The Adventures of an IT Leader chapter15

Posted: August 12th, 2013

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The Adventures of an IT Leader chapter 15

1.         Ivan Korsky presents a problem in terms of talent and skills management within an organization. Korsky is a valuable employee for the organization. He offers a wide array of talent and skills that are unique and invaluable. The on-going Alpha 3 project was allocated to him because of his capabilities. However, he has not been focusing on the project opting to center on his “pet project.” In addition, the project is required to reach its deadline in order to revive and sustain customer confidence in the organization.

Therefore, it is the role of Barton and Gordon to have an extensive discussion with Ivan to explain to him the implications of his private activities. They should explain to him that he is a valued employee to the organization and the key role he plays in the Alpha 3 project. Though he enjoys some exceptions and treatment because of his skills, he should not take advantage of this to deviate from crucial activities at the workplace. He should therefore place his primary focus on the effective and efficient completion of Alpha 3. This discussion should emphasize to Ivan on the need to center his capabilities on the Alpha 3.

2.         The IT sector has undergone numerous changes in the contemporary global system. In chapter 15, these problems are presented by the management in terms of hiring, managing and training the IT personnel. Different people have different skills and abilities especially in the IT sector. Therefore, the process of hiring staff can be long and tedious in the determination of exceptional skills. In chapter 15, it is clear that Ivan has outstanding abilities as compared to his colleagues. This can give the organization a competitive advantage. This also presents a problem for the organization because if he is given specialized treatment, the other employees might feel inferior and resent him. Managing these types of staff might prove to be difficult. They may sometimes feel special and valuable to organizational development. Therefore, some employees take advantage of such opportunities to engage in other activities that are not related to the company’s work.

On the other hand, management may have complications in maintaining their skilled staff so as not to lose them to their competitors. Ivan has already received better offers at Microsoft Corporation and other organizations. The managers are therefore threatened and unsure how to tackle issues related to such staff. Changes in IT systems are also issues to consider in personnel training. Gordon and Barton cite that there have been changes in software application and development. Therefore, staff training has to integrate these changes and be undertaken regularly. In addition, management should also be included in training for them to familiarize with the contemporary IT system.

3.         Centralizing the IT department has numerous tradeoffs in relation to effective management. Centralization enables the uniform implementation of policies and objectives. Contrary to decentralization based on the geographical and type of IT function, centralization can lead to independent opinions and diffusion of authority. Ultimately, uniform implementation becomes cumbersome. Centralizing the department also ensures proper work performance evaluation and allocation. This is particularly essential, as the organization has already identified some of the skilled employees like Ivan. Decentralization may lead to inconsistencies that might not reflect the actual staff performance.

4.        Open source should be integrated in most IT companies. However, the methodology should be well regulated and managed for the organization to have the total advantage. With proper regulations, software should be free and universally shared. Open source reduces dependence on propriety software vendors. In addition, applying open source leads to cost reduction for the organization. Administrative and support costs are lowered through open source software. Open source software also guarantees security because bugs are fixed immediately. Open source software can be customized to suit client and organizational requirements.

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