Teaching Management of IT Concepts to Postgraduate Business Students: A Business/Technology Mix

It is important that education for the managers of tomorrow prepares them for the challenges that they will be facing. In particular, managers of information systems departments these days require a unique blend of leadership, communication, business and technology skills. Additionally, they exist in a global environment and need to be exposed to real world, global issues. This paper examines the delivery of concepts related to the role of the information technology (IT) manager of an organisation and management of the organisation’s information technology department through a course offered to Masters level students in a business faculty of an Australian University. This course concentrates upon preparing future managers by developing an understanding of the need for such a mix of skills for IT managers, a basic introduction to the links between business and technology skills and enhancement of communications skills. Initially, the development of the course designed to introduce these concepts is outlined, with the lecturers adopting a constructivist approach to delivering the course, encouraging students to relate the course material to their own view of the world. Two learning activities in particular are examined to demonstrate how research techniques can be used to enhance students’ understanding of real world, global issues by promoting learning activities that encourage: •An understanding of the importance of links between business and technology skills for IT managers by examining technology issues (such as outsourcing, IT architecture and so forth) through a business lens (investment appraisal and evaluation, resources allocation, human resource requirements etc.). •Learning activities that examine global issues through interaction with IT managers from around the world