Annotated bibliography on explanatory concepts and applications

Adler, S. (2007, March). Six Steps to Data Governance Success. Retrieved from CIO Analysis: http://www.cio.com/article/114750/Six_Steps_to_Data_Governance_Success

In the modern world of IT, data is king. It is a product, a service, and a basis for competitive knowledge management. Data is now such an important commodity that it has become part of strategic planning in most organizations, with data governance a critical strategic imperative. Information as a concept has different meanings, and data is the lowest level of abstraction, but the quality and quantity of data and appropriate usage can make or break an organization. This is an article written for the business audience, non-cited, but well-written and focused upon steps organizations may take to improve their data governance tactics. The article is valuable because of its focus, limited word count, and the outline of practical advice for managers of all levels.

Austin, R., et al. (2009). The Adventures of an IT Leader. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

This book is written in a rather tongue-in-cheek style, but follows a new CO, Jim Barton, as he struggles to understand the role of IT within the organization. It is written in case-study style and deals with issues that surround crisis management, security, obstacles to innovation, and the challenges of emerging technology. The names and specifics are fictional, but all based on actual events. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the book surrounds the use of "Reflective Questions" that help the reader put themselves into situations that are real within the workplace and ask important questions about handling situations outside the theoretical perspective of business school.

Gordon, J. (1998, June). Structuring the Interaction Between Information Technology and Business Units. Retrieved from Center for Information Management Studies Babson College: http://faculty.babson.edu/gordon/papers/itstruct.htm

Because of the continually evolving change in technology, it is necessary for organizations to also evolve and innovate in order to effectively deal with global markets, stakeholder expectations, and the manner in which knowledge management through data keeps a company competitive and profitable. The material, presented as a paper during Management Conference, is academic in nature but practical in scope. It suggests that the only way organizations can remain competitive is to structure their own IT departments using shared knowledge between business units. The old paradigm of central being the autocrat and field the serf is not only outmoded, according to the authors, it is dangerous and unproductive. The material is rather dated, 1998, but the overall strategic importance and ideas for sharing information remain timeless.

Horibe, F. (2001). Creating the Innovation Culture. New York: John Wiley.