Lecture 1

Question 1

information overload

Answer 1

The capacity of individuals
and systems within an
organization to derive value
from information is
exceeded by the volume
and complexity of
information

Question 2

knowledge workers

Answer 2

A term referring to
employees who spend a
large part of their time
searching, analysing and
disseminating information
within an organization

Question 3

business processes

Answer 3

The activities undertaken
by organizations to develop
and deliver products or
services to stakeholders

Question 4

business intelligence

Answer 4

Internal information about
the performance of an
organization reviewed at
either a detailed or
summary level

Question 5

business performance management

Answer 5

A process for improving
the performance of
organizations based on
performance metrics

Question 6

market intelligence

Answer 6

External information about
a specific market which
is used to understand a
company’s competitive
position

Question 7

business information management

Answer 7

The process of managing
information as a strategic
resource for improving
organizational
performance. This process
involves developing
strategies and introducing
systems and controls to
improve information quality
to deliver value

Question 8

data

Answer 8

Discrete, objective facts
about events. Data are
transformed into
information by adding
value through context,
categorization,
calculations, corrections
and condensation

Question 9

information

Answer 9

Organized data, meaningful
and contextually relevant.
Used for decision making

Question 10

information system

Answer 10

A computerized or manual
system to capture data and
transform them into
information and/or
knowledge

Question 11

information and communication technology (ICT or IT)

Answer 11

The software applications,
computer hardware and
networks used to create
information systems

Question 12

knowledge

Answer 12

The combination of data
and information to which is
added expert opinion, skills
and experience to result in
a valuable asset which can
be used to make decisions

Question 13

information audit

Answer 13

An approach to reviewing
and improving information
usage – information quality
within an organization

Question 14

information policy

Answer 14

A formal declaration of
how information
management will be
managed and information
quality will be improved
within an organization

Question 15

business data

Answer 15

Detailed objective facts
about events or items
related to business
processes and the external
environment

Question 16

business event

Answer 16

A financial or non-financial
transaction within or
between organizations that
happens at a point in time

Question 17

business information

Answer 17

Data that have been
transformed into a
meaningful, organized
form relevant to those who
require it to manage
business processes

Question 18

systems theory

Answer 18

A model of the
interdependence between
different elements or
resources in organizations
and the natural world

Question 19

system

Answer 19

A collection of interrelated
components that work
together towards a
collective goal

Question 20

environment

Answer 20

The external influence on a
system with which it
interacts

Question 21

inputs

Answer 21

The physical and virtual
resources that feed into a
system

Question 22

outputs

Answer 22

The physical and virtual
products that are created
by a system

Question 23

transformation process

Answer 23

The mechanism by which
inputs are transformed into
outputs

Question 24

feedback

Answer 24

Output that is used to
evaluate the performance
of a system

Question 25

control

Answer 25

Changes to a system through modification of system inputs or resources

Question 26

micro-environment

Answer 26

Specific forces on an organization generated by its stakeholders

Question 27

macro-environment

Answer 27

Broader forces affecting all organizations in the marketplace such as social, technological, economic, political and legal

Question 28

environmental scanning or sensing

Answer 28

The process of continuously monitoring the environment and events and responding accordingly

Question 29

internet

Answer 29

A global network of computers across the globe. It consists of the infrastructure of network servers and communication links between them that are used to hold and transport information between the client computers such as PCs and the web servers storing the information

Question 30

world wide web

Answer 30

A technique for publishing information on the Internet. The web is accessed through web browsers which display web pages of embedded graphics and HTML- or XML-encoded text

Question 31

search engines

Answer 31

Automated tools known as ‘spiders’ or ‘robots’ index registered sites. Users use a search engine by typing a key phrase and are presented with a list of pages from the index ranked by relevance to the key phrase

Question 32

invisible web

Answer 32

Web pages not accessible by search engines since they are dynamically generated from specialized searchable databases or deliberately or accidentally excluded

Question 33

intranet

Answer 33

A private network within a single organization using Internet standards to enable employees to share information using e-mail and web publishing

Question 34

extranet

Answer 34

Formed by extending selected intranet services beyond an organization to its customers, suppliers and collaborators

Question 35

information lifecycle

Answer 35

The sequence of activities involved in information management from creation through to permanent deletion of information

Question 36

competitive intelligence (CI)

Answer 36

A process that transforms disaggregated information into relevant, accurate and usable strategic knowledge about competitors, position, performance, capabilities and intentions

Question 37

records management

Answer 37

The process of managing the creation and maintenance of and access to documents and records about individuals and events related to an organization through the information lifecycle

Question 38

record

Answer 38

A document or an instance of an entity within a business

Question 39

knowledge management

Answer 39

The combination of strategies, techniques and tools used to capture and share knowledge within an organization

Question 40

explicit knowledge

Answer 40

Codified knowledge that can be readily expressed and understood, such as business procedures

Question 41

tacit knowledge

Answer 41

Mainly intangible knowledge that is typically intuitive and difficult to record

Question 42

intellectual capital

Answer 42

The knowledge assets of an organization comprising the people, structures and tools used to utilize knowledge within an organization and its stakeholders

Question 43

applications portfolio

Answer 43

The mix of software applications used in an organization or departments.

Question 44

information systems strategy

Answer 44

The formulation of approaches and planning needed to deploy information systems resources to support organizational strategy

Question 45

strategic information systems planning (SISP)

Answer 45

Term used to refer to IS strategy formulation and planning

Question 46

IT outsourcing

Answer 46

Information systems are outsourced to a third party organization

Question 47

strategy development process

Answer 47

A framework for approaching strategy development in a series of logical steps

Question 48

long-term IS strategy

Answer 48

Specifies broad strategic approaches over a three- to five-year period

Question 49

short-term strategy

Answer 49

Details of strategy over a six- to twelve-month period

Question 50

top-down method

Answer 50

The IS applications portfolio is determined by alignment with corporate objectives

Question 51

bottom-up method

Answer 51

The selection of the IS applications portfolio partially or completely determines the emphasis of IS strategy and how it impacts corporate objectives