Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter XVI
Adding Reality to Team
Projects:
E-Business Consulting for
Small Business Entities
Sharon W. Tabor
Boise State University, USA
ABSTRACT
While hiring companies consistently emphasize the importance of communication and team
skills for new IT graduates, students consistently emphasize their dislike for academic team
projects. In an effort to make the team project a more interesting and valuable experience,
an upper-division e-commerce course at Boise State University includes the development
of prototype sites for actual businesses. In addition to concepts, strategies, and technical
tools, students learn transferable consulting skills and improve necessary team skills.
These skills groups are applied to real-world business problems, resulting in successful
team experiences for the students and expanded horizons for the participating businesses.
Part of the success is attributable to well-defined expectations, team-building exercises,
and a structured client engagement process that serves the needs of the businesses as well
as the student teams.
INTRODUCTION
Teaching electronic commerce in an IS curriculum is a challenge, primarily due to the
cross-functional nature of the topic. While few would disagree that e-commerce requires a
great deal of technology to make it happen, many functions within the organization impact
an e-commerce project. When the author developed her first upper-division e-commerce
