CHAPTER 5: Organizational Structures That Support Strategic Initiatives

Organizational Structures

organization must work closely together to develop strategic initiatives that create competitive advantages.

IT Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Information Officer (CIO)- responsible for overseeing all uses of information technology and  ensuring the strategic alignment of IT with business goals and objectives.

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)- responsible for ensuring the throughput, speed, accuracy, availability, and reliablity of an organization's information technology.

Chief Security Officer (CSO)- responsible for ensuring the security of IT system and developing strategies and IT safeguards against attacks from hackers and viruses.

Chief Privacy Officer (CPO)- responsible for ensuring the ethical and legal use of information within an organization.

Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO)-responsible for collecting, maintaining, and distributing the organization's knowledge.

The Gap Between  Business Personnel and IT Personnel

• Business personnel posses expertise in functional areas such as marketing, accounting, sales, and so forth.
• IT personnel have the technological expertise. 
• Unfortunately, a communications gap often exists between the two.

Improving Communication

• Business personnel must seek to increase their understanding of IT. IT personnel must understand the business if the organization is going to determine which technologies can benefit (or hurt) the business.
• It is the responsibility of the CIO to ensure effective communication between business and IT personnel.

Ethics

the principles and standards that guide our behavior toward other people.

Privacy

the right to be left alone when you want to be, to have control over your own personnel possessions, and to not be observed without your consent.