Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.

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Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.1 ..............................The Importance of MIS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1.Explain why Introduction to MIS is the most important class in the business school.

2.Define “information system.” 3.Define “MIS.” 4.Explain why the difference between information technology and information systems is important to you.

5.Describe your role in IS security.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

▪Why is Introduction to MIS the most important class in the business school?What are cost-effective business applications of Facebook and Twitter and whatever will soon appear?How can I attain job security?How can Intro to MIS help you learn nonroutine skills?Jobs What is the bottom line?▪What is an information system?▪What is MIS?Management and use of information systems Achieving strategies ▪Why is the difference between information technology and information systems important to you?▪What is your role in IS security?Strong passwords Password etiquette ▪How does the knowledge in this chapter help you?Learning Catalytics is a "bring your own device" student engagement, assessment, and classroom intelligence system. It allows instructors to engage students in class with real- time diagnostics. Students can use any modern, web-enabled device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop) to access it. For more information on using Learning Catalytics in your course, contact your Pearson Representative.Experiencing MIS 6e David Kroenke Randall Boyle (Instructor Manual All Chapters, 100% Original Verified, A+ Grade) All Chapters Instructors Manual Supplement files download link at the end of this file. 1 / 4

Kroenke - Experiencing MIS 6th Ed - Instructor’s Manual 2 Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.

SO WHAT?

What’s Your Number?

1.Compute the cost per MIS session for you. Compare that calculation with those of others in your group. Ensure that you didn’t forget any major costs.Students’ cost calculations will vary. If the cost calculations vary a lot among the team members, be sure to try to determine the cause of the differences. This should help the team members discover differing assumptions or find things that may have been omitted.

2.We (the authors of this text) claim MIS is the most important class in the business school. But, we’re selling MIS books. Do you agree? How do we justify that statement? Do you agree with us? What other courses might be more important.Why? Take a stand!Student answers will vary. Some students will say that every professor and every textbook author believes his/her subject matter is the most important and it is a totally self-serving position. Others may believe that no course is important unless it is directly linked to their major – accounting majors only consider accounting courses to be important, for example. The fact that this chapter talks expressly about marketable skills may open some student’s minds to consider this course to be very important and they may not have considered it to be so in the past. You should be able to get some lively discussion going on this question, especially if you challenge your students to defend their position and then scrutinize their underlying assumptions.

3.Suppose you manage the credit department for a parts distributor. As a business professional, do you need to concern yourself with the integration of information systems technology into your business? Justify your answer.A credit department manager may not think very broadly about the overall parts distribution business, and therefore may not have much concern about integrating information technology into the business. As long as credit decisions can be made and payments are received, the department manager may be happy. This narrow point of view is not advisable, however, because opportunities for using IT in the business can come from any perspective.

4.Suppose zulily Corporation (see Case Study 1, page 22-25) hired you in 2010. In 3 years, revenue grew from $18 million to $695 million. As a business professional, do you need to concern yourself with the integration of information systems technology in your business? Does your answer to this question differ from your answer to question 3? Should it?In answering question 3, the students may take the perspective of the credit department manager and recognize that someone with that role and responsibility may not really think much about integration of information technology. In this question, however, the role and responsibility is not really defined and students should think generally of a business professional in a business that is extremely 2 / 4

Kroenke - Experiencing MIS 6th Ed - Instructor’s Manual 3 Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.reliant on information technology for its very business model. Students should recognize the critical role of IT in an organization such as zulily and also recognize that any business professional seeking a long-term association with zulily will need to constantly be thinking about how information technology can be used to improve/enhance the business.

• Suppose you manage the credit department for a parts distributor. Do you need to

learn abstraction, systems thinking, collaboration, and experimentation? First define what those terms mean, then answer this question.Abstract reasoning involves constructing and using a model or representation of the phenomenon under study. Systems thinking involves identifying and modeling the components of a system and connecting the inputs and outputs among those components into a sensible whole, one that explains the phenomenon observed.Experimentation is the willingness and ability to try various approaches to the problem in a systematic way. Collaboration is the ability to work effectively in a team to attack this project effectively. The manager of the credit department does need to learn these non-cognitive skills in order to contribute most effectively to his/her organization.

• Suppose zulily hired you in 2010. Do you need to learn abstraction, systems thinking,

collaboration, and experimentation? Does your answer to this question differ from your answer to question 5? Should it?Anyone seeking a successful business career today should learn these non-cognitive skills, regardless of the specific business involved.

• As a business professional, do you care that an information system has five

components? What possible use is that knowledge to you?The five component model of information systems is important because whenever an information system is under discussion, all five components must be considered.Remembering the five component model limits the chance of leaving something important out (typically, forgetting to explicitly consider the people and procedure components.

• Describe a business that is not dependent on information systems. Is that the sort of

business in which you want to make your career?Student responses will vary. If a student does happen to admit to wanting to find a business that is not dependent on IS, challenge him/her to identify that business and then ask some hard questions about that businesses’ future prospects. In particular, ask how that business will survive if its competition is utilizing information systems that allow it to be more efficient and effective and provide capabilities that are valued by the customers.

• Let’s say you look back at your answers to questions 2-7 and you decide that those

answers aren’t worth the cost you paid for this class session. You’re stuck, though.You need this class if you want to graduate. So what can you do, on your own, to make this session worth your number? 3 / 4

Kroenke - Experiencing MIS 6th Ed - Instructor’s Manual 4 Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.If a student recognizes that the answers he/she has provided are not worth the cost paid for the course, then the student needs to add some value to those answers. The best way to do this is to make the course content personal. Challenge your students to add depth and breadth to their answers and relate their answers to their own personal circumstances.

COLLABORATION EXERCISE 1

Before you start this exercise, read Chapter Extensions 1 and 2, which describe collaboration techniques as well as tools for managing collaboration tasks. In particular, consider using Google Drive, Google +, Windows OneDrive, Microsoft SharePoint, or some other collaboration tool.

Collaborate with a group of fellow students to answer the following questions. For this exercise (rules will be different in exercises in chapters to come), do not meet face to face. Coordinate all of your work using email and email attachments, only. Your answers should reflect the thinking of the entire group, and not just one or two individuals.

1-4. Abstract reasoning

• Define abstract reasoning, and explain why it is an important skill for business

professionals.Abstract reasoning is the ability to construct and use a model or representation.Being able to construct a model or representation of a complex situation through abstract reasoning is an important skill for business professionals, who frequently must make decisions under uncertain and highly complex situations. This is a highly marketable skill. (LO: 1, Learning Outcome: Describe the components of

an information system (IS), AACSB: Reflective Thinking)

• Explain how a list of items in inventory and their quantity on hand is an

abstraction of a physical inventory.The inventory list and quantity on hand is a representation of the actual items on shelves in the warehouse. (LO: 1, Learning Outcome: Describe the components

of an information system (IS), AACSB: Reflective Thinking)

• Give three other examples of abstractions commonly used in business.

Student answers will vary, but some examples include projects plans, budgets, and business process models. (LO: 1, Learning Outcome: Describe the

components of an information system (IS), AACSB: Reflective Thinking)

• Explain how Jennifer failed to demonstrate effective abstract reasoning skills.

Jennifer was unable to develop a model of the firm’s supply chain. She developed a model that made no sense and had goods placed in inventory before they were even ordered. She claimed that she knew the process but couldn’t put it down on paper. (LO: 1, Learning Outcome: Describe the components of an information

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