From Backoffice to the Boardroom: A Critique - Essay Example

The study also presented the reasons why did the company undertake such a venture. It also provided a brief background of the company and the different problems the company faces with regards to the impression of their own company management staff about the usage of IT in business. The article also showed the steps taken by the company in solving this problem and the different issues related to it.

The main point that was discussed by the article was the three IT education initiatives that BAT put up. These were the IT Appreciation Program (ITAP), IT Management Excellence Program (ITEP), and Regional IT Appreciation/e-Business Program that were based on the Three IT assets model (Human, Relationship, and Technology Asset). Each program was targeted at specific sectors of the company like the ITAP was programmed for country-level functional directors, ITEP for high potential IT managers, and the Regional ITAP/e-business for a country-level top team. Each has also its own objectives but it is in line with the company’s objective of not only improving the capacity of each of its line managers but also the relationship between them. The programs also addressed the little understanding of its line executives and the few programs of their companies on technology. It also provided details on how the program was implemented and some of the early challenges each program faced. Supplementary feedbacks from the participants of the program were also added. They have also included the impact of these programs on the company.

The article was presented very well. Although there are some points that the author/s may have overlooked. First, it wasn’t clear what the objective of the case study is. Although at the end of the article they have raised a question if this case study can be also used as a model for other companies to take the path of BAT, they have never answered their question. Instead, the article remained “BAT-centric” as it had been in the first few pages. In essence, maybe the authors would want their study to become an example of how a multi-national company used IT in improving their businesses. But the study turned out to be an assessment of BAT’s steps to maximize the use of IT and educate the company’s line management. It was further affirmed at the end of the study when they provided future possibilities that BAT can have. This case study was meant only for the company British American Tobacco.

Second, the study focused too much on the success of the company’s programs. Although they have presented some problems with these programs, they have never explained why these certain problems and issues arise and what can be done to overcome them. Lastly, the feedback that they have collected is not sufficient. Getting feedback from very few people is very unreliable because there is a fact that this is a very large company. Although getting feedback is very important, they could have not included it in this study. Instead, this could become a new topic for another case study. If this study would want to serve as a model for other companies as well, they should have gathered information from other companies that have done similar programs, compare them, and make recommendations to further improve it.