Aligning Business and IT Goals

by | Jul 31, 2023 | Computer science

Story
Many IT managers have assumed that if they just “do their job,” then they are also meeting organizational goals. In other words, they assume that IT and business goals are basically in alignment. Someone higher up the chain of command has made sure that the projects in the IT portfolio all directly support the business strategy and goals. This is usually not true.
Part of the issue is that most IT personnel do not understand the dynamic nature of strategic business planning. The business must change and adapt to the competitive environment, which then triggers a change in business strategy. If these changes are not communicated to IT, IT can be left pursuing some goals that are no longer relevant to the business.
Lessons Learned (Moral)
As a company, management has to adapt to changes and competition. Never assume that the current stated business strategy and goals are 100% up-to-date. Also recognize that IT and business strategy alignment is no easy task in a stable environment, much less a dynamic one.
Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.
Conduct research using the library and Internet for information about business goals and how they are related to IT goals. Select at least 2 business goals for a hypothetical organization, and respond to the following questions:
• What are some of the IT goals that would be related to the selected business goals?
• What are some of the issues that must be addressed when attempting to align these business and IT goals?
• How do the IT goals support or conflict with the business goals?

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Sample Answer 

Sample Answer 

Aligning Business and IT Goals: A Key to Success

In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, it is crucial for organizations to align their IT goals with their overall business goals. However, many IT managers assume that by simply doing their job, they are automatically meeting organizational goals. This assumption often leads to a misalignment between IT and business goals. This essay will explore the importance of aligning business and IT goals, and discuss the issues that must be addressed in order to achieve this alignment.

The Importance of Aligning Business and IT Goals

Business goals define the strategic direction and objectives of an organization, while IT goals focus on leveraging technology to support and enhance these business goals. When business and IT goals are aligned, it ensures that technology initiatives are directly contributing to the success of the organization. Let’s consider a hypothetical organization and explore how some business goals can be related to IT goals.

Example: Hypothetical Organization

Business Goals:

  1. Increase customer satisfaction by improving the quality of customer service.
  2. Expand market share by entering new geographical markets.

IT Goals Related to Business Goals:

  1. Implement a customer relationship management (CRM) system to enhance customer service processes and provide better support to customers.
  2. Develop an e-commerce platform to enter new geographical markets and facilitate online sales.

Issues in Aligning Business and IT Goals

Achieving alignment between business and IT goals is not without its challenges. Some of the key issues that need to be addressed include:

  1. Communication: Effective communication between business and IT stakeholders is essential for understanding the evolving business strategies and goals. Regular meetings, workshops, and collaboration can help bridge the gap between the two departments.
  2. Flexibility: Both business and IT goals should be flexible enough to adapt to changing market conditions and emerging technologies. Fostering a culture of innovation and agility within the organization can facilitate this adaptability.
  3. Resource Allocation: Aligning business and IT goals often requires allocating sufficient resources, both human and financial. Prioritization of IT projects based on their impact on business goals is crucial for successful alignment.
  4. Skillset Alignment: IT personnel need to possess the right skillset to support business goals. Continuous training and development programs can ensure that IT professionals are equipped with the necessary knowledge and expertise.

Support or Conflict: IT Goals and Business Goals

In our hypothetical organization, the identified IT goals support the corresponding business goals. The implementation of a CRM system enables better customer service, leading to increased customer satisfaction. Similarly, the development of an e-commerce platform helps the organization expand its market share by reaching new geographical markets.

However, conflicts between IT and business goals can arise if there is a lack of understanding or miscommunication. For example, if the IT department focuses solely on technical requirements without considering the strategic objectives of the organization, there may be a misalignment. It is crucial for IT personnel to have a clear understanding of the business goals and how their technology initiatives contribute to them.

Conclusion

Aligning business and IT goals is vital for organizations to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. By understanding the relationship between business goals and IT goals, organizations can ensure that technology initiatives directly contribute to the success of the business. Effective communication, flexibility, resource allocation, and skillset alignment are key factors in achieving this alignment. It is important for organizations to continuously evaluate and realign their IT goals with their evolving business strategies to stay ahead of the curve.

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