Chapter II: Case Study # 3: When Certification is Justified

1.)How can organization and vendors change their certification programs to test for skills as well as core knowledge? What issues might this introduce?

A worker needs good communications and problem-solving skills as well as perseverance to get the job done well. Vendors of offering certification as a marketing ploy and a source of revenue. The best recognized security certification is the CISSP, awarded by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC). Yet the CISSP examination, like so many other IT certifications examinations, is multiple choices. Employers and IT workers alike have begun to recognize the limitations of these types of examinations… They want to   ensure that examinees not only have core knowledge but also know how to use that knowledge-and a multiple-choice exam, even a six-hour, 250-question exam like the CISSP, can’t provide this assurance.


2.)  What are the primary arguments against certification? And how certifying bodies change their programs to overcome these shortcomings.

They accused managers without technical backgrounds of using certification as “a crutch, a poor but politically defensible substitute for knowing what and how well one’s subordinates are doing.”
Any manager would certainly do well to review these insightful points, yet they beg the question: What useful purposes can certification serve within an organization?
Some CIO and vice presidents of technology assert that many employers use certification as a means of training employees and increasing skill levels within the company. Some companies are even using certification as a perk to attract and keep good employees. Such companies may also enhance their employee training programs by offering a job-rotation program through which workers can acquire certification and experience as well.

3.) What are the benefits of certification? How might certification programs need to change in the future to better serve the needs of the IT community?

Employers are also making good use of certification as a hiring gate both for entry-level positions and for jobs that require specific core knowledge. For example, a company with a Windows Server network might run an ad for systems integration engineer and require a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification. A company that uses Siebel customer relationship management software might require a new hire to have a certification in the least version of Siebel.
In addition, specific IT fields such as project management and security have a greater need for certification. As the speed and complexity of production increase within the global market place, worker in a variety of industries are showing an increasing interest in project management certification.
Calls for training in the field of security management go beyond certification. The demand for security workers are expected to continue to grow rapidly in the next few years in the face of growing threads. Spam, computer viruses, spyware, botnets, and identity theft have businesses and government organizations worried. They want to make sure that their security managers can protect their data, systems, and resources.

Chapter I: Case Study # 3: Is There a Place for Ethics in IT?

   1.) Discuss how a CIO might handle Schrage’s scenarios using the suggested process for ethical decision making presented in this chapter.

     We are all faced with difficult decisions in our works and in our personal life. Most of us have developed a decision-making process that we execute automatically, without thinking about the steps we go through.Chief Information Officers (CIO) must gather and analyze facts to develop a good problem statement that Schrage’s article. Then seek information and opinions from a variety of people to broaden the frame reference. During the process, CIO must be extremely careful not to make assumptions about the situation. Simple situations can sometimes turn into complex controversies because no one takes the time to gather the facts.

   2.)   Discuss the possible short-term losses and long-term gains in implementing ethical solutions for each of Schrage’s scenarios.

    Some readers argued that CIO’s must consider the company’s long-term need rather than just the current needs of a specific project. Others argued that engaging in unethical behavior, even for the best of purposes, crosses a line that eventually leads to more serious transgressions. Some readers suspected that Schrage had published the article to provoke outrage. Another reader agreed with Schrage, arguing that ethics has to “take a back seat to budgets and schedules” in a large organization. This reader explained, “At the end, IT is business”.

   3.) Must businesses choose between good ethics and financial benefits? Explain your answer using Schrage’s scenarios as examples.

      A company is developing a customer is developing a customer relationship management (CRM) system, and the staff is working very hard to meet the deadline. The company plans to outscore the maintenance and support of the CRM system once it is developed, meaning that there is a good chance that two-thirds of the IT staff will be laid off. They would consider deliberately withholding important information from their boss if they knew that is disclosure would provoke his or her immediate counterproductive intervention in an important project. Business involves competing values, and trade-offs must be made to keep business operations from becoming paralyzed.

What takes to be an IT Professional?

Being an IT professional is more than just learning a programming language and getting a job. A complete IT professional has many traits – and they use these traits to stand out from the crowd and become a better employee and so many great reasons.

We should have attitudes. Our attitudes are reflections in all things that we do, including relationships with our customers. If we notice customers as a wicked and that they are just “bothering” us, they treated us entirely different than if we see them as investors in our company and people who will ultimately create the success of our organization. We can never be truly professional unless we develop a sincere respect for – and healthy attitude toward – our customers and guests. Second , we should have concentration and knowledge.

Concentration means knowing what to do at the right time. To achieve a high level of concentration, a professional has to be knowledgeable in what they do. Concentration is knowing the little things that make a difference, being in the right place at the right time, and knowing what to do and when to do it. Third, Effort and Passion. Being in the information technology industry it really needs to have more efforts and passion of what we are doing, as we all know that there are many competitive IT professionals in this era and we do not want to be left behind. For a Professional, passion makes the difference. Lastly , Skills and interests we should Excellent organizational skills, Excellent analytical and problem solving skills, Understanding of complex information and requirements, Good prioritization skills and be flexible enough to adapt plans, Good evaluation skills, Good communications skills - written and verbal, Great IT skills combined with a good head for business, Confidence in decision-making, A good team-playing mentality, Good leadership skills and An ability to work to tight deadlines and within constraints.

Being an IT Professional is not just a simple profession, it is a legitimate part on our society to provide people the basic or complex solutions in technology that normal people usually encounter, a professional in IT is also a solution provider. All of these things are possible if we have faith in God, faith in what we can do, and faith in what our future will be.