Part 1:
Reference(s):
The Owl at Purdue, (2008). Retrieved Jun 5, 2008, at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/681/01/
Dartmouth Writing Program, (2005). Retrieved Jun 5, 2008, at
https://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/what.shtml
Computer and IS manager, About.Com, (2008). Retrieved Jun 5, 2008, at
https://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/comp_sys_mgr.htm?p=1
Consider: You have been tasked to create a paper intended to assist newly-minted IT academic personnel to realistically understand both the opportunities and challenges confronting work-a-day IT managers or supervisors. Your paper's title might be:
Beyond Theory: What Really Makes a Successful IT Manager or Supervisor Tick?
In your essay you may wish to consider (but not be limited by) such issues as:
• the IT manager as technician and/ or people person
• why some IT managers are likely to be successful and others fail
• the importance of identifying/ understanding both organizational and technical issues as well as making decisions which solve, not create more problems
• what role leadership knowledge and skills play
• how does a manager actually learn the trade
Please note these issues ARE NOT questions to be lined up and answered with bullet points. They are simply things to think about as you formulate your own ideas about the topic. The expectation is that you will create an original paper, in narrative form, from your own unique views.
Case Assignment Expectations: Please remember that this requires at least five contiguous academic cites and later full references! Also, be sure to use enough concurrent discussion so that the purpose of each citation is apparent to the reader. Please note that this paper IS INCOMPLETE without five ACADEMIC references (you may use Wikipedia and military/ corporate references but they DO NOT count as one of the required five). Your paper should be at least four, if not more, double-spaced pages when finished. The issue in these case papers is NOT brevity, rather it is insight and completeness in dealing with the topic/s.
When you review both academic and practitioner-oriented leadership literature, you find the topic defined in many ways. One important way to define what an IT leader does is to check out that leader in action...to observe their specific BEHAVIOR and its impact, both on others and unit effectiveness. This is easier to do and more straightforward than trying to make guesses about their leadership traits, styles and personalities which are 'second-order' definitions we may not all agree on. Seeing the actual BEHAVIOR and matching it to observed results is tough to dispute.
One easily observed leadership definition is 'value-added leadership' behavior and the characteristics you may be already observing in others within your workplace...and not yet given a label.
Part 2:
Your task is to unobtrusively and systematically observe the behavior of a workplace colleague who appears to demonstrate some of the behavior noted in the paper. From these observations you are to develop a paper which might be entitled:
Charlie (or Sue); an unsung leadership hero in my unit/ organization!
Your paper is to describe actual BEHAVIOR you have personally observed Charlie (or Sue) performing (and NOT, repeat NOT) your assessment of their leadership style or personality!) as well as providing some indication of any specific results you have seen. If your workplace is an IT unit, so much the better. However, you may use any workplace where you have some familiarity. Note that social researchers use a variant of this observational strategy labeling it 'participant observation.' Much solid social system knowledge comes from the process...so here we will be 'testing' your critical observation skills (remember, you are observing and reporting on actual behavior). Please DO NOT report on personality or traits! Note, do not turn in a paper which simply intellectually discusses leadership without your behavioral observations as requested above. However, your paper must include an intellectual lead-in or follow-up which discusses Value-Added and other leadership insights.
Please recall that this paper requires that you integrate, discuss, contagiously cite and later fully reference at least three academic sources. Please use enough concurrent discussion so that the purpose of each citation is apparent to the reader. Please note that this paper IS INCOMPLETE without at least three ACADEMIC references (you may use Wikipedia and military/ corporate references but they DO NOT count as one of the required three).