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Case Study: Management Information System at Dell

Management information system involves the information system and the organization. MIS begins where computer science ends. Computer scientists deserve accolades for developing and delivering even more advanced forms of information technology: hardware technology; software technology; and network technology. Yet because no technology implements itself, there is more to MIS than just information technology. MIS has dimensions. The four interrelated dimensions of MIS are as follows: First, MIS involves not just information technology, but also its instantiation; second, MIS involves, as reactive and inextricable elements, both an information system and its organizational context; third, MIS involves information technology as a form of intellectual technology; and fourth, MIS involves the activities of a profession or corporate function which are integral to the essence of what MIS is (Currie & Galliers, 1999).

Dell Computer Corporation: Company Background

Dell Computer Corporation is a major manufacturer of personal computers, computer peripherals, and software. Among the leading producers of computers in the world, Dell sells its products directly to customers through the Internet and mail-order catalogs rather than through retail outlets. The company is based in Round Rock, Texas. At Dell Computers, customers are brought into the product planning and manufacturing processes, with all employees encouraged having contact with customers. Through effective collaboration across boundaries, ideas can be shared about product designs and value propositions. The result is faster and more customer-focused product and service innovation. To produce the capacity for this, considerable attention must be placed on organizational structures, processes, skills and culture. Such elements   may need a radical overhaul in established companies (Dennis & Harris, 2002). Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell. In 1983, during his freshman year at the University of Texas, he bought excess inventory of RAM chips and disk drives for IBM personal computers from local dealers. He resold the components through newspaper advertisements at prices far below retail cost. By 1984, his sales totaled about $80,000 a month. In April 1984, Dell dropped out of school to launch his company (Ford, Honeycutt, & Simintiras, 2003).

The new company soon began manufacturing its own IBM-compatible computers under the name PCs Limited. Because Dell sold computers directly to users through advertisements in magazines and catalogs, the company could price its machines lower than those sold through retail stores. Sales reached nearly $6 million during the company’s first year, climbing to $34 million the following year. By 1987, Dell was the leading mail-order computer company in the United States. In that year, it created a sales force to target large corporations and began adding international offices to capture the direct-mail market outside the United States (Ford, Honeycutt, & Simintiras, 2003). While the company continued to grow rapidly; Dell experienced a series of setbacks that hurt profits. In 1990, the company began selling computers through retail stores, an effort it abandoned in 1994. In 1991, Dell launched a line of notebook computers, but quality problems and inadequate production planning forced the company to stop selling   for a year. In 1994, Dell launched a new line of notebook computers and expanded efforts to increase overseas sales. Dell also began focusing on the market for servers, which   used   the computers   to run local area networks. By the late 1990s, Dell was firmly in place as the world’s number one direct seller of computers. More than 50 percent of the company’s computer sales transactions took place via its website, which generated worldwide sales in excess of $40 million a day (Ford, Honeycutt, & Simintiras, 2003).

Information Processing Tools

Information processing or Data processing is the analysis and organization of data. It is used extensively in business, engineering, and science and   an increasing extent in nearly all areas in which computers are used. Businesses use data processing for such tasks as payroll preparation, accounting, record keeping, inventory control, sales analysis, and the processing of bank and credit card account statements. Engineers and scientists use data processing for a wide variety of applications, including the processing of seismic data for oil and mineral exploration, the analysis of new product designs, the processing of satellite imagery, and the analysis of data from scientific experiments (Thierauf, 1978).

Data processing is used extensively in business, engineering, and science and to an increasing extent in nearly all areas in which computers are used. Data processing is divided into two kinds of processing: database processing and transaction processing. A database is a collection of common records that can be searched, accessed, and modified, such as bank account records, school transcripts, and income tax data. In database processing, a computerized database is used as the central source of reference data for the computations. Transaction processing refers to interaction between two computers in which one computer initiates a transaction and another computer provides the first with the data or computation required for that function. Most modern data processing uses one or more databases at one or more central sites (Thierauf, 1978).

Transaction processing is used to access and update the databases when users need to immediately view or add information; other data processing programs are used at regular intervals to provide summary reports of activity and database status. Examples of systems that involve all of these functions are automated teller machines, credit sales terminals, and airline reservation systems (Thierauf, 1978).

The information processing tools that Dell uses include computers, the internet, maps, spreadsheets, models, and databases. For the operational level of Dell, the most appropriate tool for information processing is maps. Through the said information processing tool, decisions on how to operate the organization can be initialized and made. Maps can be used to determine which country/place information will be acquired from, it can also assist in determining the demographic level of people and information will be gathered . Maps can be in the form of charts that can also provide necessary information. The information gathered in turn can assist in helping to decide how an organization will be operated.   For the tactical level of Dell, the most appropriate tool for information processing is databases. Through the said information processing tool, the records that can assist in finding out the strength and weakness of the company can be used to determine the tactic that will be used by the organization. For the strategic level of Dell, the most appropriate information processing tool is the internet or World Wide Web. Through the internet, trends and strategies by other companies can be known. After analyzing the trends and strategies used by other companies, an appropriate strategy can be formulated to use by the organization.

Inventory control systems

Individual businesses need, first and foremost, an efficient inventory control system. This implies the minimum amount of inventory that will provide the consumers with what they need whenever and wherever they need it. Effectiveness of the inventory system means basically having an inventory mix that is most likely successful in satisfying consumer needs (Samli & Sirgy, 1995). The inventory control systems used by Dell is up to date and reliable to prevent problems to arise. The inventory system of Dell makes sure that anything the consumer need will be available to them at any given time. It is also what the company uses to know if certain products are still available or misuse of the inventory system may cost problems to the company.

Management information system involves the information system and the organization. Dell benefits a lot from the management information system. The system helps the company create strategies that will help the company conquer any problems and threats from competitors. The system also assists the company in processing the needed information. Management Information Systems also helps a company to create or update its inventory control system.

Recommendations

Since the MIS of a company is a vital part of its operations and its survival in the modern world, it must be well updated and it must compete well with MIS’s competitors. The MIS   of a company should be created from high standards so that it can be of stiff competition against its counterparts.   The MIS system should help the company to achieve its goals and assist the company in reaching its potential.

1. Comment on the MIS in Dell and suggest the positives and negatives of MIS in Dell?

2. The dell directly sells its computers to the customer whether it will give them good and reliable information or they are lacking in information system due to this move?

3. Develop the information flow diagram for dell and suggest some improvement in the same.

4. MIS is a combination of Management, Information and System otr of the three parts of the information system in which area does the Dell lacking?

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please publish the answers for the questions also… so that we can use for reference

Please post answers to the questions also so that we can also use it for our reference. Thanks.

Is it possible to have the answers to be used for reference please ?

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Management Information Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning Case Study

Introduction.

Businesses require constant information to be processed and disseminated to the relevant stakeholders on time. To achieve this, they need Management Information systems. A Management Information System is a set of connected apparatus, mostly computerized combinations that continuously acquire raw and needed data from within and outside a firm. Consequently, the data is processed and stored in a central place called database where it is always updated and availed to those with authority to access it.

There are several applications that are described in the case study. They are known as the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. The disseminate information relating to financials, inventories, manufacturing, sales and marketing, as well as order management and procurement. The systems also assist in project management documentation as well s post-implementation performance measurement.

El Alamein is faced by various challenges as they seek to implement the Enterprise Resource Planning systems. First and foremost, some heads of department have been resistant to change. They are used to relying on separate computers which were fitted with custom excel sheets so as to facilitate the operations.

The second challenge was high staff turnover during implementation. It is clear from the case study that El-Alamein suffered loss of six crucial people in a period of six months only. High staff turnover is hurting for business because a corporation has already invested a lot in those people in training as well as other resources offered to them during their stay in the organization.

In addition to heavy investment in the staff who left, their departure led to delay in the areas they were in charge of as well as repeating some of the steps already done during the analysis and set up stages.

To mitigate the resistance to change, El-Alamein took drastic steps. Firstly, the company identified crucial persons from all major departments to act as agents of change. These agents were to take up the role of convincing the other employees on the need to embrace the system.

Secondly, El-Alamein took it upon themselves to train users for the new system so that they understand how the new system will affect business operations. Lastly, the company took a step further by fostering participation by end users through inclusion of more employees than just the senior management when it came to decision making, analysis and implementation.

In my opinion, the three steps taken to mitigate resistance to change are so bright. When you involve people and especially the junior staff in decision making, analysis and implementation, the process is bound to be smooth because the feeling of imposition and ambush is expunged. They feel part of the process and as such, they own it and would not wish to see it fail.

Over and above, change agents, if well trained on their critical role can influence the viewpoint of other employees. They are trained to believe in the system/process first. Consequently, what they pass on to their colleagues is deep conviction from within them. This becomes easy to convince others in various departments.

The Enterprise Resource Planning systems helped El-Alamein to reduce investment risks. In addition, the company has strengthened the process of integration as well as improving the rate of production. The efficiency in regard to handling of inventory is now rated highly. The IT investments have helped El-Alamein to initiate connections with multinational corporations.

• Chicago (A-D)
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IvyPanda. (2018, November 29). Management Information Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning. https://ivypanda.com/essays/management-information-systems-mis/

"Management Information Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning." IvyPanda , 29 Nov. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/management-information-systems-mis/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Management Information Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning'. 29 November.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Management Information Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning." November 29, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/management-information-systems-mis/.

1. IvyPanda . "Management Information Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning." November 29, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/management-information-systems-mis/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Management Information Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning." November 29, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/management-information-systems-mis/.

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• Feminist Movement and Recommendations on Women’s Liberation According to Nawal El-Saadawi
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The MIS case study page

These case studies are provided for students who are studying the MIS course at the University of York.  You can gain access to the case studies from the links below.  If you are not a student on the MIS course, you are welcome to use them for teaching and non-profit use.  If you wish use these case studies, please contact me first - [email protected] .

The interviews used in these case studies are edited and anonymous versions of the interviews used in C. KIMBLE and K. McLOUGHLIN. - Computer Based Information Systems and Managers Work . New Technology, Work and Employment, 10(1), March, 1995, pp 56 - 67. ISSN 0268-1072.  Further details of this work can be found here .

If you wish to research the issues raised in these case studies further, you may find the links on the MIS links page or some text books from the MIS books section of some use to you.

All of the case studies have the same form. Each contains:

• Some background material on the organization and systems that form the basis of the case study
• Transcribed interviews with managers and/or users of the system.

The case studies are intended to be group exercises.  You should:

• Form teams of the appropriate size.
• Each individual team member should read the background material and one case study interview.
• The whole team should meet together and answer the questions.

Case Study One (teams of five)

Case Study One is the smallest of the case studies (25 pages) and looks at the problems that a chemical company (Company Y) experienced when it attempted to implement a particular type of information system (MRP II) in its plants. The case study is based on five interviews with directors and senior managers in the company.  You should note that each interview only contains part of the whole picture and are spread over a period of 18 months.

Case Study Two (teams of six)

Case study two is larger (67 pages) and is split into two documents: the background (22 pages) and the interviews (45 pages).  The case study is about (a) the effects that the introduction of the Customer Service System (CSS) had on the way that BT were able to manage their business and (b) the way in which CSS affected the way in which those managers worked.  The background material consists of general background material on BT and some press cuttings on BT.  The interviews are edited transcripts from interviews with six managers at BT.  Again, each interview only contains part of the whole picture although in this case all of the interviews were conducted at the same time.

Case Study Three (teams of eight)

The final case study is larger again (72 pages) and is also split into two documents: the background (18 pages) and the interviews (53 pages).  The case study is about the effects of the introduction of a network (LAN) and messaging system  (e-mail) into the Central Post Office in Newcastle upon Tyne.  The background material consists of general background material on Royal Mail and some press cuttings.  There are eight interviews all of which were conducted at the same time. As before, each interview contains only part of the whole picture.

Management Information Systems: In Business, in Academia, and in The Future

By Andy Marker | October 26, 2017 (updated December 14, 2021)

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Management information systems (MIS) is a changing and challenging field. Modern businesses can’t survive for long without using some sort of MIS to manage massive amounts of data, and there are plenty of opportunities to study or work in the discipline. In this article, we’ll cover what is happening with MIS in both business and academia. You’ll learn about what constitutes an MIS, their origin and evolution, their capabilities, and also gain insights from experts in the field.

What Is a Management Information System?

In business, management information systems (or information management systems) are tools used to support processes, operations, intelligence, and IT. MIS tools move data and manage information. They are the core of the information management discipline and are often considered the first systems of the information age.

MIS produce data-driven reports that help businesses make the right decisions at the right time. While MIS overlaps with other business disciplines, there are some differences:

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) : This discipline ensures that all departmental systems are integrated. MIS uses those connected systems to access data to create reports. 
• IT Management : This department oversees the installation and maintenance of hardware and software that are parts of the MIS. The distinction between the two has always been fuzzy.
• E-commerce: E-commerce activity provides data that the MIS uses. In turn, the MIS reports based on this data affect e-commerce processes. 

Maeve Cummings , Co-author of Management Information Systems for the Information Age and Professor of Accounting & Computer Information Systems at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, explains how MIS functions in academia. “[Management information systems is] the study of computers and computing in a business environment. Computer science focuses on the machine while information systems, or management information systems, focuses on how IT can support the strategy and operation of organizations,” she explains.

The concept includes what computers can do in this field, how people process information, and how best to make it accessible and up-to-date. Cummings adds, “The ‘right information in the right place at the right time’ is what we are striving for. This discipline is much more eclectic than straight computer science.” 

Besides computer science, there are fields of study that overlap with MIS, both at the theoretical and practical levels:

• Information Systems (IS): In IS, there is a greater emphasis on tools, while MIS places more emphasis on business processes and operations.
• Information Technology (IT): IT is similar to IS, but it focuses solely on computers.
• Informatics: A discipline that combines software engineering, information systems development, and networking. 
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering: These fields focus on the development and improvement of hardware and software, respectively. MIS helps determine the practical and theoretical implications of these changes. 

History of Management Information Systems

The technology and tools used in MIS have evolved over time. Kenneth and Aldrich Estel, who are widely cited on the topic, have identified six eras in the field. 

After an era ends, the previous era’s hardware are still in use. In fact, mainframes (albeit much faster, cheaper, and easier to access than their predecessors) are still used today.

From Ledgers to Flash Memory

In the days where businesses recorded all transactions in a bound ledger, tallying and tracking what was going on took a lot of time and work. In the late 1800s, process automation began to appear in the the form of punch cards. Associated machines tabulated the punch card data and printed results, which made it easier to capture transactions. The company that came to eventually be known as IBM was founded in the early 1900s and became the leader in business machines and punch cards. These cards evolved from a solution to automate pattern creation in weaving machines. The company adapted the idea to store and input data for applications from as simple as time for payroll to very complicated uses like recording census data. When general-purpose computers became available after WWII (originally developed for codebreaking, calculating shell trajectories, and other war-related needs), the punch card became an input method as well as a way to store outputs (though it required readers to decode and print the data so people could read it). 

Later, magnetic media (such as tapes and floppy disks) took over the storage of input and output, and computers could read and write directly to their own memory. This eliminated the need for the specialized machines. Next, optical media (like CDs and DVDs) that could store much more data on a single disc came along. Today, we are transitioning to flash memory (which also goes by solid state, as in a solid state drive or SSD). Flash memory has a higher capacity, is less volatile, and you can reuse it thousands of times with little degradation in quality.

Each of these periods has brought an increase in storage capacity at a lower cost. In tandem with the constant increase in computing power, more and more powerful software, almost-ubiquitous connectivity via wifi and mobile devices, and ever-expanding networking that evolved into the internet, work that previously took many hours - like tabulating a company's shipping costs over a year or population increases in a state over a century - now takes little time or human effort.

On the software side, the functions that paper ledgers performed moved to spreadsheet programs (the term spreadsheet came from the large sheets of paper spread out on tables). Microsoft Excel is the best-known example, but it wasn’t the first to become popular. VisiCalc, which was created for the Apple II in the late 1970s by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston, was the first to gain popularity. There were spreadsheet programs available for mainframes and minicomputers before VisiCalc, but they didn’t offer the ability to see results in real time. 

Spreadsheets became more powerful in the 70s and 80s. When connected with databases, they gave users the ability to easily and quickly access and manipulate data. As users’ needs and desires changed, specialized programs were developed for different user groups, allowing innovative ways to use data. 

Information technology and MIS used to be synonymous. Task automation (such as report creation) led to an expansion of the work that fell under MIS. Simultaneously, the definition of IT expanded even more, and it now encompases areas beyond MIS, such as cyber security and network administration.

Categories of Management Information Systems

Management information system is a broad term that incorporates many specialized systems. The major types of systems include the following:

• Executive Information System (EIS): Senior management use an EIS to make decisions that affect the entire organization. Executives need high-level data with the ability to drill down as necessary. 
• Marketing Information System (MkIS): Marketing teams use MkIS to report on the effectiveness of past and current campaigns and use the lessons learned to plan future campaigns.
• Business Intelligence System (BIS): Operations use a BIS to make business decisions based on the collection, integration, and analysis of the collected data and information. This system is similar to EIS, but both lower level managers and executives use it. 
• Customer Relationship Management System (CRM): A CRM system stores key information about customers, including previous sales, contact information, and sales opportunities. Marketing, customer service, sales, and business development teams often use CRM .
• Sales Force Automation System (SFA): A specialized component of a CRM system that automates many tasks that a sales team performs. It can include contact management, lead tracking and generation, and order management.
• Transaction Processing System (TPS): An MIS that completes a sale and manages related details. On a basic level, a TPS could be a point of sale (POS) system, or a system that allows a traveller to search for a hotel and include room options, such as price range, the type and number of beds, or a swimming pool, and then select and book it. Employees can use the data created to report on usage trends and track sales over time.
• Knowledge Management System (KMS): Customer service can use a KM system to answer questions and troubleshoot problems. 
• Financial Accounting System (FAS): This MIS is specific to departments dealing with finances and accounting, such as accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR).
• Human Resource Management System ( HRMS ): This system tracks employee performance records and payroll data.
• Supply Chain Management System (SCM): Manufacturing companies use SCM to track the flow of resources, materials, and services from purchase until final products are shipped.  

Types of MIS Reports

At their core, management information systems exist to store data and create reports that business pros can use to analyze and make decisions. There are three basic kinds of reports: 

• Scheduled: Created on a regular basis, these reports use rules the requestor has provided to pull and organize the data. Scheduled reports allow businesses to analyze data over time (e.g. an airline can see the percentage of lost luggage by month), location (e.g. a retail chain can compare sales figures from different stores), or other parameters.
• Ad-hoc: These are one-off reports that a user creates to answer a question. If the reports are useful, you can turn ad-hoc reports into scheduled reports. 
• Real-time: This type of MIS report allows someone to monitor changes as they occur. For example, a call center manager may see an unexpected spike in call volume, and find a way to increase productivity or send some of the calls elsewhere.

Benefits of Using Management Information Systems

Using an MIS system can improve the performance of a company in many ways. R. Kelly Rainer, Jr. , George Phillips Privett Professor at Auburn University and Co-author of Management Information Systems, Moving Business Forward , says, “Any organization that does not use MIS simply will not exist for long. This statement would not have been true a couple of decades ago, but computer-based information systems are now essential to the survival of any organization.” 

Beyond the need to stay competitive, there are some key advantages of effective use of management information systems:

• Management can get an overview of their entire operation.
• Managers have the ability to get feedback about their performance.
• Organizations can maximize benefits from their investments by seeing what is working and what isn’t.
• Managers can compare results to planned performance by identifying strengths and weakness in both the plan and the performance.
• Companies can drive workflow improvements that result in better alignment of business processes to customer needs.
• Many business decisions are moved out of upper management to levels of the organization that is closer to where the knowledge and experience lie.

Management Information Systems in Healthcare Organizations

As healthcare companies continue to evolve with the changing technology landscape, and more information, like treatment data, patient information, and operations processes are stored within these systems, healthcare organizations face a need to gain visibility into this critical information anytime, anywhere.

MIS in healthcare enables data and information management related to clinical trials, financial and legal information, pharmaceutical details, physician credentials, and more, to be handled within one comprehensive system. However, because much of this information is confidential and must abide by HIPAA regulatory requirements, these organizations must also be confident that their MIS is safeguarded.

To enable healthcare teams to organize, manage, and store critical information within one holistic system, while also ensuring that their data is safe and all protected health information (PHI) is secure, they need a tool that provides transparency into critical processes, while remaining protected.

Smartsheet is a work execution platform that enables healthcare companies to improve work efficiency, scale business processes, and manage patient data and information, all while securely storing and sharing PHI. Streamline reporting, track and manage assets and resources, and organize all business-critical information in one centralized location to ensure your business runs efficiently, knowing that your data is protected and compliant under HIPAA guidelines.

Interested in learning more about how Smartsheet can help you maximize your efforts? Discover Smartsheet for Healthcare .

MIS Degrees and Careers

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) projection for employment in computer and information occupations are projected to grow by 22 percent from 2010 to 2020, adding about 758,000 new jobs.

There’s a common misconception that MIS is just coding. Though that task is a part of it, there are many skills and attributes required for MIS-related careers, including the following:

• Problem solving
• Liking to work with people
• Strategic thinking, especially about technology. In a 1998 paper titled The Balanced Scorecard: A Foundation For the Strategic Management of Information Systems , authors Maris Martinsons, Robert Davison, and Dennis Tse state: In addition to managing current performance, there is also a need to measure and evaluate the readiness of the IS department or function for the future. The future readiness perspective is concerned with: 1. continually improving the skillset of IS specialists in order to prepare them for potential changes and challenges in the future; 2. regularly updating the applications portfolio; and 3. putting effort into researching emerging technologies and their potential value to the organization.
• Developing and implementing new ideas
• Understanding both technology and business
• The ability to look at both details and the big picture
• Communication skills, both written and oral. R. Kelly Rainer, Jr. explains, “The ability of MIS employees to communicate effectively with users in order to understand their business problems. After gaining that understanding, MIS employees must present computer-based solution(s) to those problem(s) without using MIS jargon. The trickiest problem here occurs when a business problem does not have a computer-based solution. In some cases, users are looking for a ‘silver, computer-based bullet’ for a problem that does not have such a solution. For example, a problem with corporate culture might not have a technological solution.”
• Time and resource management
• Comfortable with technological change. R. Kelly Rainer, Jr. says, “One function of MIS employees is to keep abreast of emerging technologies and the potential impacts that these technologies will have on their organization. In fact, MIS employees must be conversant with SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analyses for each of these technologies. MIS employees must use original thinking when they present these analyses to organizational management.”

There are many employment paths for someone who wants to pursue a career in MIS. These are some MIS-related job titles/fields:

• Business analyst
• Business application developer
• Business intelligence analyst
• Computer and information systems manager
• Computer systems analyst
• Data communications analyst
• Data integration
• Database administrator
• Database analyst
• Information exchange
• Information integration
• Information resources management
• Information security
• Information systems manager
• IT consultant
• IT development project leader
• IT user liaison
• Knowledge management
• Network administrator
• Network systems analyst
• Systems analyst
• Systems developer
• Technical support specialist
• Web developer

While every modern business needs MIS, some industries devote more of their resources to the practice than others do; these include health care, financial services, and telecommunications. Therefore, job seekers might find more opportunity in those verticals.

If someone wants to pursue a degree in an MIS-related field, Collegefactual.com has compiled a list of the top BA programs in the U.S., based on related overall education quality, degrees offered, earnings potential, and other factors:

• University of Notre Dame
• University of Washington
• Georgetown University
• Villanova University
• Santa Clara University
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• University of Texas at Austin
• Rochester Institute of Technology

Recent Developments and The Future of Management Information Systems

Management information systems, like any discipline that involves computers and software, is constantly changing. Some recent developments in the field include the following:

• PCs Can Now Host MISs: A small business can have access to the powerful software that previously was only available to large enterprises.
• Application and Management Service Providers: Similar to renting cloud storage, companies can rent software packages and systems management services and expand as their needs change.
• Security: As proved by recent data breaches, data security has moved from a minor concern to a major one. Detailed information about security practices can be found here . 

In the future, many of the same forces that will change the larger world will affect MIS, but some will have a greater impact than others. MIS experts weigh-in on the topic and what we can expect going forward:

Maeve Cummings believes:

One big area of development in information technology is artificial intelligence (AI), which goes far beyond robots that control production (for example, in the automobile industry). Machines are becoming smarter in that they can learn how to solve problems. One such system is a neural network, which is used to alert you that your credit card may have been used unlawfully. These neural networks form a pattern of your spending and based on that, they flag purchases that are out of character, which is when you're notified or your credit card is frozen, depending on the situation. Such developments undoubtedly affect MIS, but they also affect the culture, the law, medicine, military defense, etc.

With so much big data being collected and analyzed nowadays, there will be a great need for legal minds to help sort through the various issues of what should and should not be legal from a privacy point of view. Also, with the budding field of computer-aided mind reading, still very much in its infancy, the issue of what society is allowed to do with that information will be crucial. For example, if you can read a person’s mind to determine whether that person is lying or not, would that be considered evidence or testimony? The law protects people from incriminating themselves (i.e. testimony). However, evidence, such as blood and hair samples may be taken without the consent of the accused. So which is mind-reading? The most interesting part of this business is that it is constantly changing and becoming more powerful. That is also the most alarming part of it.

R. Kelly Rainer Jr shares his thoughts on emerging technologies:

• Artificial Intelligence: Narrow AI (AI for specific tasks) is now pervasive in many organizations. Advances in machine learning and deep learning are making narrow AI much more valuable to all of us. Think instantaneous translation, autonomous vehicles, robots, digital manufacturing (3D printing), etc. MIS departments must try to keep up with these advances and decide how narrow AI can be used in their organizations. 
• The Internet of Things (IoT): The rapid increase of placing sensors on all objects (animate and inanimate) is leading to a sense-and-respond environment. MIS employees should perform the SWOT analysis on IoT for their organizations. A well-publicized example of IoT is General Electric and its Predix operating system.
• Blockchain: Distributed-ledger technology is now being used in a large number of areas. Again, MIS employees must keep up with this technology and see how it impacts their organizations. 
• Financial Technology (FinTech): If your organization is in the financial sector, your MIS employees had better be closely watching start-up FinTech companies. These companies are planning on disrupting the traditional financial sector.
• Quantum Computing: As Moore’s Law begins to slow as we reach the physical limits on how many integrated circuits we can place on a chip, a new paradigm is emerging called quantum computing. Classical computing uses bits, which are either a “0” or a “1.” Quantum computing uses quantum bits (qubits). Unlike classical bits, qubits can store much more information than just 1 or 0 because they can exist in any superposition of these values. Quantum computing is in its very early days, but its potential can provide a dramatic increase in computing speeds. For example, scientists are hoping to be able to accurately model the climate. Another application lies in the field of information security.

Revue of Top Management Information Systems Textbooks

The future of MISs and new technologies will provide new ways to use data to improve business processes, acquire and work with customers, educate employees, and more. If you’re interested in learning more about management information systems, these books can help flush out your understanding of the field and its opportunities. 

Management Information Systems for the Information Age by Steven Haag and Maeve Cummings. Learn the basics of the field and study examples of how organizations have implemented the concepts presented. 

Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm by Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon. This is geared toward business students and provides insight into how businesses leverage IT systems to meet their corporate objectives.

Management Information Systems, Moving Business Forward by by R. Kelly Rainer, Jr. and Hugh J. Watson. This book ties MIS concepts to practice activities, and the activities give students experience with software used in the business world.

Business Information Management: Improving Performance Using Information Systems by Dave Chaffey and Gareth White. In this book, you’ll learn how to apply problem-solving skills to MIS-related problems while looking at them from the perspective of different roles inside a company.

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• Case Studies

Case Study Basics

What is a case study *.

A case study is a snapshot of an organization or an industry wrestling with a dilemma, written to serve a set of pedagogical objectives. Whether raw or cooked , what distinguishes a pedagogical case study from other writing is that it centers on one or more dilemmas. Rather than take in information passively, a case study invites readers to engage the material in the case to solve the problems presented. Whatever the case structure, the best classroom cases all have these attributes: (1)The case discusses issues that allow for a number of different courses of action – the issues discussed are not “no-brainers,” (2) the case makes the management issues as compelling as possible by providing rich background and detail, and (3) the case invites the creative use of analytical management tools.

Case studies are immensely useful as teaching tools and sources of research ideas. They build a reservoir of subject knowledge and help students develop analytical skills. For the faculty, cases provide unparalleled insights into the continually evolving world of management and may inspire further theoretical inquiry.

There are many case formats. A traditional case study presents a management issue or issues calling for resolution and action. It generally breaks off at a decision point with the manager weighing a number of different options. It puts the student in the decision-maker’s shoes and allows the student to understand the stakes involved. In other instances, a case study is more of a forensic exercise. The operations and history of a company or an industry will be presented without reference to a specific dilemma. The instructor will then ask students to comment on how the organization operates, to look for the key success factors, critical relationships, and underlying sources of value. A written case will pre-package appropriate material for students, while an online case may provide a wider variety of topics in a less linear manner.

Choosing Participants for a Case Study

Many organizations cooperate in case studies out of a desire to contribute to management education. They understand the need for management school professors and students to keep current with practice.

Organizations also cooperate in order to gain exposure in management school classrooms. The increased visibility and knowledge about an organization’s operations and culture can lead to subsidiary benefits such as improved recruiting.

Finally, organizations participate because reading a case about their operations and decision making written by a neutral observer can generate useful insights. A case study preserves a moment in time and chronicles an otherwise hidden history. Managers who visit the classroom to view the case discussion generally find the experience invigorating.

The Final Product

Cases are usually written as narratives that take the reader through the events leading to the decision point, including relevant information on the historical, competitive, legal, technical, and political environment facing the organization. A written case study generally runs from 5,000 to 10,000 words of text supplemented with numerous pages of data exhibits. An online raw case may have less original text, but will require students to extract information from multiple original documents, videos of company leaders discussing the challenges, photographs, and links to articles and websites.

The first time a case is taught represents something of a test run. As students react to the material, plan to revise the case to include additional information or to delete data that does not appear useful. If the organization’s managers attend the class, their responses to student comments and questions may suggest some case revisions as well.

The sponsoring professor will generally write a “teaching note” to give other instructors advice on how to structure classroom discussion and useful bits of analysis that can be included to explicate the issues highlighted in the case study.

Finally, one case may inspire another. Either during the case writing process or after a case is done, a second “B” case might be useful to write that outlines what the organization did or that outlines new challenges faced by the organization after the timeframe of the initial case study.

* Portions of this note are adapted from E. Raymond Corey, “Writing Cases and Teaching Notes,” Harvard Business School case 399-077, with updates to reflect Yale School of Management practices for traditional and raw cases.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Answers to Study Questions

1. What are the five components that make up an information system?

a. h ardware, software, data, people, process

2. What are three examples of information system hardware?

a. There are a number of possible answers: a PC, a printer, a mouse, tablets, mobile phones , etc .

3. Microsoft Windows is an example of which component of information systems?

a. It is an operating system, which is a part of the software component.

4. What is application software?

a. Software that does something useful.

5. What roles do people play in information systems?

a. The text includes examples such as helpdesk support, systems analyst, programmer, and CIO.

6. What is the definition of a process?

a. A process is a series of steps undertaken to achieve a desired outcome or goal.

7. What was invented first, the personal computer or the Internet (ARPANET)?

a. The Internet was activated in 1969; the personal computer was introduced in 1975.

8. In what year were restrictions on commercial use of the Internet first lifted? When were eBay and Amazon founded?

a. Restrictions were lifted in 1991, Amazon was founded in 1994, and eBay was founded in 1995 .

9. What does it mean to say we are in a “post-PC world”?

a. The personal computer will no longer be the primary way that people interact and do business.

10. What is Carr’s main argument about information technology?

a. That information technology is just a commodity and cannot be used to gain a competitive advantage.

1. Write your own description of what the term information systems hardware means.

a. Answers will vary , but should say something about information systems hardware consisting of the physical parts of computing devices that can actually be touched.

2. What is the impact of Moore’s Law on the various hardware components described in this chapter?

a. The student should pick one of the components and discuss the impact of the fact that computing doubles in speed every two years. Most devices are getting smaller, faster, cheaper, and this should be indicated in the answer.

3. Write a summary of one of the items linked to in the “Integrated Computing” section.

a. The student should write a summary of one of the linked articles.

4. Explain why the personal computer is now considered a commodity.

a. The PC has become a commodity in the sense that there is very little differentiation between computers, and the primary factor that controls their sale is their price.

5. The CPU can also be thought of as the _____________ of the computer.

6. List the following in increasing order (slowest to fastest): megahertz, kilohertz, gigahertz.

a. kilohertz, megahertz, gigahertz

7. What is the bus of a computer?

a. The bus is the electrical connection between different computer components.

8. Name two differences between RAM and a hard disk.

a. RAM is volatile; the hard disk is non-volatile. Data access in RAM is faster than on the hard disk.

9. What are the advantages of solid-state drives over hard disks?

a. The main advantage is spe ed: an SSD has much faster data- access speeds than a traditional hard disk.

10. How heavy was the first commercially successful portable computer?

a. The Compaq PC was 28 pounds.

1. Come up with your own definition of software. Explain the key terms in your definition.

a. A variety of answers are possible, but should be similar to the definition in the text: Software is the set of instructions that tell the hardware what to do. Software is created through the process of programming.

2. What are the functions of the operating system?

a. The operating system manages the hardware resources of the computer, provides the user-interface components, and provides a platform for software developers to write applications.

3. Which of the following are operating systems and which are applications: Microsoft Excel, Google Chrome, iTunes, Windows, Android, Angry Birds.

a. Microsoft Excel (application), Google Chrome (application), iTunes (application), WIndows (operating system), Android (operating sys tem), Angry Birds (application)

4. What is your favorite software application? What tasks does it help you accomplish?

a. Students will have various answers to this question. They should pick an application, not an operating system. They should be able to list at least one thing that it helps them accomplish.

5. What is a “killer” app? What was the killer app for the PC?

a. A killer app is application software that is so useful that people will purchase the hardware just so they can run it. The killer app for the PC was the spreadsheet ( Visicalc ).

6. How would you categorize the software that runs on mobile devices? Break down these apps into at least three basic categories and give an example of each.

a. There are various ways to answer this question. Students should identify that there are mobile operating systems and mobile apps. Most likely, students will break down mobile apps into multiple categories: games, GPS, reading, communication, etc.

7. Explain what an ERP system does.

a. An ERP (enterprise resource p lanning) system is a software application with a centralized database that is implemented across the entire organization.

8. What is open-source software? How does it differ from closed-source software? Give an example of each.

a. Open-source software is software that makes the source code available for anyone to copy and use. It is free to download, copy, and distribute. Closed-source software does not make the source code available and generally is not free to download, copy, and distribute. There are many examples of both, such as: Firefox (open source), Linux (open source), iTunes (closed source), Microsoft Office (closed source).

9. What does a software license grant?

a. Software licenses are not all the same, but generally the y grant the user the right to use the software on a limited basis. The terms of the license dictate users’ rights in detail .

10. How did the Y2K (year 2000) problem affect the sales of ERP systems?

a. Organizations purchased ERP software to replace their older systems in order to avoid any problems with the year 2000 in their software.

1. What is the difference between data, information, and knowledge?

a. Data are the raw bits and pieces of facts and statistics with no context. Data can be quantitative or qualitative. Information is data that has been given context. Knowledge is information that has been aggregated and analyzed and can be used for making decisions.

2. Explain in your own words how the data component relates to the hardware and software components of information systems.

a. There are numerous answers to this question, but all should be variations on the following : Data is processed by the hardware via software. A database is software that runs on the hardware. Hardware stores the data, software processes the data.

3. What is the difference between quantitative data and qualitative data? In what situations could the number 42 be considered qualitative data?

a. Quantitative data is numeric, the result of a measurement, count, or some other mathematical calculation. Qualitative data is descriptive. The number 42 could be qualitative if it is a designation instead of a measurement, count, or calculation. For example: that player ’ s jersey has number 42 on it.

4. What are the characteristics of a relational database?

a. A relational database is one in which data is organized into one or more tables. Each table has a set of fields, which define the nature of the data stored in the table. A record is one instance of a set of fields in a table. All the tables are related by one or more fields in common.

5. When would using a personal DBMS make sense?

a. When working on a smaller database for personal use, or when disconnected from the network.

6. What is the difference between a spreadsheet and a database? List three differences between them.

a. A database is generally more powerful and complex than a spreadsheet, with the ability to handle multiple types of data and link them together. Some differences: A database has defined field types, a spreadsheet does not. A database uses a standardized query language (such as SQL), a spreadsheet does not. A database can hold much larger amounts of data than a spreadsheet.

7. Describe what the term normalization means.

a. To normalize a database means to design it in a way that: 1) reduces duplication of data between tables and 2) gives the table as much flexibility as possible.

8. Why is it important to define the data type of a field when designing a relational database?

a. A data type tells the database what functions can be performed with the data. The second important reason to define the data type is so that the proper amount of storage space is allocated for the data.

9. Name a database you interact with frequently. What would some of the field names be?

a. The student can choose any sort of system that they interact with, such as Amazon or their school ’ s online systems. The fields would be the names of data being collected, such as “ first name ” , or “ address ” .

10. What is metadata?

a. Metadata is data about data . It refers to the data used to describe other data, such as the length of a song in iTunes, which describes the music file.

11. Name three advantages of using a data warehouse.

a. The text lists the following ( the student should pick at least three of these ) :

i. The process of developing a data warehouse forces an organization to better understand the data that it is currently collecting and, equally important, what data is not being collected.

ii. A data warehouse provides a centralized view of all data being collected across the enterprise and provides a means of determining data that is inconsistent.

iii. Once all data is identified as consistent, an organization can generate one version of the truth. This is important when the company wants to report consistent statistics about itself, such as revenue or number of employees.

iv. By having a data warehouse, snapshots of data can be taken over time. This creates a historical record of data, which allows for an analysis of trends.

v. A data warehouse provides tools to combine data, which can provide new information and analysis.

12. What is data mining?

a. Data mining is the process of analyzing data to find previously unknown trends, patterns, and associations in order to make decisions.

1. What were the first four locations hooked up to the Internet (ARPANET)?

a. UCLA, Stanford, MIT, and the University of Utah

2. What does the term packet mean?

a. The fundamental unit of data transmitted over the Internet. Each packet has the sender ’ s address, the destination address, a sequence number, and a piece of the overall message to be sent.

3. Which came first, the Internet or the World Wide Web?

a. t he Internet

4. What was revolutionary about Web 2.0?

a. Anyone could post content to the web, without the need for understanding HTML or web-server technology.

5. What was the so-called killer app for the Internet?

a. e lectronic mail (e- mail)

6. What makes a connection a broadband connection?

a. A broadband connection is defined as one that has speeds of at least 256,000 bps.

7. What does the term VoIP mean?

a. Voice over Internet protocol – a way to have voice conversations over the Internet.

8. What is an LAN?

a. A n LAN is a local network, usually operating in the same building or on the same campus.

9. What is the difference between an intranet and an extranet?

a. An intranet consists of t he set of web pages and resources availab le on a company’s internal network. These items are not available to those outside of the company. An extranet is  a part of the company’s network that is made available securely to those outside of the company. Extranets can be used to allow customers to log in and check the status of their orders, or for suppliers to check their customers’ inventory levels.

10. What is Metcalfe’s Law?

a. Metcalfe’s Law states that the value of a telecommunications network is proportional to the square of the number of connected users of the system.

1. Briefly define each of the three members of the information security triad.

a. T he three members are as follows:

i. Confidentiality: we want to be able to restrict access to those who are allowed to see given information.

ii. Integrity: the assurance that the information being accessed has not been altered and tr uly represents what is intended.

iii. Availability: information can be accessed and modified by anyone authorized to do so in an appropriate timeframe.

2. What does the term authentication  mean?

a. The process of ensuring that a person is who he or she claim s to be.

3. What is multi-factor authentication?

a. The use of more than one method of authentication. The methods are: something you know, something you have, and something you are.

4. What is role-based access control?

a. With role-based access control (RBAC), instead of giving specific users access rights to an information resource, users are assigned to roles and then those roles are assigned the access.

5. What is the purpose of encryption?

a. To keep transmitted data secret so that only those with the proper key can read it.

6. What are two good examples of a complex password?

a. There are many examples of this. Students need to provide examples of passwords that are a minimum of eight characters, with at least one upper-case letter, one special character, and one number.

7. What is pretexting?

a. Pretexting occurs when an attacker calls a helpdesk or security administrator and pretends to be a particular authorized user having trouble logging in . Then, by providing some personal information about the authorized user , the attacker convince s the security person to reset the password and tell him what it is .

8. What are the components of a good backup plan?

a. Knowing what needs to be backed up, regular backups of all data , offsite storage of all backed- up data, and a test of the restoration process.

9. What is a firewall?

a. A firewall can be either a hardware firewall or a software firewall. A hardware firewall is a device that is connected to the network and filters the packets based on a set of rules. A software firewall runs on the operating system and intercepts packets as they arrive to a computer.

10. What does the term physical security mean?

a. Physical security is the protection of the actual hardware and networking components that store and transmit information resources.

1. What is the productivity paradox?

a. The productivity paradox is based on Erik Brynjolfsson’s finding , based on research he conducted in the early 1990s, that the addition of information technology to business had not improved productivity at all.

2. Summarize Carr’s argument in “Does IT Matter.”

a. Information technology is now a commodity and cannot be used to provide an organization with competitive advantage.

3. How is the 2008 study by Brynjolfsson and McAfee different from previous studies? How is it the same?

a. It is different because it shows that IT can bring a competitive advantage, given the right conditions. It is the same in the sense that it shows that IT, by itself, does not bring competitive advantage.

4. What does it mean for a business to have a competitive advantage?

a. A company is said to have a competitive advantage over its rivals when it is able to sustain profits that exceed average for the industry.

5. What are the primary activities and support activities of the value chain?

a. The primary activities are those that directly impact the creation of a product or service. The support activities are those that support the primary activities. Primary: inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, sales/marketing, and service. Support: firm infrastructure, human resources, technology development, and procurement .

6. What has been the overall impact of the Internet on industry profitability? Who has been the true winner?

a. The overall impact has been a reduction in average industry profitability. The consumer has been the true winner.

7. How does EDI work?

a. EDI is the computer-to-computer exchange of business documents in a standard electronic format between business partners.

8. Give an example of a semi-structured decision and explain what inputs would be necessary to provide assistance in making the decision.

a. A semi-structured decision is one in which most of the factors needed for making the decision are known but human experience and other outside factors may still play a role. The student should provide an example of a decision that uses an information system to provide information but is not made by the system. Examples would include: budgeting decisions, diagnosing a medical condition, and investment decisions.

9. What does a collaborative information system do?

a. A collaborative system is software that allows multiple users to interact on a document or topic in order to complete a task or make a decision.

10. How can IT play a role in competitive advantage, according to the 2008 article by Brynjolfsson and McAfee?

a. The article suggests that IT can influence competitive advantage when good management develops and delivers IT-supported process innovation .

1. What does the term business process mean?

a. A process is a series of tasks that are completed in order to accomplish a goal. A business process, therefore, is a process that is focused on achieving a goal for a business.

2. What are three examples of business process from a job you have had or an organization you have observed?

a. Students can answer this in almost any way. The examples should consist of more than a single step.

3. What is the value in documenting a business process?

a. There are many answers to this. From the text: it allows for better control of the process , and for standardization.

4. What is an ERP system? How does an ERP system enforce best practices for an organization?

a. An ERP (enterprise resource p lanning) system is a software application with a centralized database that is implemented across the entire organization. It enforces best practices through the business processes embedded in the software.

5. What is one of the criticisms of ERP systems?

a. ERP system s can lead to the commoditization of business processes, meaning that every company that uses an ERP system will perform business processes the same way.

6. What is business process reengineering? How is it different from incrementally improving a process?

a. Business process r eengineering (BPR) occurs when a business process is redesigned from the ground up. It is different from incrementally improving a process in that it does not simply take the existing process and modify it.

7. Why did BPR get a bad name?

a. BPR became an excuse to lay off employees and try to complete the same amount of work using fewer employees.

8. List the guidelines for redesigning a business process.

a. The guidelin es are as follows:

i. Organize around outcomes, not tasks.

ii. Have those who use the outcomes of the process perform the process.

iii. Subsume information-processing work into the real work that produces the information. Treat geographically dispersed resources as though they were centralized.

iv. Link parallel activities instead of integrating their results.

v. Put the decision points where the work is performed, and build controls into the process.

vi. Capture information once, at the source.

9. What is business process management? What role does it play in allowing a company to differentiate itself?

a. Business process management (BPM) can be thought of as an intentional effort to plan, document, implement, and distribute an organization ’ s business processes with the support of information technology. It can play a role in differentiation through built-in reporting, and by empowering employees, enforcing best practices, and enforcing consistency.

10. What does ISO certification signify?

a. ISO certification shows that you know what you do, do what you say, and have documented your processes.

1. Describe the role of a systems analyst.

a. To understand business requirements and translate them into the requirements of an information system.

2. What are some of the different roles for a computer engineer?

a. hardware engineer, software engineer, net work engineer, systems engineer

3. What are the duties of a computer operator?

a. D uties include keeping the operating systems up to date, ensuring available memory and disk storage, and overseeing the physical environment of the computer.

4. What does the CIO do?

a. The CI O aligns the plans and operations of the information systems with the strategic goals of the organization. This includes tasks such as budgeting, strategic planning, and personnel decisions relevant to the information-systems function.

5. Describe the job of a project manager.

a. A project manager is responsible for keeping projects on time and on budget. This person works with the stakeholders of the project to keep the team organized and communicates the status of the project to management.

6. Explain the point of having two different career paths in information systems.

a. To allow for career growth for those who do not want to manage other employees but instead want to focus on technical skills.

7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of centralizing the IT function?

a. There are several possible answers here. Advantages of centralizing include more control over the company’s systems and data. Disadvantages include a more limited availability of IT resources.

8. What impact has information technology had on the way companies are organized?

a. The organizational structure has been flattened, with fewer layers of management.

9. What are the five types of information-systems users?

a. i nnovators, early adopters, early majo rity, late majority, laggards

10. Why would an organization outsource?

a. Because it needs a specific ski ll for a limited amount of time, and/ or because it can cut costs by outsourcing.

1. What are the steps in the SDLC methodology?

a. The steps are Preliminary Analysis, System Analysis, System Design, Programming, Testing, Implementation, and Maintenance.

2. What is RAD software development?

a. Rapid application development (RAD) is a software-development (or systems-development) methodology that focuses on quickly building a working model of the software, getting feedback from users, and then using that feedback to update the working model.

3. What makes the lean methodology unique?

a. The biggest difference between the lean methodology and the other methodologies is that the full set of requirements for the system is not known when the project is launched.

4. What are three differences between second-generation and third-generation languages?

a. Three k ey differences are as follows:

i. The words used in the language: third generation languages use more English -like words than second-generation languages.

ii. Hardware specificity: third generation languages are not specific to hardware, second-generation languages are.

iii. Learning curve: third generation languages are easier to learn and use.

5. Why would an organization consider building its own software application if it is cheaper to buy one?

a. They may wish to build their own in order t o have something that is unique ( d ifferent from their competitors), and/or something that more closely matches their business processes. They also may choose to do this if they have more time and/ or more money available to do it.

6. What is responsive design?

a. Responsive design is a method of developing websites that allows them to be viewed on many different types of devices without losing capability or effectiveness. With a responsive website, images resize themselves based on the size of the device ’ s screen, and text flows and sizes itself properly for optimal viewing.

7. What is the relationship between HTML and CSS in website design?

a. While HTML is used to define the components of a web page, cascading style sheets (CSS) are used to define the styles of the components on a page.

8. What is the difference between the pilot implementation methodology and the parallel implementation methodology?

a. The pilot methodology implement s new software for just one group of people while the rest of the users use the previous version of the software. The parallel implementation methodology use s both the old and the new applications at the same time.

9. What is change management?

a. The oversight of the changes brought about in an organization.

10. What are the four different implementation methodologies?

a. d irect c utover, pilot, parallel, phased

1. What does the term globalization mean?

a. Globalization refer s to the integration of goods, services, and culture s among the nations of the world.

2. How does Friedman define the three eras of globalization?

a. The three eras are as follows:

i. “ Globalization 1.0 ” occurred from 1492 until about 1800. In this era, globalization was centered around countries. It was about how much horsepower, wind power, and steam power a country had and how creatively it was deployed. The world shrank from size “ large ” to size “ medium. ”

ii. “ Globalization 2.0 ” occurred from about 1800 until 2000, interrupted only by the two World Wars. In this era, the dynamic force driving change was comprised of multinational companies. The world shrank from size “ medium ” to size “ small. ”

iii. “ Globalization 3.0 ” is our current era, beginning in the year 2000. The convergence of the personal computer, fiber-optic Internet connections, and software has created a “ flat-world platform ” that allows small groups and even individuals to go global. The world has shrunk from size “ small ” to size “ tiny. ”

3. Which technologies have had the biggest effect on globalization?

a. There are several answers to this. Probably the most obvious are the Internet, the graphical interface of Windows and the World Wide Web, and workflow software.

4. What are some of the advantages brought about by globalization?

a. Advantages include the ability to locate expertise and labor around the world, the ability to operate 24 hours a day, and a larger market for products.

5. What are the challenges of globalization?

a. Challenges include infrastructure differences, labor laws and regulations, legal restrictions, and differe nt languages, customs, and preferences.

6. What does the term digital divide mean?

a. The separation betwe en those who have access to the global network and those who do not. The digital divide can occur between countries, regions, or even neighborhoods.

7. What are Jakob Nielsen’s three stages of the digital divide?

a. e cono mic, usability, and empowerment

8. What was one of the key points of The Rise of the Network Society ?

a. There are two key points to choose from. One is that economic activity was, when the book was published in 1996, being organized around the networks that the new tel ecommunication technologies had provided. The other is that this new, global economic activity was different from the past, because “ it is an economy with the capacity to work as a unit in real time on a planetary scale. ”

9. Which country has the highest average Internet speed? How does your country compare?

a. According to the chart in the chapter, South Korea has the highest Internet speeds. S tudent s will need to look up their own to compare.

10. What is the OLPC project? Has it been successful?

a. One Laptop Per Child. By most measures, it has not been a successful program.

1. What does the term information systems ethics mean?

a. There are various ways of answering this question , but the answer should include s omething about the application of ethics to the new capabilities and cultural norms brought about by information technology.

2. What is a code of ethics? What is one advantage and one disadvantage of a code of ethics?

a. A code of ethics is a document that outlines a set of acceptable behaviors for a professional or social group. A nswers may differ for the second part, but from the text: o ne advantage of a code of ethics is that it clarifies the acceptable standards of behavior for a professional group. One disadvantage is that it does not necessarily have legal authority.

3. What does the term intellectual property mean? Give an example.

a. Intellectual property is defined as “ property (as an idea, invention, or process) that derives from the work of the mind or intellect. ”

4. What protections are provided by a copyright? How do you obtain one?

a. Copyright protections address the following : who can make copies of the work, who can make derivative works from the original work, who can perform the work publicly, who can display the work publicly, and who can distribute the work. You obtain a copyright as soon as the work is put into tangible form.

5. What is fair use?

a. Fair use is a limitation on copyright law that allows for the use of protected works without prior authorization in specific cases.

6. What protections are provided by a patent? How do you obtain one?

a. Once a patent is granted, it provides the inventor with protection from others infringing on the patent. In the US, a patent holder has the right to “ exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into the United States for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted. ” You obtain a patent by filing an application with the patent office. A patent will be granted if the work is deemed to be original, useful, and non-obvious.

7. What does a trademark protect? How do you obtain one?

a. A trademark protects a word, phrase, logo, shape , or sound that identifies a source of goods or services. You can obtain one by registering with the Patent and Trademark Office (US). There is also a common- law trademark.

8. What does the term per sonally identifiable information mean?

a. Information about a person that can be used to uniquely establish that person ’ s identit y is called personally identifiable information, or PII.

9. What protections are provided by HIPAA, COPPA, and FERPA?

a. The a nswers are as follows :

i. HIPAA: protects records related to health care as a special class of personally identifiable information.

ii. COPPA: protects information collected from children under the age of thirteen.

iii. FERPA: protects student educational records.

10. How would you explain the concept of NORA?

a. There are various ways to answer this. The basic answer is that NORA (non-obvious relationship a wareness) is the process of collecting large quantities of a variety of information and then combining it to create profiles of individuals.

1. Which countries are the biggest users of the Internet? Social media? Mobile?

a. S tudents will need to look outside the text for this, as it changes all the time. There are also different ways of measurement: number of users, % of population , most active users, etc. Some good sites to use are Internet World Stats , Kissmetrics , and the World Bank .

2. Which country had the largest Internet growth (in %) between 2008 and 2012?

a. Iran, at 205%

3. How will most people connect to the Internet in the future?

a. via mobile devices

4. What are two different applications of wearable technologies?

a. There are many answers to this question; two examples are Google Glass and Jawbone UP.

5. What are two different applications of collaborative technologies?

a. There are many answers to this; two examples are software that routes us to our destination in the shortest amount of time and websites that review different companies.

6. What capabilities do printable technologies have?

a. Using 3-D printers, designers can quickly test prototypes or build something as a proof of concept. Printable technologies also make it possible to bring manufacturing to the desktop computer.

7. How will advances in wireless technologies and sensors make objects “findable”?

a. Advances in wireless technologies and sensors will allow physical objects to send and receive data about themselves.

8. What is enhanced situational awareness?

a. Data from large numbers of sensors can give decision makers a heightened awareness of real-time events, particularly when the sensors are used with advanced display or visualization technologies.

9. What is a nanobot?

a. A nanobot is a robot whose components are on the scale of about a nanometer.

10. What is a UAV?

a. An unmanned aerial vehicle – a small airplane or helicopter that can fly without a pilot. UAVs are run by computer or remote control .

Information Systems for Business and Beyond Copyright © 2014 by CC BY: David T. Bourgeois, Ph.D. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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