Intro

Question 1

the difference between an information system and information technology

Answer 1

Information technology is the computer and communication hardware and software that make information systems possible. An information system is the combination of the information technology, with organisational infrastructure and trained people, that allows organisations to collect, process, store and provide as output the information needed to complete business processes

Question 2

an example of an information system that the university would operate

Answer 2

The online student records system that collects, processes, stores and reports the results achieved by each student

Question 3

Digital disruption

Answer 3

the term used to describe the way in which digital technologies are having impact across all industries and sectors

Question 4

Riemer and Johnston (2013) have classified the possible focii of disruption as disruptions to:

Answer 4

individual life practices, work practices, business practices, industry structures, societal systems

Question 5

Information technology and information systems diagram

Answer 5

Photo in favourites 5th March

Question 6

The TOP framework

Answer 6

Technology
Organisations
People

Question 7

Technology

Answer 7

Technology supports the performance of diverse business tasks. Available technologies and their use change over time. For example, with the emergence of personal productivity tools people now tailor their use of technology to immediate functional needs. As business requirements and technology change, end-user usage alters. Some technological features or creations are maintained and embedded in business organisational systems, as others are abandoned and forgotten.

Question 8

Communications technologies

Answer 8

Communication technologies connect areas within organisations to ensure the integration of tasks and the development of shared understandings. The knowledge created as a result reflects the objec- tives of the organisation and creates examples of best practice, where people coordinate information technology and the business processes that result in a product or service.

Question 9

Technology and the evolution of organisations

Answer 9

Organisations evolve, in part to embrace and exploit technologies. Routine and repetitive low- order skill-based work has been automated and computer competency is now an assumed, critical job skill. Organisational models, structures, cultures, communication networks and problem solving approaches have evolved to support the human capacity to request, organise and use infor- mation to create knowledge and innovate.

Question 10

Communication technologies and the evolution of organisations

Answer 10

Communication technologies have also enabled people to communicate beyond organisational structural and hierarchical boundaries and beyond traditional geographical limitations. The concept of an organisational boundary has changed. The notion of the organisation now encompasses industries where cooperating partners using interorganisational information systems to enable integration across entire supply chains, from raw product producers to retail outlets.

Question 11

People

Answer 11

Finally, people complete the thinking work; they handle exceptions, provide services, communi- cate and solve problems.

Question 12

A philosophy of end user computing has emerged

Answer 12

For some applications in business it is now easier to train end-users to complete their own computing tasks than to employ information technology specialists and train them in the functional objectives of the organisation.

Question 13

I.T. as an amplifier

Answer 13

IT tends to be an amplifier. If good organisational processes are in place to begin with, and the IT is implemented in a well-planned way, then the introduction of appropriate IT systems can enhance those processes, resulting in more efficient and effective people and structures. If bad processes are in place, or if the IT is implemented badly, the introduction of IT exacerbates existing failings and inefficiencies and results in lower staff morale and effectiveness.

Question 14

Steve jobs

Answer 14

Steven Paul “Steve” Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepre- neur and inventor, who was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. Through Apple, he was widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution.

Question 15

Daniel singer

Answer 15

Daniel Singer “Dan” Bricklin (born 16 July 1951), often referred to as “The Father of the Spreadsheet”, is the American co-creator of the VisiCalc spreadsheet program.

Question 16

Bill gates

Answer 16

William Henry “Bill” Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is the former chief executive and current chairman of Microsoft, the world’s largest personal-computer software company. Microsoft launched its first retail version of Microsoft Windows on November 20, 1985.

Question 17

Sir Timothy

Answer 17

Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, computer scientist, best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web, an easy and conven- ient way of distributing information across the interne

Question 18

Mark Zuckerberg

Answer 18

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (born May 14, 1984) is an American computer programmer and internet entrepreneur. He is best known as a co-founder of the social networking website Facebook.

Question 19

Google

Answer 19

Google offers online pro- ductivity software including email (Gmail), a cloud storage service (Google Drive), an office suite (Google Docs) and a social networking service (Google+). Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet)

Question 20

Individual life practices example

Answer 20

Mobile connectivity disrupts established work-life boundaries

Question 21

Work practices example

Answer 21

Narrating work via microblogging in the workplace changes what counts as (valuable) work

Question 22

Business practices example

Answer 22

Workplace social media disrupts the way information travels in the organisation and induces shifts in power relationships

Question 23

Industry structures example

Answer 23

Digitisation of media content and user-generated content
disrupts traditional value chains of content production and delivery

Question 24

Societal systems example

Answer 24

Social media participation disrupts traditional practices of public opinion making

Question 25

Business organisational structure

Answer 25

Business organisational structure refers to the interrelated components (subsystems) of a business and the way these components are related to each other. Depending on the goals of the and approach to management, a number of structures can be used. The structure adopted directly affects the flow of data and information within the organisation and deter- mines how business information systems are viewed and what kinds of business information systems are to be used.

Question 26

3 types of structures

Answer 26

Traditional
Project
Team/multi dimensional

Question 27

Traditional/hierarchical.

Answer 27

The traditional (hierarchical) organisational structure is built on the division of responsibilities according to individual business functions. These business functional areas are usually organised into departments such as marketing, production, accounting, research and development, and so on. The traditional organisational structure is hierarchical, since it can be viewed as a series of levels (layers) like an inverted tree, with those at higher levels having more power and authority

Question 28

Line position and staff position - traditional

Answer 28

The positions or departments that are directly associated with the making, packing or shipping of goods are called line positions. A production supervisor who reports to a deputy general manager of production is an example of a line position. Other positions may not be directly involved with the formal chain of command but may assist a department or area. These are staff positions, such as a legal counsel reporting to the general manager.

Question 29

Modernised organisational structures

Answer 29

The focus of organisational thinking during the first 15 years of the 21st century has moved to the concept of the ‘agile organisation’.
Agile enterprises thrive when structured in non-hierarchical ways. As such, alternate organisational structures have emerged: project, team and multidimensional.

Question 30

Agile organisation

Answer 30

An agile organisation is quick to respond to changes in the marketplace or environment. The ‘agile or entrepreneurial organisation’ focuses on customer satisfaction and the delivery of exemplary service which calls for customized rather than standardised offerings. A highly agile organisation reacts successfully to the emergence of new technologies and innovates as a response to external threats to business or recognised opportunities.

Question 31

Business environment

Answer 31

The business environment is everything external to a business that can affect its functioning, includ- ing competitors, suppliers, customers, regulatory agencies, and social and economic conditions;

Question 32

Business

Answer 32

The business consists of the business processes that exist and compete in the business environment to achieve agreed purposes and produce agreed products and/or services;

Question 33

Business process

Answer 33

A business process is a related set of steps or activities that use people, information, and other resources to create value for the internal and external customers of the business;

Question 34

Information system

Answer 34

An information system is a combination of information technology, organisational infrastruc- ture and trained people organised to collect, process, store and provide as output the information needed to complete one or more business processes

Question 35

Information technology

Answer 35

Information technology is the computer and communication hardware and software that make information systems possible.

Question 36

I.T. Example

Answer 36

Computer and Communication Hardware and Software

Question 37

I.S. Example

Answer 37

Organisational Infrastructure

People

Question 38

Business processes example

Answer 38

Steps

Activities

Question 39

Business environment example

Answer 39

Social conditions
Customers
Competitors
Suppliers 
Regulatory Agencies
Economic conditions

Question 40

The project organisational structure

Answer 40

The project organisational structure is based on allocating the responsibilities and resources to the main products or services in an organisation. For example, in a manufacturing firm that produces numerous types of products, each type is produced by a separate unit. Traditional functions such as marketing, accounting and production are positioned within these main units.
Project structure is often temporary. When the project is complete, the project members go on to new teams formed for the completion of some other project. This is particularly true for businesses in the networked economy, in which changes and business reorganisations are a part of life.

Question 41

Team organisational structure

Answer 41

The team organisational structure is centred on work teams or groups. In some cases, these teams are small; in other instances, they can be very large. Typically, a team has a team leader who reports to an upper-level manager in the organisation. Depending on the tasks being performed, the team can be either temporary or permanent.

Question 42

multi-dimensional organisational structure

Answer 42

A multi-dimensional organisational structure (Figure 1.4) may incorporate several structures at the same time. It is a hybrid organisational structure aiming to take full advantage of each individual organisational structure. For example, an organisation might have both traditional functional areas and major project units. It is not uncommon to find this kind of organisational structure in multina- tional corporations such as Microsoft, BHP Billiton and Telstra.

Question 43

Multi-dimensional pros

Answer 43

The popularity of the multi-dimensional organisational structure is due to its ability to simultaneously stress both traditional corporate areas and important product lines. It can create an effective balance between control and autonomy within an organisation and facilitate communication within the organisation.

Question 44

Knowledge Economy

Answer 44

In the 21st century the term ‘information society’ was widely replaced by the term ‘knowledge economy’. On the one hand, the replacement of the word ‘information’ with the word ‘knowledge’ refers to an increasing focus on the incorporation of information into our understanding of the world around us. On the other hand, the use of the term ‘knowledge’ does overstate the level at which most people are performing in their everyday working lives.

Question 45

To support business operations in the knowledge economy, two important work functions emerged:

Answer 45

Business analytics

Knowledge Management

Question 46

Business analytics

Answer 46

The task of applying various technologies and algorithms to extract, from large business data repositories (sometimes called “big data”), insights that
Descriptive analytics
Predictive analytics
Prescriptive analytics

Question 47

Knowledge management

Answer 47

The process of capturing, developing, sharing, and effectively using organisational knowledge (including the knowledge generated through the practice of business analytics). Knowledge management refers to a multi-disciplined approach to achieving organisa- tional objectives by making the best use of knowledge.

Question 48

Information society/Knowledge economy

Answer 48

Either term can be used to refer to the current state of advanced societies such as in North America, Europe, Japan and Australia, where most people spend most of their working day dealing with data, information or knowledge, rather than making goods or growing food.

Question 49

Figures 1.2-1.4

Answer 49

Photos in favourites 5 March (last day of the first month with Sam of being official)

Question 50

Descriptive analytics

Answer 50

build understanding of current business activity

Question 51

Predictive analytics

Answer 51

predict future business performance

Question 52

Prescriptive analytics

Answer 52

prescribe the optimum decision to take at the present time

Question 53

Multi dimensional cons

Answer 53

A disadvantage of this structure, however, is the multiple lines of authority that are created within the organisation that may lead to conflict if not handled adequately.