Reference no: EM132495391

Discussion: Shared Practice-WestJet Airlines' IT Governance

For this Discussion, read the case study:

"WestJet Airlines: Information Technology Governance and Corporate Strategy" by Malcolm Munro and Sharaz Khan.

Post your responses to the following Discussion prompts:

• When Cheryl Smith, the new CIO, arrived at WestJet, she was asked by the CEO to advise whether or not the company had an adequate IT infrastructure. What aspects of the WestJet IT situation did she assess in order to respond to the CEo's concern, and why do you think they are important?

• Summarize and critique Smith's assessment.

• Offer evidence/arguments that major changes in IT at WestJet were essential and that Smith's governance model would enable WestJet to achieve its strategic goal.

• Summarize the lessons you learned based on the experiences at WestJet. How might these lessons help your organization evaluate its information technology capabilities and best serve its business strategies and needs?

Respond to two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

• Based on what your colleague observed from the WestJet case, explore ways that your organization might assess its information technology capabilities. What lessons did the case provide that help an organization make a better assessment?

• Expand upon your colleague's observations by positing additional problems that a business manager might encounter if a similar assessment were done for their organization.

• Offer your colleague alternative perspectives, if in fact you drew different conclusions from the case.

• Describe the IT governance model used in your organization, and explain why it is important to the organization's ability to achieve its strategic goals.

Please be specific, and use citations and references as appropriate and necessary.