ITMG 350 Chapter 1 Outline/Questions

1.     How are information systems transforming business and what is their relationship to globalization?

·       Describe how information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services.

·       Identify three major new information system trends.

·       Describe the characteristics of a digital firm.

·       Describe the challenges and opportunities of globalization in a “flattened” world.

2.     Why are information systems so essential for running and managing a business today?

·        List and describe six reasons why information systems are so important for business today.

3.     What exactly is an information system? How does it work? What are its management, organization and technology components?

·        Define an information system and describe the activities it performs.

·        List and describe the organizational, management, and technology dimensions of information systems.

·        Distinguish between data and information and between information systems literacy and computer literacy.

·        Explain how the Internet and the World Wide Web are related to the other technology components of information systems.

4.     What are complementary assets? Why are complementary assets essential for ensuring that information systems provide genuine value for an organization?

·       Define complementary assets and describe their relationship to information technology.

·       Describe the complementary social, managerial, and organizational assets required to optimize returns from information technology investments.

5.     What academic disciplines are used to study information systems? How does each contribute to an understanding of information systems? What is a sociotechnical systems perspective?

·        List and describe each discipline that contributes to a technical approach to information systems.

·        List and describe each discipline that contributes to a behavioral approach to information systems.

·        Describe the sociotechnical perspective on information systems.