IT Management Issues: A Report on World University's IT Decisions

This report provides a critical analysis of IT management issues at World University, an online education provider. The assignment examines four key decisions made by the university's management: a student loyalty scheme, providing laptops to students, implementing two business processes (compliance and risk management), and leveraging social media for promotion. The report delves into the implications of each decision, discussing the advantages and potential challenges associated with each strategy. The analysis explores the role of IT in supporting these initiatives, considering aspects like effective communication, risk mitigation, and competitive advantage. The report concludes with recommendations for World University, offering insights to optimize its IT management practices and enhance its business model.

Running head: IT MANAGEMENT ISSUES
IT Management Issues
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

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Executive Summary
Use of the information technology is one of the most important factors that are opening new
windows of opportunities to the business organizations. Besides the lots of advantages, there
are some potential challenges that may be faced by the business organizations while using the
IT tools in there business. In this assignment, the IT management issues have been discussed
with respect to a particular business organization, World University. The university is a new
organization, which is providing online education throughout the whole world. In order to
increase the business and promote the business to the target audience, the organization has
taken four decisions in the area of their Information technology use. In this report the four
decisions have been critically analysed and at the end of the report, some recommendations
have been given.

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Case Study Description..............................................................................................................2
Decisions Taken by Management..............................................................................................3
Decision 1: Study Together-.................................................................................................3
Decision 2: Laptop Providing-...............................................................................................3
Decision 3: Two Business Processes for Enhancing the Model –.........................................3
Decision 4: Use of Social Media in Promoting the Model –.................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
The term Information Technology (IT) can be referred as the utilization of the
computer system and technology for information sharing, storing and manipulation or
processing of data for the business purpose. It is the subset of the overall Information and
communication technology (ICT). Computer systems and other required devises for utilizing
this technology are known as the information technology devices (Bilbao-Osorio, Dutta &
Lanvin, 2013). Using these devices in proper combination and setup is very important to get
the expected outcome from this. There are some specific strategies for managing and
handling the IT devices and technology based on the specific needs of the user
organization(s).
In this report the Management issues associated with the IT utilization in World
University have been discussed. The report deals with the different types of IT technologies
associated with the operation of the case study organization, the issues associated with these
and the importance of social media for utilizing the specific IT model.
Case Study Description
The case study organization, Worlds University is one of the well-known universities
across the globe which are providing the scope of online education. The university had been
developed by combination of a group of private online education provider institutions. The
teachers of the university are providing lesson over the internet for all the campuses they
have worldwide. The students are able to log in their university online portal from anywhere
at any time. All the communication with the university office are done over the internet. The
cost effectiveness of the courses they are offering online, the university is very famous.

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Decisions Taken by Management
The management department of the university has selected four decisions for the
well-being of the organization. The decisions are discussed in the section below:
Decision 1: Study Together- One of the decision taken by the management is the
loyalty scheme for the students called “Study Together”. This is a scheme, where the students
can get the rewards for introducing another student. In more simple words, it is a method of
providing referral reward to the students. The benefits of the loyalty scheme is dependent on
the course type and duration picked by the introduced student. The payment for the enrolment
are done by either credit card or PayPal account. The fees are non refundable. This scheme
has brought a mentionable level of profit in the business of the university as the students have
shown more interests to introduce new students for getting the rewards of the loyalty program
(Santana, Rigoni & Huang, 2013).
Decision 2: Laptop Providing- Another decision taken by the management was
providing laptops to the students of the university. This was an important requirement for the
students as they need to log in the university portal through computer system. The study
materials and e-books are needed to be accessed by the computer system. Because of these
reasons, a laptop is the basic requirements for each and every students of the university. In
order to mitigate the issues regarding the laptop and attracting the students towards their
services, the university decided to provide laptops to the students. The scheme was to take the
fees for the eBooks, other study materials and laptops with the course fee. The laptops are
pre-configured and the students do not have the option of not taking the laptops while paying
the course fees.
Decision 3: Two Business Processes for Enhancing the Model – The next decision
taken by the organization was the implement of two important process or strategy for the

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business. The aim of this decision was to get the competitive advantage in the business. The
two process are discussed in the section below:
i) Compliance: This is regarding the legal audit or safety checking for the
organizational processes. These can be characterized as the particular affirmation or any kind
of affirmation that the person of a movement or the administration of an association uses for
satisfying the greater part of their necessities of the acknowledged practices, rules, controls,
enactments and indicated gauges. These laws or gauges are to a great degree required and
ought to be trailed by everybody of the association. The laws are declared by any overseeing
body or law-making body is actualized by the system to appropriately make it. The
significance of consistence or enactment is to a great degree high for any association
(Loebbecke & Picot 2015). The fundamental focal points of conveying consistence to the
World University are given underneath:
a) Building Positive Reputation: This process will help the organization to develop a
good brand image over the target audience. The students will be ensured that the university is
maintain all the legal disciplines, which is good for their future (Dahlstrom, Walker &
Dziuban, 2013).
b) Higher Productivity: The students will be extremely satisfied by this factor, which
will increase the number of students day by day. The successful engagement of the students
will definitely enhance the productivity of the university (No, An & Park, 2015).
ii) Risk Management Process: The strategy was regarding the management of the
associated risks with the business process. Being a new university, the organization has
several risk factors. Therefore, proper management of the risks should be ensured for
handling the business operation in smooth way. The management of the risks can be handled
by following the given steps in the section below (Galegher, Kraut & Egido, 2014).

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The first thing they need to consider is the identification of the risk factors and
reducing the probability of occurrence. At the initial level, most the risks are associated with
the financial factors and competition. They need to be prepare for all types of hazards by
keeping back up plans. Proper management can reduce the probability of occurrence of the
risks (Kellermann & Jones, 2013).
The technical issues is another major point which can be a risk to the operation of the
university as they are conducting the whole operation based on the Information technology
(Holtshouse, 2013). Therefore, keeping up to date system and technology and engagement of
efficient IT experts are necessary for the organization.
Decision 4: Use of Social Media in Promoting the Model – The fourth important
decision made by the organization is to engage social media with the business operation. At
the present situation everyone has become too much engaged with the social media. The
present generation is spending too much time in their social media accounts (Laudon &
Laudon, 2015). This scenario is the reason behind making the social media as the most
important platform for communication. The World University is providing online education
to the students world wide. Therefore, the target customers of the business of this
organizations are the students who are seeking online education. This is the main cause
behind the selection of social media as a promotional tool for the business process of the
organization (Luftman, Lyytinen & ben Zvi, 2017). The advantages that the university may
have by utilizing the social media platform as the promotional tool for the business model are
given in the section below:
i) Effective Communication with Target Market: As mentioned in the previous
paragraph the target market of the university are the student who are seeking online education
across the whole world. These people are highly engaged with the social media platform like

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Facebook, Twitter. Therefore, the university will be able to provide all the details regarding
their courses, fees and other important aspects in social media for reaching to the target
market (Kasemsap, 2016). The students will also be able to communicate with the university
authority via the social media platform. It will be an easier and convenience way of
communication between the students and the university.
ii) Improving Responsiveness: In order promoting the business model to the students,
the information passing is not the only important factor. The target students may have many
queries. The social media platform will enable the option of posting their queries and the
university personnel will be able to answer those queries (Westerman, Bonnet & McAfee,
2014).
iii) Finding Students: Due to the successful advertising, online networking can
without much of a stretch find different understudies for the World University and this would
be turn out be critical for the business. This specific stage can without much of a stretch find
the understudies regardless of their area.
iv) Competitive Advantage: The third part of web-based social networking in the
upgrade of plan of action is rivalry. Online networking shows the situation of the association
in market and how well the contenders are performing. World University, being another
player in the market, will have different huge rivals in the market and in this way ought to
have appropriate thought in regards to their business (De Haes & Van Grembergen, 2015).
v) Social Engagement: It will make a social domain for the college and its
understudies and it is to a great degree instructive. A unique identity of the university will be
developed in the social media platform, which will surely a great benefit to the organization
(Bloom, N., Garicano, Sadun & Van Reenen, 2014).

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vi) Effective Marketing: Social media is even in charge of producing premiums among
the devotees, who have been more receptive to the association and not an obtrusive approach
of showcasing. The inventiveness of web-based social networking helps in promoting the
administrations and in this way advising every one of the clients around the world. These
promotions are critical for World University for increasing different understudies as the
understudies will have the capacity to think about this college with pertinent subtle elements
(Wagner, Beimborn & Weitzel, 2014). Besides, online networking even spreads mindfulness
in regards to the business and in this manner allowing to the college in continually reminding
about the administrations they would offer to the understudies.
vi) Affordability: Social media is to a great degree financially savvy and in this
manner could be effectively managed by each association. World University does not need to
acquire tremendous expenses or costs on this kind of advertising efforts. Along these lines,
online networking is moderate by all (Wagner, Beimborn & Weitzel, 2014).
vii) Databases: The following critical part is the upkeep of databases. This stage will
give database administrations and subsequently putting away of data is amazingly less
demanding in regard to others (Dahlstrom, Walker & Dziuban, 2013). Accentuation is given
on the help and additionally administration of different databases from the remote area for
satisfying the prerequisites of understudies.
Conclusion
Subsequently, from the above analysis, it can be presumed that data innovation is the
selective utilization of different PCs, frameworks, organizing gadgets, physical gadgets,
strategies, foundation in making, and preparing, putting away, securing and additionally

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trading information in each shape. This data innovation is used inside the setting of a few
endeavour tasks and not just for amusement or individual purposes. The business usage of the
data innovation in the long run incorporates both communication and in addition innovation.
This data innovation includes different layers of physical supplies or equipment, working
frameworks, applications, programming, hi-tech IT instruments and virtualization procedures.
The business applications basically include database like SQL Server, email server like
Exchange, value-based framework like ongoing request section, web server like Apache,
frameworks for big business asset arranging and frameworks for client relationship
administration. These business applications execute different customized guidelines for
controlling, scattering, merging lastly influencing information in the business reason. This
kind of innovation is overseen in each association legitimately. The above report has
appropriately delineated the contextual investigation of World University with significant
points of interest. Two business forms are given here the part of web-based social networking
on the matter of this college.
Recommendation:
In order to manage the IT technology efficiently and get the desired outcomes from
the above discussed decisions some recommendations for World University have been
provided in this section.
Detailed information regarding the fees structure: In order to make the decisions of
including the price of the laptops within the course fees, it is very vital to give detailed
information in the online portal of the university where the students can found the breakdown
of the fees clearly. This will make the business transparent which will help them to develop a
good brand image.

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Timely communication in social media: As discussed, in the above section, Social
media platform will definitely help the university to grab the opportunity for developing a
good relationship with the target market. In order to utilize the opportunity, timely and proper
response providing is very vital for the university.

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References
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information technology and communication technology on firm
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Dahlstrom, E., Walker, J. D., & Dziuban, C. (2013). ECAR study of undergraduate students
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