clearly Identified. Analysis of the issues is sound and complete.   More in-depth issues are not covered.	Content of case considered and its high relevance to analysis is clear. Issues clearly Identified, and priorities argued. Analysis of the issues is sound, complete, and thorough. Insights into hidden aspects of the task are provided.
	(0-9)	(10-12)	(13-14)	(15-20)
Recommendations 20%	Recommendations are non-existent or bear little or no relation to the organisational context of the case. Recommendations are not actionable and/or not linked to the issues identified.	Recommendations are identified. Recommendations are actionable but do not address the issues identified.	Recommendations are identified and relate to the business context. Recommendations are actionable and based on sound and logical argument.	Recommendations provided are clear and relevant to the business context . Recommendations are actionable and directly relate to the analysis through sound and logical argument.
	(0-9)	(10-12)	(13-14)	(15-20)
Mechanics 15%	Grammar: excessive errors.  Punctuation: excessive errors. Spelling; excessive errors. Referencing: excessive errors.	Grammar: occasional errors.  Punctuation: occasional errors Spelling: occasional errors Referencing: textual and list errors	Grammar: one or two errors. Punctuation: one or two errors. Spelling: virtually no errors Referencing: textual or list errors.	Grammar: excellent  Punctuation: excellent Spelling: excellent Referencing: excellent
	(0-7)	(8-10)	(11-12)	(13-15)
	Beginning 3	Developing 4	Competent 5	Accomplished 6-7	Total
Presentation 5%	Vocabulary is limited and needs to be developed. Paper presentation is not sufficiently professional looking. No executive summary.	Vocabulary could be further developed. Paper presentation could be more professional looking. Basic Executive Summary	Vocabulary is appropriate for this level of writing. Paper is professionally presented. Executive Summary with recommendations	Vocabulary is to a professional standard Paper presentation is to a professional standard. Well written and complete Executive Summary with justified recommendations.
	(0-2.5	(2.6-3)	(3-4)	(4-5)
Total Marks (/100) Assessed out of 100 and marked out of 30 - to next 0.25 mark

Prepared by:   Micheal Axelsen

                      Lecturer (Business Information Systems)

Date:               7^th F

 

Essay IT For Business Value.