The Importance of MIS
CHAPTER 1
STUDY QUESTIONS
Q1: Why is Introduction to MIS the most important class in the business school?
Q2: What is MIS?
Q3: How can you use the five-component model?
Q4: Why is the difference between information technology and information systems important?
Q5: What is information?
Q6: What are necessary data characteristics?
Q7: 2023?
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Q1: WHY IS INTRODUCTION TO MIS THE MOST IMPORTANT CLASS
IN THE BUSINESS SCHOOL?
• Learn to assess, evaluate, and apply emerging information technology to business
• Gain marketable skills and perspectives• Moore’s Law creates infinite opportunities for innovation
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MOORE’S LAW
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CONSEQUENCES MOORE’S LAW
• What happens when data storage and communications costs are essentially zero?
– YouTube, iPad, Facebook, Woot.com, Pandora, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare
– Cost-effective business applications of Facebook and Twitter
– Companies using technology and techniques in ways never been seen before
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WHAT OTHER COST EFFECTIVE BUSINESS APPLICATIONS OF FACEBOOK, TWITTER, OR
WHATEVER WILL SOON APPEAR?
• Are Facebook’s “Like” and Twitter’s “Follow” applications cost-effective? Do they generate revenue worth and expense of running them? What about cloud apps?
• Someone in marketing, not in a technical field, must answer those questions
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HOW CAN I ATTAIN JOB SECURITY?
"The only job security that exists is a marketable skill and the courage to use it.”
• Any routine skill can and will be outsourced to lowest bidder
• Message: Develop strong nonroutine cognitive skills
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WHAT IS A MARKETABLE SKILL?
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JOB GROWTH OVER THE PAST TWENTY YEARS
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BOTTOM LINE OF MIS COURSE
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Q2: WHAT IS MIS?
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DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS
• Business professionals need to:– Take active role in IS to ensure systems meet their
needs– Understand how information systems are
constructed– Consider users’ needs during development– Learn how to use information systems– Take into account ancillary IS functions (security,
backups)
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ACHIEVING STRATEGIES
• MIS empowers users to achieve business objectives• Information systems exist to assist business people
• Information systems exist to help achieve business goals and objectives
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Q3: HOW CAN YOU USE THE FIVE-COMPONENT MODEL?
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PURPOSE OF THE FIVE-COMPONENT MODEL
• Understanding scope of new information systems
• Components ordered by difficulty to change and amount of disruption
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THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT – YOU• Quality of your thinking
• Change way your brain works• Know how to use information systems• Consider different low-tech versus high-tech
alternatives• Understand scope of new information systems
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USING MIS INCLASS 1: INFORMATION SYSTEMS &
ONLINE DATING
Match by using a proprietary algorithm
• www.Chemistry.com (personality test)
• www.Eharmony.com (compatibility matching system)
• www.Perfectmatch.com (Test based on Duet)
Particular groups or interests
• www.Conservativedates.com
• www.Liberalhearts.com
• www.Goodgenes.com
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Q4: WHY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IT AND IS
IMPORTANT?
• Information technology (IT)1. Products2. Methods3. Inventions4. Standards
IT = hardware + software + data
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Q4: WHY IS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IT AND IS
IMPORTANT? (CONT'D)
• You can buy IT, but can never buy an IS!
• People require training, overcoming employees’ resistance to change, managing employees using new system
IS = IT + People + Procedures
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WHY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND
INFORMATION SYSTEMS IMPORTANT TO YOU? (CONT’D)
• Avoid a common mistake: Cannot buy an IS• Can buy, rent or lease hardware, software
and databases, predesigned procedures• People execute procedures to employ new IT• Requires training, overcoming employees’
resistance, and managing employees who use system
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Q5: WHAT IS INFORMATION?
1. Knowledge derived from data, and data are recorded facts or figures
2. Data presented in a meaningful context
3. Data processed by summing, ordering, averaging, grouping, comparing, or other similar operations
4. "A difference that makes a difference"
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Does this graph contain information?
WHERE IS INFORMATION?
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Q6: WHAT ARE NECESSARY DATA CHARACTERISTICS?
Data Characteristics of Good Information
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ETHICS GUIDE: ETHICS OF MISDIRECTED INFORMATION
USE
• Overhear a conversation between a real estate agent and the couple competing with you to purchase a condo.
• Should you listen?• Should you use the information you hear?
• Receive same information through an email accidentally sent to you.
• Should you read the email?• Should you use the information to your
advantage?
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ETHICS GUIDE: ETHICS OF MISDIRECTED INFORMATION
USE (CONT’D)
• While selling computer software, a customer mistakenly sends you an internal email that contains maximum amount they can pay.
– Do you share the email with others?
– Do you notify the person who sent it?
– Do you use the information or recuse yourself from the deal?
– What’s the ethical thing to do? What’s the best long-term business thing to do? Explain.
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ETHICS GUIDE: ETHICS OF MISDIRECTED INFORMATION
USE (CONT’D)
• A friend inadvertently emails you personal medical data. You read the email and learn embarrassing information about the friend.
• Your friend asks if you read the email.• What should you say?
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ETHICS GUIDE: ETHICS OF MISDIRECTED INFORMATION USE
(CONT’D)
• Suppose you are a network administrator with unrestricted access to mailing lists. You insert your email address into several lists and receive confidential information. One email shows that your best friend’s department is going to be eliminated. • Do you warn him/her?
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ETHICS GUIDE: ETHICS OF MISDIRECTED INFORMATION USE
(SUMMARY)
• How do you define “legal” and “ethical”?
• Can something be against corporate policy and still be legal?
• What is your personal policy about dealing with misdirected information?
• Did your thinking change as a result of this discussion? If so, how?
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Q7: 2023
• Most computers won’t look like a computer
• Computers-in-a-product– What will that mean to industry in general? – Who will be the winners and losers?
• Why go to class if you have a classroom in a “box” and get accredited degree?
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GUIDE: PASSWORDS AND PASSWORD ETIQUETTE
• Never write down or share your password
• Never ask anyone for their password
• Use “do-si-do” move
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CREATING A STRONG PASSWORD
• Rules for strong password:• Use nine or more characters• Do not use your name or company name• Do not use complete dictionary word • Use a different password from previous passwords• Use both upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and
special symbols
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FIVE-COMPONENT CAREERS
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