Module 4 – Case
Alignment of IT Strategy and Business Strategy
Assignment Overview
Information Technology strategy development and implementation will take practice, but this is a journey. A firm’s IT strategy will evolve over time and improve over time. The CIO must draw from diverse sources to develop new ideas, tactics, and projects. Diverse sources include employees of different racial and ethnic backgrounds and diversity in gender. These workers bring a fresh perspective in determining systems requirements and can result in innovative solutions.
Begin with business practice articles such as those in the Wall Street Journal, which covers business generally, but also has a good section for technology executives and Chief Information Officers. Forbes often covers technology topics that you might find interesting. In terms of books on strategy, Michael Porter is a must. His original text is on competitive strategy, but he has a variety of other books to consider. Also look at this piece on creativity and diversity: Why diversity is the mother of creativity. You should follow leading thinkers in the world of technology, from venture capitalists and technology executives to those who write primarily for a CIO audience.
Case Assignment
Prepare a 4- to 5-page paper for the following:
Look at the business–IT alignment at Amazon. Compare the business–IT alignment of the Amazon business line that sells products to customers with the Amazon business that sells IT cloud services to organizations. Look for articles in Forbes and Business Week that discuss the organization and strategy of Amazon and specifically address the issue of alignment. Discuss the synergy across these lines of business for Amazon and the diversity that Amazon uses in its hiring practices to enable innovation across the business units. Provide specifics in your discussion to enable a comparative analysis, including any experience you may have had with Amazon.
Assignment Expectations
Follow the number of pages required in the assignment excluding cover page and references. Each page should have about 300 words.
Your assignment will be evaluated based on the Rubric.
Module 4 – Resources
Alignment of IT Strategy and Business Strategy
Required Reading
CISM 2020: Information Security & Business Process Alignment, Course. Available in the Trident Online Library in Skillsoft.
Blum, D. (2021). Rational cybersecurity for business: The security leaders’ guide to business alignment. Apress. Available in the Trident Online Library in Skillsoft.
Johnson, A. (2021). The art of alignment: A data-driven approach to lead aligned organizations. Made for Success. Chapters 1 -5. Available in the Trident Online Library in Skillsoft.