The Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Information Technology [Hardcover]

CJ Rhoads (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0275995453 | ISBN-13: 978-0275995454

Software. Hardware. Networks. Wireless. Entrepreneurs face a bewildering array of choices and decisions when it comes to incorporating technology into the fabric of their businesses. Yet nothing could be more important these days. Aligning information technology (IT) with business strategy is essential to meet and beat the competition. As business strategy and technology expert CJ Rhoads shows, managing information technology effectively is an essential skill that all entrepreneurs must develop, just as they develop skills in sales or finance. However, due to the immaturity of the IT industry, making good decisions about information technology is very difficult. Reliable and unbiased information is hard to find, and technical people are often unable to convey information in a way that makes sense to entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Information Technology to the rescue!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Information Technology (IT) refers to the people, processes, hardware, and software that determines the flow of information within an organization….This book is an essential read for business professionals at all levels and can be used as a textbook alternative for an introduction to the management of technology in academic business programs."

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Library Journal

Review

"Just reading Chapter One, CJ Rhoads has helped me to make my plan for the future a more calculated and informed one."

(

Conrad Karlson, Karlson Photography

)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Praeger (March 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275995453
• ISBN-13: 978-0275995454
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,032,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. CJ Rhoads speaks and writes about leadership development, the impact of health on profitability, business strategy and technology. She is the founder of ETM Associates, Inc., a thriving enterprise, technology, and management consulting firm (ETMAssociates.com) in southeastern Pennsylvania. In 2009 she was named one of Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business, and in 2008 she was awarded the John P. Schellenberg Award for Excellence. She's also an associate professor in the College of Business at Kutztown University, an avid researcher, and a widely published book author. Her email address is [e-mail].

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Partial In Scope - But otherwise good insights, July 4, 2010

By 

Luke - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Information Technology (Hardcover)

Lots of good insights sprinkled throughout the book - author clearly has experience in the field discussed. But she does miss the entire dynamic of clients purchasing development days from the their IT vendor to cater to their evolving business process needs. If anything, author hints that such a thing would be bad - as the software must be perfect and stationary once purchased by a client. This isn't how the world works though. And in some areas of software, building out new functionality of the software is a clear win-win situation: if the client is constantly evolving their business process, they will want this. Also, the vendor will prove a willingness to success in BA and constantly improving their product - potentially carrying the lifespan out significantly longer than the spans that the author has in mind throughout. Due to author's complete ignorance in this area, I question how cutting-edge her experience is. But she's learned a lot of hard lessons and does share those lessons, which offer some good insights.

2.0 out of 5 stars The Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Information Technology, January 17, 2010

By 

P. D. Moore (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Information Technology (Hardcover)

Like sitting down with CJ over a cup of coffee. An informative, relaxed, witty, easy to understand way of wading through the complexities of IT decision making. CJ's clear and concise language provides many "ah-hah" moments for business owners and business managers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!, January 28, 2009

By 

L. Honore (Missouri City, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Information Technology (Hardcover)

I am a novice at managing IT projects. This book gave excellent insight on managing from different perspectives. I recommend it!