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Published on Jun 5, 2023
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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
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Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, opening up exciting new possibilities for businesses of all types. Yet, it’s important for those within the information technology (IT) field to remain rooted in governance and ethics while simultaneously reaching for new heights. If you’re curious about pursuing a career in IT after earning a business information systems degree, it will benefit you to first obtain a thorough grounding in business ethics and regulations.
Exactly what is governance in IT and what are IT governance best practices? This quick guide explains this core concept in the field.
Now that you know the answer to the questions, What is IT governance? and What are IT governance models? you may be thinking about how to build a career pathway that aligns with your business and technology interests. There are several IT career paths that involve IT governance, including the following:
If careers such as these appeal to you, then your first step is to earn a relevant bachelor’s degree. A business information systems degree will instill both, as it will instill both business-related and technological competencies. The exact curriculum will vary from one program to the next, but in general, you could expect to study topics such as the following:
If you’re eager to develop and implement IT governance best practices in your future career, you can build a firm foundation for success at Grand Canyon University. The Colangelo College of Business is pleased to offer the Bachelor of Science in Applied Business Information Systems degree program, which instills core competencies in IT project management, data management principles and ethical considerations related to IT governance, among other areas. Complete the form on this page to learn more about joining our dynamic learning community.
Approved by the director of academic operations from the Colangelo College of Business on May 16, 2023
IT governance is quite a broad topic, and meeting all of the internal and external requirements might seem a little overwhelming at first. However, companies don’t need to reinvent the wheel. There are multiple established IT governance frameworks that may be applied, perhaps with some modifications. IT departments and companies often choose from the following IT governance frameworks:
Some of these frameworks emphasize certain areas or are better suited to certain types of companies than others. For example, the FAIR framework is predominantly concerned with identifying and mitigating cybersecurity and operational risks.
Although every business has its own unique ecosystem, all types of businesses can use IT governance frameworks to achieve certain goals. Some common objectives for implementing IT governance models can include the following:
This last objective is particularly critical. Arguably, it could be said that regulatory compliance is the single most important objective of an IT governance framework.
It wouldn’t do for an IT department to successfully support the business’ overall goals only to do so in a way that flouts external regulations and exposes its stakeholders to significant risks. All types of industries are subject to governmental regulations, such as those that involve data privacy and financial disclosures, and the IT department is responsible for ensuring that the company’s IT practices are in full compliance with those regulations.
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Before taking a closer look at the question, What is IT governance? it can be helpful to reaffirm your understanding of the IT field itself. In the broadest of terms, IT refers to the use of technology for the transfer and processing of information, as well as for communication. In practical terms, IT can be defined as the application of technology to solve problems, streamline processes and improve operations. For example, the IT department at a major corporation is responsible for planning, developing, implementing and troubleshooting all of the networks and systems that the company needs to carry out its mission and day-to-day operations.
A typical IT department is also charged with upholding IT governance and ethics standards. So, what is governance in IT? An IT governance framework guides the IT department in shaping their IT operations in a way that furthers the overall business objectives of the company. The IT team can do this by setting quality standards, tracking results and ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations — both internal and external.
In other words, IT governance is like a quality control process that ensures that the company’s technological systems are developed and implemented in a way that furthers the company’s objectives. IT governance involves establishing policies, procedures and standards that are proactive in nature and that guide the IT department’s activities in the present and into the future.
Effective and ethical IT governance best practices must take a holistic approach. In order to truly understand IT governance best practices, it can be helpful to examine some of the common results of improper IT governance:
Clearly, those results are not conducive to the long-term success of the IT department or the company as a whole. Instead, the IT function must carefully plan, implement and evaluate its organizational structures, policies, culture and infrastructure to ensure each component is aligned with IT governance best practices.
Some examples of improper IT governance include:
Furthermore, the IT department should make any investments in additional IT infrastructure only after thoroughly analyzing costs, benefits and risks. All decision making should be wholly transparent. It’s also important to ensure that IT-related decisions and investments are not made in a vacuum; rather, the IT team leader should closely collaborate across departments to ensure that the IT infrastructure continually supports the overall business objectives.
