Chapter 1

Question 1

system

Answer 1

group of components that interact to achieve some purpose

Question 2

information system

Answer 2

group of components that interact to produce information

Question 3

technology

Answer 3

something involving computers

Question 4

information

Answer 4

something that reduces uncertainity

Question 5

do all information systems require computerization

Answer 5

no

Question 6

five component framework

Answer 6

computer hardware, software, data, procedures, people

Question 7

hardware

Answer 7

electronic components and associated gadgetry that constitute a computer system

Question 8

are CDs hardware?

Answer 8

no

Question 9

software

Answer 9

programs or applications that run, or operate, on computer systems

includes the stored set of instructions that run on your devices, as well as the specific program that your university has licensed to provide the service

Question 10

data

Answer 10

basic building blocks of information, such as facts and observations

may be stored on specialized computers called servers, which, through the power of networking, can be located almost anywhere in the world

Question 11

procedures

Answer 11

instructions or processes that you follow to achieve your desired objective
can be formal and documented policies that are extensive and written down OR less detailed, informal instructions

Question 12

people

Answer 12

the actors who want to achieve a particular outcome by interacting with the system

Question 13

(T/F) People are the most critical part of an information system

Answer 13

true

Question 14

management information systems

Answer 14

comprise the development and use of information systems that help organizations achieve their goals and objectives

3 key elements:
development and use
information systems
goals and objectives

Question 15

how are information systems created

Answer 15

designed and created by business analysts and system designers at request of senior managers or entrepreneurs in order to solve a particular problem or meet a perceived need

Question 16

why do information systems exist

Answer 16

to help organizations achieve their goals and objectives

Question 17

(T/F) Information systems are created to make companies more modern or so the company can claim to be “new-economy”

Answer 17

false

Question 18

are there organizations that acquire and develop information systems for the wrong reasons?

Answer 18

yes

Question 19

(T/F) information technology and information systems are the same things

Answer 19

false

Question 20

information technology

Answer 20

methods, inventions, standards, and products
raw technology and it only concerns the hardware, software, and data components of an information system and how these are networked together

Question 21

(T/F) IT by itself will help an organization achieve its goals and objectives

Answer 21

false - it is only when IT is embedded into an IS - that is, only when the technology within the IT is combined with the people and procedure components, that IT becomes useful

Question 22

Industry Canada

Answer 22

the federal government agency responsible for categorizing sectors and collecting information about them

Question 23

Information and Communications Technology Sector

Answer 23

the sector most closely related to the use of information systems

provides products and services that other industries rely on to get their work done

includes companies involved in software and computer services, cable and other program distributors, telecommunication services, ICT manufacturing, and ICT wholesaling

Question 24

(T/F) ICT sector is nearly 3% of Canadian workers and generates $155 billion in revenue

Answer 24

true

Question 25

(T/F) the ICT sector included over 33,000 companies and more than 98% of these companies had fewer than 100 employees; only 75 companies had more than 500 employees

Answer 25

true

Question 26

(T/F) in 2011, the ICT sector added $67.2 billion to the Canadian GDP, up 3.2% from 2010 (compared to a 2.6% increase in the rest of the economy)

Answer 26

true

Question 27

the average annual growth of the ICT sector has been 1.6% since 2007, a growth rate that is almost twice as high as the overall economy (0.9%)

Answer 27

true

Question 28

ICT is the largest performer of research and development in Canada, accounting for 30.6% of all private R&D in 2011

Answer 28

true

Question 29

(T/F) In high-tech sector, such as ICT, business skills are at the core of competitive advantage

Answer 29

true

Question 30

ICT users

Answer 30

companies, organizations and public sector bodies that use ICT in their operations - all the industries other than those companies in the ICT sector

Question 31

(T/F) to take advantage of the IT trend, you need to be a software programmer, data admin, or network guru

Answer 31

false - rather, you need to develop your business skills and then learn to think creatively about the challenges and opportunities in your business and organization and how you can apply new technology and knowledge of information systems to address these business needs

Question 32

Moore’s Law

Answer 32

speed of a computer chip doubles every 18 months –> density of an integrated chip doubles every 18 months

Question 33

network effects and lock-in of certain technologies

Answer 33

a major characteristic of IT

the value that is received increases significantly as the number of users increases

lock-in makes it hard to switch

Question 34

QWERTY keyboard

Answer 34

widely adopted

alternatives that speed up typing have been proposed however, the sheer number of existing devices and the large investment required tend to prohibit adoption

Question 35

factors affecting information systems

Answer 35

shrinking of device size
tendency for ubiquity (existence everywhere)
adoption of location-based services facilitated by GPS technology and mobile use

Question 36

why is the future of IT so difficult to predict

Answer 36

IT is all about innovation and this brings unexpected results

creative destruction - overturning of established industries by new industries

Question 37

(T/F) Hal Varian: business is changing because of advances in IS and IT and that business people need a better understanding of how IT can be used to support innovation

Answer 37

true

the ability to handle - that is, find, process, understand, visualize, and then communicate - data is going to be an important skill for decades to come

industries are undergoing significant changes because of shifts in technology

Question 38

David Ticoll

Answer 38

within the next decade, unlimited storage will be almost free, that analytical software will reveal hidden information, and that the real world and the virtual world will collide as wide-area networks (WANs) become cheap, reliable, and widely available

these technology trends will enable deep, powerful, performance-enhancing innovations that will be felt in almost every industry

Question 39

what does talk about the future of IT mean?

Answer 39

Canadian economy is undergoing some fundamental changes, but that shifts have occurred before and will occur again

when the world is shifting, the most important skill to develop is the ability to innovate and to adapt to the changes - so, rather than focusing on the learning of specific technical skills that may fade in importance over time, this book will focus on providing you with broad knowledge that will enable you to quickly understand and adapt to technological changes as they occur

Question 40

understanding the implications of technological changes will allow you to

Answer 40

be more effective business professional as well as a more flexible individual