Recommended Reading for IT Managers: A Starter List Copyright 1991 CAUSE From _CAUSE/EFFECT_ Volume 14, Number 1, Spring 1991. Permission to copy or disseminate all or part of this material is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for commercial advantage, the CAUSE copyright and its dateappear, and notice is given that copying is by permission of CAUSE, the association for managing and using information resources in higher education. To disseminate otherwise, or to republish, requires written permission. For further information, contact CAUSE, 4840 Pearl East Circle, Suite 302E, Boulder, CO 80301, 303-449-4430, e-mail info@CAUSE.colorado.edu RECOMMENDED READING FOR IT MANAGERS: A STARTER LIST by David L. Smallen ************************************************************************ David L. Smallen is Director of Information Technology Services and Institutional Research at Hamilton College, responsible for academic and administrative computing resources, campus voice and data communications, and institutional research activities for this private, liberal arts college. He holds a B.S. and M.S. from the State University of New York at Albany and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Rochester. He has been a leader of national seminars dealing with strategic planning for computing, and has served as chair of the CAUSE Board of Directors, as well as a member of the EDUCOM Board of Trustees. ************************************************************************ Those of us in information technology management positions in higher education have an onerous task attempting to remain knowledgeable. Which books, among the veritable avalanche published each year, are the most important for informing the decisions we make, and improving our ability to lead and manage information technology organizations? A natural way to attempt to answer this question is to ask our friends and colleagues to recommend their favorites. This I did. The result is the following eclectic first edition of a list of thirty titles. The books on this list illuminate important concepts, including leadership, the impact and limits of technology, the management of people and organizations, information technology trends, quality of services, and planning. For the compulsive reader, this list will provide a wealth of useful information and thought-provoking perspectives. For the less compulsive--the "skimmers" among us--there are many valuable insights to be gleaned, applicable to information technology organizations on college and university campuses. I have not provided reviews of the books, but rather a few sentences that indicate what the reader might hope to gain from each work. I expect this list to grow as other colleagues recommend those books that have helped them remain informed information technology leaders and managers. An opportunity to provide your recommendations is included on page 48. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Albrecht, Karl, and Ron Zemke. Service America! Warner Books, 1985, 203 pages. Focuses on the management of a service organization. The provision of high-quality services should be a central theme in any information technology organization. The authors, through examples from organizations recognized for excellent service, such as Disney Enterprises, offer practical approaches to improving the service focus of an organization. Bennis, Warren, and Burt Nanus. Leaders--The Strategies For Taking Charge. Harper & Row, 1985, 244 pages. A look at those characteristics of effective leaders that enable them "to translate intention into reality and sustain it." The authors explore the ability of leaders to create a clear vision, communicate that vision to mobilize others, and implement it through consistency and proper deployment of their own energies. Birnbaum, Robert. How Colleges Work: The Cybernetics of Academic Organization and Leadership. Jossey-Bass, 1988, 270 pages. Applies organizational theory to the higher education environment. The author explores the differences between higher education and business environments as well as variations within the academy. This will be especially useful to information technology managers who are new to higher education. Bolter, J. David. Turing's Man--Western Culture in the Computer Age. The University of North Carolina Press, 1984, 264 pages. A study of the impact of computers on our culture. Bolter explores the way citizens of the electronic age think about themselves and the world around them and, in particular, to what degree they view themselves as the embodiment of the computer. Brooks, Frederick P., Jr. The Mythical Man-Month. Addison-Wesley, reprinted 1982, 195 pages. A collection of essays on the problems of software development originally published in 1975. The essays provide insight into why large software development projects are often behind schedule, and what can be done to improve the results. While software development technology has changed in the last decade, many of the characteristics of success, or failure, remain the same. Drucker, Peter F. Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices. Harper & Row, 1974, 839 pages. The classic work on the subject of management. The author reviews and interprets the major management theorists, and offers his own philosophy on all aspects of modern management. Drucker, Peter F. Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Practice and Principles. Harper & Row, 1985, 277 pages. A practical guide to encouraging "systematic innovation." Drucker maintains that genius and character are not the critical ingredients in unleashing innovation, instead arguing for the crucial role that organization and management play in the process of innovation. Drucker, Peter F. The New Realities: In Government & Politics, in Economics & Society, in Business, Technology & World View, Harper & Row, 1989, 276 pages. A look at current trends that will shape our lives in the next decade. This book helps provide an external context that can be a part of any strategic planning process. A major section deals with the shift towards the knowledge society. Gause, Donald C., and Gerald Weinberg. Are Your Lights On? How to Figure Out What the Problem REALLY Is. Dorset House, reprinted 1990, 157 pages. Explores the nature of problem clarification. Originally published in 1982, it provides some useful tips for managers of information technology in understanding the complexity of seemingly simple problems. Gilder, George. Microcosm: The Quantum Revolution in Economics and Technology. Simon & Schuster, 1989, 426 pages. Traces the evolution of computer technology from the age of the mainframe to the new era of the microchip. Throughout this journey Gilder provides a perspective on how the move to the microcosm has affected our way of life, our deeply held beliefs, and our world position. Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. Viking Penguin Books, 1987, 352 pages. An investigation of the science of dynamic systems. Understanding such systems is important to understanding the modern information-based organization, one characterized by rapid change and unpredictability. Hofstadter, Douglas R. Gšdel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. Vintage Books, 1980, 775 pages. An exploration of the nature of thinking. The author investigates the relationships between formal logical systems, computing, and the functioning of the human mind. The fundamental concept of "self- reference" is explored in three settings: the logic of Gšdel, the drawings of Escher, and the music of Bach. Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. The Change Masters: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the American Corporation. Simon & Schuster, 1983, 432 pages. How organizations can encourage their employees to become innovators. The investments that companies make in their employees--the degree to which they empower them--is seen as critical in unleashing innovation. Kanter explains the management techniques that encourage an integrative rather than segmentalist approach to change. Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. When Giants Learn To Dance: Mastering the Challenges of Strategy, Management, and Careers in the 1990s. Simon & Schuster, 1989, 415 pages. A look at the modern organization in the information age, one that has fewer management levels, is more adaptable to change, and is able to react more easily to a changing environment. Kanter explains organizational strategies for managing the personnel who must deal with the fast pace of these organizations. For managers of information technology organizations, the book provides insight into the interaction between the workplace and the family, a balancing act that professionals must master to be effective in their organizations. Keller, George. Academic Strategy: The Management Revolution in American Higher Education. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1983, 211 pages. The seminalwork on planning in higher education. Keller investigates the nature of strategic planning in the academy and helps to explain the components of an effective strategic planning process. To be effective, strategic planning for information technology must be in synchronization with institutional planning. Kuhn, Thomas S. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. The University of Chicago Press, 1970, 210 pages. A seminal work on the nature of the "paradigm shift" that explores the nature of science, and how new theories arise and replace older ones. The concepts contained in this book continue to be applied in a variety of settings to better understand the nature of change in general, and in the information technology field in particular. Naisbitt, John. Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives. Warner Books, 1982, 333 pages. Looks at ten major trends that have shaped the decade of the 80s and continue to influence our lives. This is among a collection of books that can help information technology managers develop the ability to see the "big picture" in assessing the impact that technology can have on our organizations and society at large. Penzias, Arno. Ideas and Information: Managing in a High-Tech World. W. W. Norton & Company, 1989, 224 pages. Explores the power and limits of information technology in our society. While the first half of the book--an explanation of the underpinnings of computer technology--will be old hat to the information technology manager, the second half will provide a useful perspective on the importance of developing a synergy between man and machine in an increasingly complex world. Peters, Thomas J., and Robert H. Waterman, Jr. In Search Of Excellence: Lessons From America's Best Run Companies. Harper & Row, 1982, 360 pages. Provides suggestions for any service organization, including focusing on the customer, encouraging entrepreneurship and commitment from organizational members, practicing a hands-on, value-driven approach to management, and focusing on the concept of "small is beautiful." The characteristics of successful corporations provide a useful model for managers of information technology organizations. Peters, Tom. Thriving on Chaos, Handbook for a Management Revolution. Harper & Row, 1987, 740 pages. An exposition of management techniques for creating a high-quality service organization. From responsiveness to the client, to encouraging innovation, to empowering those who work for you, this book offers lots of food for thought for the leader of an IT organization. Russo, J. Edward, and Paul J. H. Schoemaker. Decision Traps: Ten Barriers to Brilliant Decision-Making and How to Overcome Them. Doubleday/Currency, 1989, 280 pages. Illustrates, through numerous examples, ten traps that decision-makers are prone to fall into. Since every manager spends much of his or her time making decisions, this book can be viewed as an opportunity for professional development or as a valuable reference. Simon, Herbert L. The Sciences of the Artificial. MIT Press, 1981, 247 pages. An early seminal work on artificial intelligence. The author postulates an information processing model of human thinking based on the idea that an artificial system provides a useful analogue of a natural system if it agrees closely with the external behavior of that natural system. Strassmann, Paul A. Information Payoff: The Transformation of Work in the Electronic Age. The Free Press, 1985, 298 pages. Focuses on the human side of the implementation of technology in organizations. The payoff alluded to in the title will come from organizing, educating, and training the managers and employees who will use information technology. Toffler, Alvin. The Third Wave. William Morrow & Co., 1980, 544 pages. An optimistic look at the trends that were to shape the 1980s, and the likely shape of the new society that would result from these trends. This book is one that will help the IT manager see the "big picture." Weinberg, Gerald M. Becoming a Technical Leader: An Organic Problem- Solving Approach. Dorset House, 1986, 304 pages. A practical guide to improving the functioning of an organization through empowering its employees. Weinberg looks at important characteristics of leadership, including motivation, organization, and innovation. Weinberg, Gerald M. The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully. Dorset House, 1985, 228 pages. One of a series of short books by the author that revolves around aspects of problem solving. This book will help improve the ability of IT managers to deal with the variety of problems that cross their desks. Weizenbaum, Joseph. Computer Power and Human Reason: From Judgment to Calculation. W.H. Freeman & Company, 1976, 300 pages. Considers the differences between man and machine, probing the limits of what computers can do and, more importantly, should be made to do. More and more human tasks are accomplished with computers, leaving us wondering where their limits will be. The author, a noted computer scientist, probes the dividing line between man and machine intelligence. Wiener, Norbert. The Human Use of Human Beings: Cybernetics and Society. Da Capo Press, Inc., 1950, 199 pages. The classic work by the founder of the field of cybernetics--the study of the relationship between computers and the human nervous system. This book is an early look at the power and limits of computing for improving the human lot. Wurman, Richard Saul. Information Anxiety, Doubleday, 1989, 356 pages. Looks into the causes and treatments for the gap between data and knowledge. Those of us who are deluged by an avalanche of information, or responsible for managing the technology that generates much of that information, would do well to understand the nature of "information anxiety." Zuboff, Shoshana. In the Age of the Smart Machine: The Future of Work and Power. Basic Books, Inc., 1988, 468 pages. Explores the changes in management and organization that will be necessary to fully exploit the power of the computer. Through in-depth studies of a number of companies, the book describes the power of information technology "to provide a deeper level of transparency to (organizational) activities that had been either partially or completely opaque." ************************************************************************